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Reuters
The UK is at a “tipping point” in the coronavirus pandemic and “is heading in the wrong direction,” the government’s medical director will later warn.
Professor Chris Whitty believes the country is facing a “very challenging winter period” and will hold a televised briefing at 11:00 BST.
It comes after the prime minister spent the weekend considering whether to introduce more measures in England.
On Sunday, another 3,899 daily cases and 18 deaths were reported in the UK.
The prime minister is understood to be considering a two-week mini-lockdown in England, referred to as a “circuit breaker,” in an effort to halt the widespread growth of the virus.
He held a meeting in Downing Street on Sunday, along with Professor Whitty, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, to discuss possible measures.
At the subsequent briefing, Professor Whitty will be joined by the government’s chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, to present the latest data.
Professor Whitty is expected to say: ‘The trend in the UK is going in the wrong direction and we are at a critical point in the pandemic.
“We are analyzing the data to see how to manage the spread of the virus before a very challenging winter period.”
The two scientists are expected to explain how the virus is spreading and potential scenarios as winter approaches.
They are also expected to share data on other countries that are experiencing a second wave and explain how the UK could cope with similar situations.
Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance were the mainstays of Downing Street press conferences when the virus was at its peak.
Therefore, you can assume that your report on the latest data will not convey good news.
The two men spent much of Sunday afternoon behind Downing Street’s black door, carefully studying the data with the health secretary, chancellor, senior officials and the prime minister himself.
What has worried some of those in the number 10 are predictions that there could be a significant number of deaths per day from Covid by the end of next month unless further action is taken.
Ministers agree that there should not be a complete national lockdown, but there are tensions around the cabinet table over what more limited measures to take.
On Sunday, Hancock said that with hospital admissions for the disease doubling “every eight days or so,” more measures are needed to prevent more deaths.
He warned that the country faces a “tipping point” as the government considers new restrictions.
“If everyone follows the rules, then we can avoid a further national lockdown,” he said.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would support any new measures, but warned that a second national shutdown was more likely because the Test and Trace program was in a “near collapse” state.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he would meet with council leaders on Monday and then recommend any London-specific action to ministers.
He believes that the capital city may be only “two or three days” behind the hot spots in the North West and North East of England.
More areas in North West England, West Yorkshire and the Midlands will face more local restrictions from Tuesday, bringing the number of people affected by increased local measures in the UK to around 13.5 million.
Over the weekend, the government announced that people in England who refuse a self-isolation order could face a fine of up to £ 10,000 from 28 September.
However, the government is facing resistance from some high-level Conservative MPs who are concerned that ministers will impose new restrictions on the coronavirus without giving Parliament a voice.
The 2020 Coronavirus Law, which became law in March, gave the government broad powers to handle the pandemic.
But Sir Graham Brady, who represents Conservative MPs, said he would introduce an amendment that would require the government to put any new measures to a vote by MPs.
Meanwhile, Lady Hale, former president of the Supreme Court, said that Parliament had “ceded” control to ministers during the pandemic, in an essay seen by The Guardian.
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