UK PM Johnson says army ready to step in if coronavirus escalates
The government published its “battle plan” for tackling the spread of coronavirus on Tuesday
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (not pictured) at Downing Street in London, Britain, February 25, 2020. Matt Dunham/Pool via REUTERS
The British army is ready to support police in maintaining public order as part of government planning for the worst case scenario spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday.
The government published its "battle plan" for tackling the spread of coronavirus on Tuesday, including possible school closures and home working, as it warned as many as one fifth of employees could be absent from work during peak weeks.
Asked during a media conference about the possibility of drafting in the army if the police force is struck by staff shortages, Johnson said: "The army is of course always ready to backfill as and when but that is under a reasonable worst case scenario."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
