On Day 1 of the lockdown throughout the United Kingdom, London commuters faced extremely crowded conditions for their tube rides, or whatever it is they call their underground trains:
On Day 1 of #UKlockdown Transport for London was packed and social distancing was not being practised ?#coronavirusuk #COVIDIDIOTS #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/RHavrnc8NJ
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 24, 2020
Well done, everyone!
UK Lockdown Day 1 pic.twitter.com/zwfRcdc6v7
— simon crosse (@simoncrosse) March 24, 2020
Apparently it was London Mayor Sadiq Khan fault as he cut the number of trains which then caused the congestion:
@SadiqKhan please restore the number of tube train and reopen the stations. It is really not acceptable that people are having to crush onto tubes because of the lack of trains and stations. It is bad enough in normal times and you have now made it dangerous for key workers.
— Flick Drummond (@FlickD) March 24, 2020
The government is not working to fix the system the government broke:
Michael Gove: We are working to "have a service that limits the need for people to be crammed one against the other" after Sadiq Khan was criticised for shutting down tube services. Listen live ► https://t.co/sv3MZUm41c@JuliaHB1 | @michaelgove | #covid19uk pic.twitter.com/roReNRQtcs
— talkRADIO (@talkRADIO) March 24, 2020
Health Sec. Matt Hancock wants all the trains back up and running:
Summary of daily briefing:
-11,788 retired NHS workers returning to work
-Call for 250,000 NHS volunteers
-New London hospital being set up
-Govt criticises @SadiqKhan – say tubes should be running in FULL, not reduced
-3.5m antibody tests bought, 7.5m pieces of PPE shipped— Daniel Hewitt (@DanielHewittITV) March 24, 2020
He’s right. You can’t have social distancing on a packed train:
Sadiq Khan was advocating reducing it even further in order for it to be used only by NHS
Hancock is clear, as is chief medical advisor, aim is to reduce social contact & be two meters apart. If your workplace can do this, and deems your role essential, you can work.
— David Videcette (@DavidVidecette) March 24, 2020
Health Sec Matt Hancock ups the row with @SadiqKhan… Says there should be more tube services up and running in London.
— Kate Proctor (@Kate_M_Proctor) March 24, 2020
But others want to use the police to keep people off the trains in the morning if they’re not “key workers”:
NEW: Transport union @TSSAunion calls for cops to be deployed at all main London underground & overground stations to make sure only key workers are getting trains
— Kate Ferguson (@kateferguson4) March 24, 2020
But this. . . sound like a bad idea:
Sadiq Khan must now use the police to ensure ONLY essential workers use the Tube.
Every Londoner who piles onto the Tube unnecessarily risks spreading the virus and overwhelming our wonderful NHS, putting thousands of lives at risk.#StayHomeSaveLives https://t.co/8rIryUBfbv
— Susan Hall AM (@Councillorsuzie) March 24, 2020
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