Yahoo News Coronavirus: Nadine Dorries defends suggestion UK could be on 'full lockdown' for months
Nadine Dorries has defended her comments on the coronavirus lockdown in the UK after she suggested it could go on for at least another year.
The health minister appeared to suggest that restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 could be in place for several months as experts have said it could be 18 months before a vaccine is ready.
Dorries, who contracted COVID-19 but has now recovered, triggered the row by saying journalists should stop asking about an “exit strategy” from the lockdown.
“There is only one way we can ‘exit’ full lockdown and that is when we have a vaccine,” she said.
Journalists should stop asking about an ‘exit strategy.’ There is only one way we can ‘exit’ full lockdown and that is when we have a vaccine. Until then, we need to find ways we can adapt society and strike a balance between the health of the nation and our economy . #COVID19
— Nadine Dorries 🇬🇧 (@NadineDorries) April 15, 2020
There is more than one lockdown. Full, or the introduction of a relaxation/easement strategy - eventually ➡️ to a full exit.
You were the one demanding a full lockdown. You have a responsibility to talk rationally about the consequences and a realistic way out. https://t.co/xvvIL3BCxg— Nadine Dorries 🇬🇧 (@NadineDorries) April 16, 2020
“Until then, we need to find ways we can adapt society and strike a balance between the health of the nation and our economy.”
She rounded on Good Morning Britain (GMB) presenter Piers Morgan, who said her suggestion the UK would be in “full lockdown” until a vaccine was developed was an “astonishing break” from official government statements.
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Dorries accused Morgan of a “ridiculous interpretation” of her words, adding “it would be more helpful to talk about ‘relaxing lockdown’ than constantly demanding an ‘exit strategy’.”
She later added “there is more than one lockdown”. That could be “full, or the introduction of a relaxation/easement strategy – eventually (leading) to a full exit”.
During a fiery on-air clash, health secretary Matt Hancock told GMB that it is “far too early” for things to return to normal.
“What Nadine is saying is that this talk about an exit strategy, with the idea that we go immediately back to exactly how things were before, it is far too early for that,” he said.
“We are seeing that peak, but it’s still far too high. And so it is too early to be making changes.”
Dorries refused to apologise this morning after Sky News presenter Kay Burley suggested that she had “misspoke”.
The minister said: “I say it as it is.
“I speak in politics as I do in life. If I need to apologise, I won’t hesitate.”
But she added: “I really did not misspeak.”
Dorries, who contracted COVID-19 and subsequently recovered, is also a bestselling author of fiction.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the row triggered by Dorries’ comments showed the need for greater clarity from the government.
“This is the problem, isn’t it? Because if the government don’t provide clarity then people can read things into misleading or badly phrased tweets by junior health ministers,” he told Sky News.
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