Inside Politics: Boris Johnson wants industry on war footing for coronavirus

“It’s not very profitable to sit and think nowadays,” wrote the great diarist Nella Last after the outbreak of World War II. “So many problems, and they all seem to have such twists to them – nothing is straight forward.” As the government calls on us to rediscover the Blitz spirit, Boris Johnson may have go back and find Winston Churchill diaries for inspiration on how to manage the coronavirus crisis. The PM has been insisting on following the science, but the politics of the outbreak have overtaken him. Johnson is now ready to begin daily briefings and bring in draconian social distancing measures this week. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s Inside Politics newsletter.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone on what to look out for at Westminster today:

Boris Johnson will hold another Cobra emergency committee meeting on the coronavirus today. He and key officials are set to discuss whether to ban large public gatherings soon, and how quickly to move forward with plans to shield older people. In the Commons, the health select committee is holding a session today to get some clarity on the concept of “herd immunity”.

ANNUS HORRIBILIS: We’ll be hearing from Boris Johnson every 24 hours from now on. No more breaks for the “part-time” PM – who has apparently told his staff “we must work around the clock”. As well as beginning daily press conferences, Johnson will call on Britain’s top manufacturers to go on “war footing” – meeting them to discuss the rapid production of ventilators, so desperately needed by the NHS. The latest estimates on the impact of the coronavirus are not good. Not good at all. A Public Health England briefing document, seen by The Guardian, indicates health chiefs believe 80 per cent of the British population – around 7.9 million people – “are expected" to get the virus. They also believe the disease might circulate for a year or so, though it may mercifully dip in the summer before growing again by the end of the year. Reports suggest Johnson – stung by criticism his government has been complacent – is keen to bring forward plans to ban large gatherings. But mass events still won’t be halted until the end of this week, according The Sunday Times, while The Telegraph suggested it could finally come in this coming weekend. Hmmm. Let’s see if we really wait that long.

HERD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE: It’s time to come up with a plan to support elderly loved-ones from safe distance. The over-70s will soon be told to self-isolate for several months to shield them for the virus, Matt Hancock confirmed on Sunday. “It’s not an easy thing for people to sustain,” the health secretary acknowledged in a Sky News interview. Asked about reports the self-isolation period for older people could be four months, Hancock said a period of “months” was part of the plan and it could be asked of them “in the coming weeks”. The government’s chief Patrick Vallance will today be asked to say more about the idea of “herd immunity” – the hope many of us develop immunity after we get the virus this year. Hancock was at pains to say it’s just a scientific concept, not an aim, or a strategy. The Sunday Times reported that government official David Halper was “given a b******ing” by Johnson’s comms chief Lee Cain for first discussing the idea. Vallance and chief medical officer Chris Whitty will share government modelling in the coming days. Let’s hope it sheds more light on the matter.

CAUGHT BY THE FUZZ: The government’s emergency powers plan will be set out on Tuesday, then published in a bill on Thursday. But we know one of key details already – that police will be able to detain people who are sick and not self-isolating. Failing to comply will reportedly mean a fine of up to £1,000. Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy said she was “really quite concerned” about giving the authorities such “sweeping powers”. Jeremy Corbyn has called for a rent and mortgage payment holiday for those affected by the virus. And Lib Dem MP Layla Moran has called for empty offices to be given over to give homeless people a “safe space” during the outbreak. There is still anger and fear the government is not doing enough to maximise safe spaces for us all by shutting stuff down now. An open letter signed by 229 scientists – though no leading experts in the spread of diseases – called for the kind of stringent lockdown measures coming into force in much of mainland Europe and now the US.

CHICKEN LITTLE: Now is certainly not the time to attend events at parliament – or anywhere else – unnecessarily. The parliamentary estate will be restricted to the public from Monday. With the local elections now cancelled and this week’s trade deal talks with the EU off, will common sense prevail when it comes to extending the post-Brexit transition period? Trade expert David Henig told The Observer: “It’s a bit of a game of chicken, with neither side wanting to say they can’t cope with [the coronavirus].” Matthew O’Toole, a former adviser to Theresa May, said it was “lunatic” to rule out a delay. “No one – not the EU or even Trump’s US – will have time for Brexiteer fantasies.” As the Germany becomes the latest European country to close its borders, the Austrian government has sent text messages to citizens currently in the UK, telling them it is “not convinced” by the UK’s step-by-step strategy and urging them to return home.

MAKE 2020 GREAT AGAIN: There are an awful lot of holidays getting cancelled right now, including all those city breaks to NYC, LA and San Francisco. The Trump administration has extended its travel ban to the UK and Ireland. The US Federal Reserve, meanwhile, has cut its base interest rate close to zero and is preparing to pump $700bn into the economy in weeks ahead – a money-printing operation not seen since the financial crisis of 2008. Donald Trump doesn’t think the economy is in any great trouble, and told people not to panic buy. “Relax, we are going great. This will pass. There is no need to hoard essential food supplies. Have a nice dinner, relax – because there’s plenty.” Being told to chill out and eat up doesn’t feel quite right, right now. But there are worse things to hear than “this too shall pass”.

“She had much milder symptoms than me. ‘We old northerners are made of much tougher stuff than you young ones,’ she said to me.”

Tory MP Nadine Dorries reveals her 84-year-mother tested positive for the coronavirus – but is recovering well.

“Well, folks. At least the coronavirus panic has given us a look into life under Jeremy Corbyn’s preferred Venezuelan ‘alternative’.”

Right-wing pundit Darren Grimes shares a photo of empty supermarkets shelves and imagines a nightmare scenario…

“This is quite literally a photograph of life under Johnson. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

…as comedy writer James Felton points out current reality.

John Rentoul, The Independent: Has Boris Johnson got it right on coronavirus? I don’t know, and nor does anyone else

Lucie McInerney, The Independent: Like the climate crisis, coronavirus needs a coordinated global response

Katy Balls, The Spectator: Matt Hancock attempts to set the record straight on ‘herd immunity’

David Leonhardt, The New York Times: A complete list of Trump’s attempts to play down coronavirus