British Parliament set for virtual debates amid coronavirus lockdown

The British Parliament is set to have virtual debates when lawmakers reconvene this week amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Fifty members can remain in the chamber under strict social distancing rules, while 120 at any one time can take part in virtual meetings, the parliament announced last week. 

Lawmakers will be convening over Zoom — marking a first in the House of Commons’s 700 year history. 

The digital arrangements still need to be approved Tuesday by a small number of lawmakers meeting in person, according to The Associated Press. 

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said “there are bound to be bumps along the way” as lawmakers transition to the virtual communication, but he urged lawmakers not to travel. 

“I do not want members and House staff putting themselves at risk,” Hoyle said, according to the AP. 

The new arrangements will allow members of parliament to take part in the traditional Prime Minister’s Questions. There will be screens placed around the chamber to allow the speaker and members present in the chamber to be able to see their colleagues online. 

The U.K. has more than 125,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 16,500 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week tested negative for the coronavirus after he left the hospital where he was treated for COVID-19. 

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will stand in for Johnson during Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions session, according to the AP.