https://www.freedomaccounting.co.uk https://www.freedomaccounting.co.uk/working-from-home <div data-rss-type="text"> People in England should work from home "if they can" to reduce social mixing and slow the spread of the virus, Michael Gove has said. <div> <br/> </div> <div> And plans to have spectators at sports fixtures would "pause", the Cabinet Office Minister told BBC Breakfast. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> It comes as pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues in England are told they must have a 22:00 closing time from Thursday. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Full details will be set out by the prime minister in Parliament later. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Boris Johnson is meeting the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and will address the nation in a live broadcast at 20:00 BST on Tuesday. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> As well as the early closing time for hospitality venues, he is expected to announce they will be restricted by law to table service only. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> In July, the prime minister said people should "start to go back to work now if you can" and last month the government launched a campaign to encourage workers back to offices. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are stressing that if it is safe to work in your workplace, if you are in a Covid-secure workplace, then you should be there if your job requires it. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> "But, if you can work from home you should." </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Asked if that was a change in advice, Mr Gove said: "Yes." </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> The new message brings England into line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which have all advised people to work from home wherever possible throughout the pandemic. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> How does the Covid-19 alert level system work? </div> <div> How many cases are there in your area? </div> <div> But Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast the country was "not going back to the sorts of measures that we had in the spring" when strict measures were imposed. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Plans for sport with live audiences to return from 1 October in England were also being halted "for the moment" because of the risk of fans mixing on the way to the stadium or during half-time, Mr Gove added. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said a second national lockdown would be "a sign of government failure, not an act of God". </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> "It would take an immense toll on people's physical and mental health and on the economy. We need a national effort to prevent a national lockdown," he told the Labour Party conference, which is taking place virtually. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> <br/> </div> </div> Tue, 22 Sep 2020 10:50:54 GMT 183:742151569 (Leigh Holdway) https://www.freedomaccounting.co.uk/working-from-home thumbnail main image