Nearly two-thirds of Britons said that they would back further restrictions on their freedoms in the form of a curfew after the prime minister introduced a new law restricting public and private gatherings to just six people.
On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that because of an increase in known coronavirus cases, as of Monday it would be illegal for more than six people to get together in homes, gardens, parks, pubs, and other public places.
Police would also be endowed with the power to disperse, fine, and even arrest those that resist the measures.
More than three-quarters of Britons combined said that they back the imminent prospect of their rights to gather freely being curtailed, with a snap poll from YouGov finding on Wednesday night that 45 per cent “strongly support” and 32 per cent “somewhat support” the new lockdown measures.
Ministers are also reportedly considering a curfew, and astonishingly, nearly two-thirds of Britons said they would back being under effective house arrest. YouGov asked last night: “Would you support or oppose the introduction of a curfew (a time each day after which people are not allowed to leave their homes) between 10 pm and 5 am to help prevent a second wave of COVID-19?”
One-third, 33 per cent, responded that they would “strongly support” a curfew followed by 29 per cent who said they would “somewhat support” it. Just 16 per cent said they were “strongly opposed” and 13 per cent “somewhat opposed”.
The two polls are in line with the general sense of fear expressed by Britons over COVID-19. On Tuesday, a combined 73 per cent said they were either fairly (47 per cent) or very (26 per cent) worried about a second wave, with 74 per cent saying that they do not think the public has taken the pandemic seriously enough.
Businessman and peer Lord Alan Sugar condemned the mainstream media, including the BBC and Sky News, for “cause[ing] panic amongst people” over the prospect of a second wave. Before the prime minister made his announcement, Lord Sugar had said that Mr Johnson should lead by example and tell his Civil Service to get back to work.
“We’ve got to get back to some form of normality,” Lord Sugar said.
Likewise, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has said that Britons must try to get back to a normal life.
Mr Farage added that he fears “these draconian restrictions that are coming in from Monday are the beginning of another lockdown, and that would be a complete and utter disaster”, saying that “we can’t close the whole country down” again.
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