Stricter lockdown measures could be introduced across England as mutant coronavirus strain is now 'everywhere'
Tolga Akmen/Pool via REUTERS
- England faces the prospect of another national lockdown after the government's top scientist called for the strictest "Tier 4" lockdown measures to be rolled out across further parts of England.
- The news comes amid warnings by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that a new coronavirus strain spreading rapidly across London and the south-east could be 70% more transmissible than previous variants.
- It appears increasingly likely that most, if not all, of England will be placed under the strictest tier 4 measures when the tier system is next reviewed on December 30.
- Much of London and south-east England on Saturday are already under Tier 4 measures.
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Much of England could be placed under strict lockdown measures after the government's top scientist said a highly transmissible new strain of the coronavirus was already "everywhere" in England.
Much of London and south-east England on Saturday were placed under new "tier 4" lockdown measures over the weekend in a bid to slow the spread of the new strain which Prime Minister Boris Johnson was up to 70% more transmissible than previous variants.
The rules mean all non-essential shops are closed and people are not permitted to travel out of the area.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief science adviser, on Monday suggested more Tier 4 lockdown measures across England were inevitable.
"The evidence on this virus is that it spreads easily, it's more transmissible, we absolutely need to make sure we have the right level of restrictions in place," Vallance said at a press conference alongside Johnson.
"I think it is likely that this will grow in numbers of the variant across the country and I think it's likely, therefore, that measures will need to be increased in some places in due course, not reduced."
The government reviews the current tier system every fortnight and will next decide whether to place further parts of England in tier 4 on December 30. It appears increasingly likely that much of England will be placed under the strictest tier 4 measures.
Johnson for the first time on Monday also refused to rule out school closures in January, and said instead that government would implement a staggered return to classes in January "if we possibly can."
Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which advises the government on its coronavirus response, also said further measures would be necessary because the new variant of the virus was already spreading across the country.
"Unfortunately it does look like the virus is probably across the country already. And so I do think we might, unfortunately, have to impose tougher restrictions across the country," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday.
Boris Johnson hastily announced new lockdown measures on Saturday after scientists laid out "stark and terrifying" evidence that the new coronavirus strain was far more transmissible than previous variants, according to a Times of London report.
One government assessment suggested that there could be up to 700,000 cases a week by February, according to the Times report, more than three times current weekly figures.
As of Monday the 7-day total of new cases was 203,845, according to official figures, an an increase of 54.8% on the previous week. The number of recorded COVID deaths also rose by 215 on Monday, bringing the total number in the last 7 days to 3,215.
Wales has already introduced tier 4 measures across the country and Scotland will introduce similar measures on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.
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