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The highest number of Covid deaths since April and the discovery of a second new variant of the virus led to stark warnings that ministers are acting too slowly by waiting until Boxing Day to put 6 million more people on the restrictions. more stringent.
A portion of England will be placed under Level 4 curbs from Saturday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced, as the UK recorded 744 deaths, the highest since late April, and 39,237 cases.
In total, 42% of England, almost 24 million people, will be at level 4 with an additional 44% (almost 25 million) at level 3. With the virus rising 57% across the country in one week and the R number increasing to 1-1.3, the Isles of Scilly is the only area left at level 1.
The introduction of new measures on Boxing Day will leave millions of people in the worst affected areas free to mingle indoors with up to three households on Christmas Day when restrictions are eased for 24 hours.
uk crown cases
One expert warned that delaying the “critical days” will mean that “the number of cases will be much, much higher” and “much more difficult to reduce.”
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have announced nationwide restrictions in recent days in an attempt to contain the new variant announced last week, which emerged in Kent and is said to be up to 70% more infectious. On Wednesday, the Northern Ireland Department of Health confirmed a positive test in the region for the new variant of Covid-19 that was first detected in Britain.
During a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday to reveal the new level moves, Hancock revealed details of a second South Africa-linked Covid variant that had been found in the UK. He also said that the total of all coronavirus cases had risen 57% nationwide in the last week, with nearly 19,000 in the hospital with the virus.
Hancock added: “In this context of increasing infections, increasing hospitalizations and increasing numbers of people dying from coronavirus, it is absolutely vital that we act. We just can’t have the kind of Christmas we all long for. “
He also said: “We know that the three-tier system worked to control the previous variant and is now working in much of the country, especially in the north of England. But we also know that level 3 is not enough to control the new variant. This is not a hypothesis, it is a fact and we have seen it on the ground ”.
Dr Andrew Preston, reader of microbial pathogenesis at the University of Bath, said: “The situation is moving fast and requires decisive decision making. Today, the government has recognized that the situation continues to deteriorate in many areas and that stricter restrictions are required if it is to be contained.
“Since cases are increasing so rapidly, the three critical day delay, with the new tiered classification not going into effect until Boxing Day, will mean that by then the number of cases will be much, much higher and as a result much, much harder to take down. If containment is the focus, then, unfortunately, restrictions must be immediate, despite the consequences this will cause. “
Before the announcement, Christina Pagel, an operations research professor at University College London, said that waiting until Boxing Day to put more areas at level 4 was too slow.
She told Times Radio: “We are in an incredibly dangerous situation … If we just wait and let it spread north, where things are much more under control, then the whole country is on fire and I feel like we have to do what”. stop it now and protect the north from the south, effectively. “
She added: “We are constantly behind the curve. I think we have to put the whole country on level 4 today, especially the level 2 areas around level 4 that are going through the roof. Why do we let people mingle at Christmas? You’re just looking for trouble. “
