RISHI Sunak has backed Tory MPs who want Boris Johnson to ditch the “impossible” two metre rule to save Britain’s economy.
The Chancellor is said to be “sympathetic” with the concerns of backbench MPs who last night stressed it needed to be cut to help the nation recover from coronavirus.
He told the backbench 1922 Committee of Tory MPs that 24 countries had introduced the flexibility to reduce the two-metre rule, while Sweden and Denmark had lowered it recently, The Times reported.
And he is said to have told them that three quarters of pubs could open if the distance is slashed, and it could help more kids get back to school.
This morning minister Simon Clarke said the Government would “love” to cut the 2m rule down when they can.
He said that “nobody in Government is complacent about this” and added balancing livelihoods against lives is “the dilemma that we’ve been wrestling with”.
Countries around the world have cut the 2m distance guidelines down to 1.5m or even 1.
The World Health Organisation recommends at least one metre.
But Britain’s scientists are still backing 2m for now.
The Telegraph claimed today that the rule is likely be dropped in September so the PM can fulfill his promise to get all kids back to school by the start of the academic year.
A Whitehall source said: “There is a belief we will be in a position to [reopen all schools].
“The summer break will mean we can assess the impact of the infection rate on the classrooms that have already reopened.”
Last night Boris Johnson suggested that when the number of infections comes down enough, the distance could be cut as the chances of catching it would be less.
He told MPs in the House of Commons: “As the incidents of the disease comes down as I think, members of SAGE have could confirm, the statistical likelihood of becoming infected, no matter how close or far you are form someone who may or may not have coronavirus, comes down.”
He has promised to conduct a fresh review of the 2m rule.
He wants to cut it in the future, when it is safe to do so.
And Alok Sharma, the Business Secretary, hinted earlier this week: “When it is safe to do so, we will see whether you can move to a shorter distance.”
Professor Robert Dingwall said yesterday that even if the distance was cut to one metre, there would still be a “safety margin” as it was “very rare” for virus particles to travel that far.
Pubs and restaurants have warned they face closing their doors forever if everyone has to stay 2m apart while they are inside.
Several Cabinet ministers are said to want to change the distance.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has been campaigning for the change for weeks.
He said: “The number one and single most important priority to unlock the economy is getting the distance down to one metre.
“The difference between one and two metres is the difference between opening the economy properly and seeing it bump along at the bottom without being able to bounce back. The hospitality sector simply can’t make a living at two metres.
“It’s restrictive at one metre but at least they can come close to making it work. And it’s impossible to run public transport properly at two metres.”
Shops are set to reopen in England next week but people must stay 2m away from each other.
Schools have started to go back from last week, with reception, year one and year six going in for class.
But as classes need to be smaller – capped at 15 – there is not enough space for everyone to go back at the moment.
If the 2m rule were lifted, more kids may be able to fit inside classrooms.
A study published in the Lancet found physical distancing of at least one metre lowers the risk of coronavirus transmission, but distances of two metres could be more effective.
The risk of infection when people stand more than a metre away from the infected individual was found to be 3 per cent, and 13 per cent if within a metre.
