Boris got it right with his speech last night, says leo mckinstry

After the media excitement last week about an advance towards freedom, the Prime Minister struck a far more guarded note. His emphasis was on caution rather than boldness. Britain was now

past the "initial peak", he claimed, "but it is often coming down the mountain that is the most dangerous". It would therefore be "madness" to throw away what

has been achieved so far and risk a renewed spike. Indeed, yesterday Germany revealed that infections there have started to rise after the nation lifted its lockdown. The Prime Minister

looked healthier than he has done in weeks since his own COVID-19 ordeal, but this was a very different leader from the one who had triumphed in the General Election only five months ago. He

was resolute, punchy but sombre, reflecting the brutal choice his Government faces between protecting lives and avoiding the ruination of the economy. Many people – particularly in the

business world – who have been clamouring for a return to normality will have found his speech an anti-climax. But the Prime Minister did set out some steps for gradually opening up society

again. We will be allowed to take unlimited exercise, for instance, while employees who cannot operate from home will be encouraged to return to their workplaces. In the longer-term, if the

rate of infections continues to drop, then shops and schools could begin re-opening in June. These measures will be backed up by not only by an expanding testing regime, but also a new

colour-coded alert system, ranging from green (1) for no transmissions to red (5) which will mean the virus is spreading at a dangerous rate. For all the Prime Minister's eloquence,

there were two serious weaknesses in his plan. One is the new slogan, "Stay Alert" which is all but meaningless. The other is the proposal to quarantine all air travellers to

Britain for at least a fortnight. Such a measure is far too late. It should have been imposed when the first COVID-19 cases arose. Moreover, it is impractical and will do further damage to

the tourism sector. It would be far better to test all arrivals and require those from high-risk countries to carry immunity certificates. But overall, in his gradualist approach towards

ending the lockdown, the Prime Minister is acting with the grain of public opinion. The Prime Minister struck a guarded note. His emphasis was on caution not boldness.