Boris Johnson Urged To Impose Stricter Lockdown After Worst Death Toll Since May
Calls for Boris Johnson to take “drastic” action and impose stricter coronavirus restrictions are increasing after the UK recorded its highest daily Covid-19 death toll since May.
It comes as a new projection by the government’s own scientists shows the second wave of coronavirus will be more deadly than the first.
The projection – shared by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and reported in The Telegraph – suggests the death toll could remain high throughout the winter, peaking at a lower level than in spring but then remaining level for weeks – or even months.
Their ad hoc tier-by-tier approach is wholeheartedly inadequate.Dr Zubaida Haque, Independent Sage member
The paper said the internal analysis has led to “intense” lobbying from experts including chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Valance for the prime minister to take more “drastic” action.
“It’s going to be worse this time, more deaths,” one source told the paper.
“That is the projection that has been put in front of the prime minister, and he is now being put under a lot of pressure to lockdown again.”
Independent Sage member Dr Zubaida Haque echoed the government’s own advisers, adding efforts to contain the spread of the virus were “wholeheartedly failing”.
“They are not managing to contain the virus because they are not taking a cross-national circuit breaker approach as Sage suggested in September and Independent Sage also suggested,” she said.
“Every scientific advisory group has said to the government you need to have a circuit breaker because their ad hoc tier-by-tier approach is wholeheartedly inadequate. Covid cases are increasing everywhere across the country, not just in the north-west [of England] but also in the south-west.
She added: “What is appalling is there has been no sign of a plan to suppress this virus.”
Sage member and former chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Wednesday it...
