More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A police chief has reminded people in Kent to keep adhering to lockdown restrictions, as Boris Johnson announced a "downward slope" in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister has promised to deliver a plan next week on how the UK lockdown may be eased, suggesting he will detail efforts to get the economy moving and children back to school.
Watch chief constable Alan Pughsley at this week's police briefing
But chief constable Alan Pughsley was firm in reminding people they should not start ignoring the restrictions that have been in place since the virus took hold.
He said: "Whilst the Prime Minister I'm sure is right that the peak may have passed, he also talked about making sure we don't have a second and a third wave.
"So we all have responsibility to do that - we'll carry on policing in the same way, and I hope people take the advice and behave as the vast majority have in Kent, in a professional and sensible way."
The police chief also said there had been an increase in people and cars seen out and about across the county, and said he would put more officers on the ground if needed, to combat people ignoring lockdown measures.
He added: "Our planning all works towards what visibility and engagement looks like both here and now, throughout the virus, and indeed at any easement of restrictions that may or may not come.
"When we know when that may or may not happen, we'll look at our resources, and if necessary we have got more officers to put on the streets."
The government recently unlocked £84 million of funding to forces across the country to help in the fight against coronavirus, and Kent Police have recruited an additional 115 officers since September 2019.
As businesses settle into the lockdown, a number of retail outlets have announced plans to re-open and offer a limited services, including fast food restaurant KFC.
But police were called to a KFC branch in Broadstairs yesterday, as huge queues formed after it was announced some outlets would open again for delivery.
But it was a wasted trip as the outlet was not open to the public.
Responding to the incident, Mr Pughsley said: "I'd expect to see a civilised normalised, socially distanced queue outside the said outlet, and people collecting their goods in a timely way."
The police chief also suggested outlets like KFC might have to offer timeslots to pick up food during the future easing of lockdown, which would avoid such large queues.
The recent increase in activity has coincided with Boris Johnson's announcement that the country is "now past the peak of the disease."
In his first press conference appearance since being hospitalised with Covid-19, the Prime Minister said the effect of the virus to the country was now "on the downward slope."
Speaking at the briefing, he said: "What you are going to get next week is really a road map, a menu of options.
"The dates and times of each individual measure will be very much driven by where we are in the epidemic, what the data is really saying, and we are getting in a lot more data every day now and in the course of the next few days."
The PM highlighted the economic damage being caused by lockdown, but also said a second coronavirus peak would do lasting damage to the UK if measures were lifted too quickly.
He added: "It is absolutely vital, if we’re to bounce back as strongly as I think we can, that we don’t have a second bout or second bad spike."
Despite most adhering to social distancing and lockdown, officers across the county have found themselves being abused by people flouting the rules.
In today's police briefing, Mr Pughsley revealed there had now been 88 incidents of officers being coughed at or spat on since lockdown began.
That figure is up from the 70 incidents revealed last week.
Speaking to KMTV last week, Matthew Scott said: "It's absolutely disgusting that there are lowlifes out there who will spit on police officers or cough at them, irrespective of whether they had the disease or not.
"That they would even threaten it just goes to show what scumbags they really are."
