Daily Mail Headline reads 'Elderly face months in quarantine - even if they're NOT ill - and army is to guard supermarkets and hospitals in wartime-style mobilisation to fight coronavirus as deaths in the UK almost double overnight to 21 and infections hit 1,145' ..... Britain's over-70s will be told to self-isolate for four months in a wartime-like mobilisation by the government to stop the spread of coronavirus. This blanket quarantining of the elderly - even if they are not ill - will be enforced in the next 20 days as Boris Johnson ratchets up efforts to tackle the UK's outbreak, a source said.
The drastic measure is wrapped into a wider package of emergency powers due to be rolled out by Downing Street next week.
It was last night revealed to include banning mass gatherings, allowing the police to detain suspected virus victims and forcing schools to stay open. And tonight the government's coronavirus blueprint was fleshed out further as more future measures emerged.
Troops will be deployed to guard hospitals and supermarkets, where panic-buying unleashed carnage on Saturday.
Thousands of private hospital beds will also be used to relax the pressure on the NHS which threatens to be overwhelmed as cases climb.
The government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) advised that the next interventions - shielding the vulnerable with household isolation - 'will need to be instituted soon'.
Ministers have drawn up plans to put troops on the streets to help deal with the coronavirus crisis after the number of deaths almost doubled within 24 hours.
In preparation for the worst-case scenario, defence sources told The Mail on Sunday that Army units were stepping up their training for public order roles – including the guarding of hospitals and supermarkets. The Royal Logistics Corps are preparing to be used to escort food convoys and the Royal Army Medical Corps is poised to build tented field hospitals next to care homes.
Troops trained in chemical, biological and nuclear warfare will deep-clean empty public buildings in case they need to be turned in to hospitals or morgues.
And the Army has also drawn up contingency plans to keep petrol stations topped up with fuel when the country reaches 'peak virus'.
Defence sources told this newspaper that under the contingency plans, 38 military liaison officers would work with local councils to brief civil servants on how the Armed Forces could help combat the crisis.
The most essential staff, such as RAF Typhoon pilots, would be quarantined at work to ensure the UK's continued protection and the SAS's stand-by squadron would be held in the UK, rather than be deployed overseas....<<<Read The Full Article Here>>>...
