‘ September lockdown would have saved thousands of lives’

THOUSANDS OF lives would have been saved if Boris Johnson had imposed a short lockdown when experts recommended it in September, a scientist advising the Government’s coronavirus response has said.

Professor Andrew Hayward said the move would also have “inflicted substantially less damage” to the economy than the new national lockdown for England, which will be imposed on Thursday.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it is his “expectation and firm hope” that England will exit the second shutdown on December 2, but ministers are unable to guarantee that. There is anger over the severity of the restrictions, the length they will be needed for and over the delay to imposing them.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( Sage) recommended on September 21 that a shorter “circuit- breaker” lockdown was needed. Prof Hayward, who sits on the Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, which works with Sage, acknowledged “we can’t turn back the clock” on imposing restrictions.

“But I think if we had chosen a two- week circuit- break at that time, we would definitely have saved thousands of lives,” he told BBC Radio 4’ s Today programme.

“And we would clearly have inflicted substantially less damage on our economy than the proposed four- week lockdown will do.”

Meanwhile, Mr Sunak said that he appreciated “everyone’s frustration” but assured MPs that the lockdown will “as a matter of law” expire on December 2.

A joint approach to the Christmas period is to be looked at by the UK government and devolved administrations in the wake of the Covid- 19 outbreak, the Cabinet Office said. The move comes after Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove chaired a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee yesterday which also discussed working towards“coordinating public messaging ”, particularly regarding travel within the UK and abroad.

The gathering included ministers and officials from the Government and the three devolved administrations.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “Ministers reviewed the latest data and a presentation from the UK Government chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser, before discussing the approaches being taken in different parts of the UK, including the new national measures that will come into force in England on Thursday.

“Ministers reaffirmed the need to respect and support each other’s public health measures.”