UK Government’s Scientific Advisors Warn of Looming National Lockdown

The government’s scientific advisors have warned that much tighter national lockdown rules are looming. Boris Johnson now faces an agonising choice over whether to bring in new restrictions for swathes of northern England, or even the whole country.

The government’s advisors raised the alarm after the UK’s infection rate almost doubled in a week. There are now 125.7 cases per 100,000 people across the UK with 14,542 positive results confirmed yesterday – up more than 2,000 on the day before.

Sadiq Khan warns Londoners’ ‘lives are at risk’ if the capital continues to suffer a coronavirus testing shortage amid fears the city could be put under a local lockdown. Sadiq Khan has warned Londoners’ will die if the capital continues to be hit with coronavirus testing shortages amid fears a lack of swabs could be masking the true scale of the city’s outbreak.

The London Mayor’s sobering warning came as the number of swab tests carried out in the capital dipped well below the national average this week, despite London being the most densely populated city in the country.

Northern England facing more lockdown measures

National lockdown measures needed ‘immediately’, as coronavirus rates surge in Northern England experts have warned. Local lockdown restrictions are “not working”, confusing and even “counter-productive”, leaders of northern cities have warned as the rate of coronavirus cases almost doubled in a week.

Leaders in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds warned Health Secretary Matt Hancock that they would not support further “economic lockdowns” and called for new powers to tackle the resurgence. Professor John Edmunds, who is advising the Government’s coronavirus response, joined the criticism of local measures on Tuesday and said new national restrictions were needed immediately.

The Prime Minister is expected to answer questions on all these areas in the PM’s PMQ’s which is live at the time of writing.

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