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Level 5 is the highest level of the UK government’s Covid alert system. The threat level is different from the level system. It comes as Boris Johnson is set to release an update to the nation tonight at 8pm and many are expecting the Prime Minister to announce a third national shutdown.
The alert level system was introduced in May to help decide the range of social distancing measures used.
At Level 5, the Government states that there is a material risk that health services will be overwhelmed.
Two new strains of the virus, one in south-east England and a second in South Africa, have caused the level of cases to rise rapidly.
Due to the spread of tension across the country, the UK government stated that 58,784 new cases had occurred.
In terms of when a positive test was reported, today’s figure is the highest ever recorded in the UK.
The total number of cases now stands at 2,713,563 while deaths also increased by 407 to 75,431.
The high number of cases and the UK R rate are the key factors in raising the alert level.
The infection rate, which must be kept below one to stop the spread of the virus, is estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.3.
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In London and the South East, the new strain has caused seven-day case levels to rise to more than 800 per 100,000 people.
The surrounding areas in the south have also seen an increase in case levels between 400 and 799 due to the new strains.
Following Johnson’s announcement tonight, MPs will be called to the House of Commons on Wednesday to discuss the new restrictions.
Johnson’s announcement Monday night comes as Nicola Sturgeon announced another closure north of the border.
The new lockdown will make it a legal requirement that the public stay home.
He headed to Holyrood today, where he informed the MSPs of the dire situation.
Sturgeon said: “It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we now face than I have been at any time since March of last year. “
The high number of cases occurs when the UK launched the AstraZeneca vaccine and the University of Oxford.
While praised by health leaders, the prime minister warned that the UK is facing a difficult period in its fight against the virus.
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