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Boris Johnson has said that the much-feared second wave of the pandemic has reached the UK, and new cases of coronavirus in England are estimated to have doubled over the past week.
The prime minister said he does not want to put the country in another national lockdown, but warned that the government may need to “step up things to help reduce the rate of infections.”
“Now we see a second wave coming … clearly we are going to keep everything under review,” he said.
He said he “did not want to reach a second national lockdown at all”, but as the disease progresses, “of course we will have to take more action.”
Sadiq Khan wants new restrictions sooner rather than later
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has insisted that there should be no delays, saying: “I am of the firm opinion that we should not wait, as it did six months ago, for this virus to get out of control again sooner. to take action. “
He said it is “increasingly likely” that the capital will be subject to more lockdown restrictions.
“The best for both public health and the economy are the new restrictions imposed early, rather than a total lockdown when it is too late, but the government must urgently ensure that there is a fully operational testing system,” he said.
“I strongly urge all Londoners to be as cautious as possible during this weekend. Please think very carefully about your actions: strictly follow the rules of social distancing, wash your hands regularly and wear a face cover to help reduce the spread of the virus. “
His comments came as new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus It reached 4,322, the highest since May 8, and another 27 deaths were recorded. the R number, which shows the spread of the virus, is now between 1.1 and 1.4.
With COVID-19 In cases now doubling every seven to eight days, the government is considering introducing nationwide restrictions for a short period to try to “short-circuit” the virus and slow the spread of the disease.
Huge swaths of the North West, West Yorkshire, the Midlands and the North East have been subjected to more localized coronavirus restrictions.
Government figures have emphasized that the plans being drawn up fall short of a full national shutdown, as was seen in the spring, when the country was told to stay home.
Proposals being crafted for such a “circuit breaker” could see essential trips to schools and workplaces continue, but restaurants and bars would close, or perhaps operate on restricted hours, and different households would be asked not to mix at all.
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The restrictions could be in place for two weeks, but the timing and duration of the measures have yet to be defined. There has been speculation that such a shutdown will take place around the middle of the school term in October.
Johnson’s message to parents and teachers was, “We want to keep schools open … as much as possible.”
Case trajectories, with the United Kingdom, France and Spain
The rate of cases per 100,000 in Spain, France and the United Kingdom
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer and the prime ministers of Scotland and Wales have asked the prime minister to hold a COBRA meeting.
Sir Keir said: “Now you need to take swift and decisive action at the national level to deal with this – you can’t afford to be slow.”
“If the prime minister takes action, the Labor Party will support him and do what we can.”
Fears are growing that daily coronavirus case numbers could, within a few weeks, reach March and April figures if the government does not take decisive action now and “hammer” the disease.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s top science adviser, warned the prime minister at a meeting Wednesday night that the disease now doubles every seven to eight days.
They are understood to have warned that the UK is now some six weeks behind France and Spain and in danger of seeing a substantial increase in the number of cases by mid-October if the virus is not controlled.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, told Sky News that a national lockdown was the “last line of defense.”
Downing Street is reluctant to have to return such draconian measures, well aware of the damage it would do to the economy and public health in the long term.
“The prime minister is in a very difficult situation because everything depends on him,” a senior minister said this week.
“The prime minister’s instinct is that he has to keep this virus under control, because if there is a spike, it falls on his shoulders. I feel sorry for him.”
The prime minister also met with Foreign Minister Rishi Sunak and Business Secretary Alok Sharma on Thursday morning to discuss the economic situation, amid anxiety in the government over the impending rise in unemployment when the licensing plan ends on next month.
The Treasury, along with many of Johnson’s MPs and others in his cabinet, is of the view that the country cannot return to a total lockdown and must exhaust all other options to avoid such a situation.
