Two Covid deaths here in a week, but no plans for ‘firebreak’ lockdown
A So-called firebreak lockdown in England is not being planned for October half-term, but there are contingency plans that would “only be reintroduced as a last resort” to protect the NHS, the Government has said.
It comes after East Staffordshire saw its first Covid deaths in three months, with two residents succumbing to the disease.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the vaccination programme provided “significant defences” which the country did not have on previous occasions when restrictions were put in place.
Downing Street denied that there was a plan to put in place a firebreak this autumn if there is a new surge in Covid-19 cases, but the Government said there are “contingency plans” for a “range of scenarios”.
The comments came after the i newspaper reported an unnamed member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) saying a “precautionary break” could be part of “contingency plans”.
The paper quoted another unnamed source saying that “a firebreak lockdown is by no means out of the question”, and it was reported that could mean a twoweek school half-term instead of one week.
Asked about the report, the No 10 spokesman said: “It is not true that the Government is planning a lockdown or firebreak around the October half-term.”
He added: “We have retained contingency plans as part of responsible planning for a range of scenarios, but these kind of measures would only be reintroduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on our NHS.
“I think we’ve been clear throughout that we will take action, and indeed we have done when necessary to protect our NHS.
“But under the previous occasions when that action has been required, we have been without the significant defences that our vaccination programme provides us – we’re now in a much different phase.”
It comes after vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said he had not seen any plans around a firebreak and added that he hopes the virus can be dealt with “year in, year out” without having to take the “severe measures” seen last December.
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in
England and Wales has climbed to the highest level for five months.
A total of 668 deaths registered in the week ending August 27 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – the highest number since 719 deaths were registered in the week to March 26.
The latest figures show the impact of the third wave of Covid-19, which began in the UK in May, but the number of deaths is still well below the level seen at the peak of the second wave – reflecting the success of the rollout of coronavirus vaccines across the country.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid hailed new figures yesterday showing four in five adults across the UK have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus as a “phenomenal achievement”.
The UK’S chief medical officers are currently reviewing the wider benefits of vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds, such as minimising school absences, after the JCVI declined to recommend a widespread rollout to the age group on health grounds alone.
In East Staffordshire, as we reported yesterday, Government data showed two deaths from Covid-19 were registered in the week leading up to August 20.
They were the first fatalities from the virus registered since May 21 and mean 457 people in the borough have died from it.
The number of Covid deaths had fallen since a peak between November last year and January this year, with seven recorded in 24 hours on January 29.
In terms of people testing positive for coronavirus, in May and June, the borough was registering only a few new cases a day. But numbers have risen sharply since July, during which restrictions were eased by the Government.
On Monday, 50 people returned a positive Covid test, according to Department of Health and Social Care data.
We have retained contingency plans as part of planning for a range of scenarios.
No 10 spokesman