stan van houcke: The Independent

maandag 20 april 2020

The Independent

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UK police must be ready for ‘volatile and agitated society’ after coronavirus lockdown restrictions lifted, senior officer warns

Police must prepare for “a more volatile and agitated society” after the UK’s coronavirus lockdown comes to an end, a senior officer has warned. With the restrictions extended until at least 7 May, there are concerns about the effects of unemployment, mental health issues, abuse inside homes and a general need for “release” on the national morale. “There’s not been much debate at the moment about what the future looks like because we’re all in the present,” chief superintendent Paul Griffiths told The Independent. “There are going to be people who are out of work, businesses that have not been able to sustain themselves and the impact on society will start to come through.”

Far-right extremists are exploiting the coronavirus lockdown to target Muslims by pushing “dangerous” conspiracy theories claiming they are spreading Covid-19 by violating state-at-home orders, a report has warned. Old footage is being circulated online to suggest that mosques are still open, causing police to be inundated with complaints by members of the public duped into believing the smears. Abusive online posts have also called for the demolition of all mosques to “cure” coronavirus. A report commissioned by the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group, seen exclusively by The Independent prior to its publication, warned that the claims could lead to a spike in hate crimes when the present restrictions are lifted.

Britain’s deputy chief medical officer has meanwhile said the coronavirus outbreak is starting to plateau, after a government adviser claimed the country may have already seen it pass its peak. Jenny Harries said the latest figures indicated the spread of the virus was “heading in the right direction”, with the curve of new infections flattening over the course of the last week. However, she fell short of agreeing with Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the medical research charity Wellcome Trust, who had offered an even more positive interpretation of the improving data earlier on Sunday.

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