Newspaper headlines: PM warning and England faces 'two-week lockdown'

4 years ago 459

By BBC News
Staff

Published3 minutes ago

image captionThe prime minister's warning that the UK is entering a second wave of coronavirus dominates the front pages. The i quotes Boris Johnson as saying widespread infections are "inevitable".
image captionThe Daily Express says the PM has told the nation it could now face "tougher new rules" in a bid to combat a second wave, with restrictions needing to be kept under constant review.
image captionThe PM is preparing for hundreds of daily deaths within weeks, according to the Times. It says the body which monitors the spread of the infection - the Joint Biosecurity Centre - has told No 10 the UK is six weeks behind Spain, which recorded 239 deaths on Thursday.
image captionThe PM is prepared to impose "sweeping nationwide measures" to curb the spread of the virus, reports the Guardian. Its says one option being considered in England is a "circuit breaker" that could see families told not to mix, and pubs and restaurants being forced to close early or go to takeaway for a short fixed period.
image captionThe Daily Mirror claims the whole of England - 56 million people - could be put into a two-week lockdown as coronavirus cases continue to soar.
image captionThe Daily Telegraph also focuses on the idea of a two-week lockdown, saying it could be announced in a press conference as early as Tuesday. The paper suggests Boris Johnson will spend the weekend in Downing Street with officials considering the different options.
image captionChancellor Rishi Sunak has urged Mr Johnson not to risk the economic recovery by "going too far" with new lockdown rules, according to the Daily Mail. The paper says Mr Sunak has highlighted the "huge potential damage" to the economy, including mass job losses.
image captionChinese social media app TikTok being removed from US app stores is the main story in the FT weekend. The paper says the US government stopped short of forcing Apple and Google to remove the Chinese version from their app stores in China.
image captionAnd the Daily Star has a slightly different focus. It says it has bought a planet to prevent Armaggedon.

"Fear we go again" is how

the Sun sums up Boris Johnson's admission that a second wave of coronavirus has begun.

It prints a huge silver padlock on its front page, emblazoned with a union flag, and says the prime minister is "agonising" over a new nationwide "social" lockdown.

"Lock-Tober" is how the Star describes the likely weeks ahead, while the i newspaper says the UK is "on the edge" with just a small window left to slow the rate of infection.

The Times says Mr Johnson is preparing for "hundreds of deaths", with a source telling the paper the number of cases will double every week, unless measures are taken.

The government's chief pandemic modeller, Graham Medley, tells the paper, a lockdown would have the "greatest impact" if it coincided with schools closing during October's half-term break.

The Daily Telegraph says that was the original plan - but a source tells the paper the thinking now is that October will be "too late" and that "hawks" within government want something done "in the next few days."

The Financial Times is one of several publications to reflect on the mounting questions from Tory MPs about Mr Johnson's leadership.

It says the decision of Amal Clooney to quit as the UK's envoy on media freedom - because of plans to override the EU withdrawal treaty - has added to "a sense of disarray" within government.

"I don't understand what's happened to Boris," one supporter tells the paper, adding that "he seems a shadow of his ebullient self".

The Daily Express is more supportive. It says Mr Johnson has its "sympathy" as he "wrestles" with a crisis that keeps getting tougher.

image copyrightReuters

image captionUS Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died at the age of 87

The online editions of the US papers pay tribute to the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has died from complications linked to pancreatic cancer.

The Washington Post describes her as "a legal pioneer for gender equality, whose fierce opinions made her a hero to the left".

She became a "feminist pop culture icon", it says, whose regal image as the "Notorious RBG" graced tote bags, T-shirts and coffee mugs.

USA Today says her "diminutive presence belied her titanic influence" as "a bulwark against an increasingly conservative majority within the high court."

Writing in the Guardian, Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner calls for the UK's care workers to get a pay rise.

She says the weekly lockdown applause should be followed by "meaningful change" - adding that "empty gestures and pats on the back don't pay the rent".

Ms Rayner writes that it's "unconscionable" that most care workers still earn less than the real living wage of £9.30 an hour.

image copyrightReuters

image captionWales star Gareth Bale is nearing a return to the Premier League

One person whose wages are certainly not found wanting is the footballer Gareth Bale. The Telegraph reports that the deal to bring him back to Tottenham will see Spurs pay him £220,000 a week - in addition to the £380,000 he will receive from Real Madrid while he is on loan.

He is pictured grinning on many of the back pages and giving a thumbs up to fans as he is driven into Tottenham's training ground.

The Star says he was given a hero's welcome after flying in from Spain. "After a short trip around the M25, the winger was rewarded with the sort of adulation which never seemed to come his way at Real Madrid" it concludes.

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