Brits face EVEN HARDER lockdown in TWO WEEKS, unless the Rule of Six works

The British could face an even tougher lockdown in two weeks unless the Rule of Six reduces coronavirus cases, it was stated today.

Government ministers and officials insist they are willing to take more draconian measures to stop the spread, despite the wave of criticism.

The options on the table could range from curfews to closing bars, although there is a determination that schools will remain open.

“The lockdown is the only thing we know works, to be blunt,” a government scientific adviser told ITV.

The dire prospect has been raised amid fears the disease is about to get out of control again.

Although cases have skyrocketed to more than 3,000 a day, it has occurred mainly among younger people, who are less likely to be severely affected.

The ‘Rule of Six’ imposed by Boris Johnson on Monday makes it illegal to have larger gatherings, although in Scotland and Wales children under 12 do not need to be counted in the numbers.

A group of people enjoy the September sun yesterday near London City Hall

However, the first signs that hospitalizations are on the rise again have raised the alarm and infections are becoming more common among older people.

The problems have been compounded as the testing system has been thrown into chaos after the return from schools, with a high demand that children be checked.

The ‘Rule of Six’ imposed by Boris Johnson on Monday makes it illegal to have larger gatherings, although in Scotland and Wales children under 12 do not need to be counted in the numbers.

Ministers have suggested that they are following the example of Belgium, where a sudden increase appears to have been tackled using strict limits on meetings and curfews.

A senior government official told ITV’s Robert Peston that “there was no possibility that we would wait for the death rate to increase before acting.”

They added that the government will reevaluate whether the Rule of Six has been sufficient to control the situation in fifteen days, but there is a widespread opinion that schools should not be closed again.

A senior scientific adviser reportedly said: ‘I think if we want to keep schools open, we probably have to seriously consider a wide range of other measures to stop a major second wave.

“And we have to think about doing it right now, which we are starting to do.”

The possibility of a more severe crackdown arises despite a strong backlash from conservatives to the restrictions in everyday life.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday rejected furious demands that young children be exempted from the rules in England to save Christmas.

He was repeatedly pressed on the “unfair and inflexible” restrictions when he made a statement in the Commons this afternoon.

High-level conservatives lined up to urge the government to copy Scottish and Welsh administrations, which have said children under 12 do not count towards the meeting limit.

Police on patrol enforcing new social distancing laws in sunny Hyde Park yesterday

Health Secretary Matt Hancock was repeatedly pressured on ‘unfair and inflexible’ Covid restrictions when he made a statement in the Commons yesterday

But while Hancock insisted he understood the ‘impact’ the rules were having, he said ‘simplicity’ was crucial to their being effective.

The Minister of the Interior, Priti Patel, warned yesterday that two families that cross in the street would be violating the new law.

He said more than half a dozen people stopping to chat after accidentally meeting would constitute a ‘mix’.

Lawyers questioned whether that was the case, but No10 offered his backing, saying: ‘You can expect the police to ask you to disperse.’

Ms Patel also said that she would report her own neighbors for any behavior she believed was “inappropriate” and risked spreading the virus.

The comments came as police complained that they had been left in the dark about how to enforce the strict restrictions, without guidance and with widespread anger among the public.