Autumn lockdown storm
Ministers deny planning half-term ‘firebreak’ to protect the NHS if virus cases get out of control
MINISTERS have angrily denied claims they are planning a ‘firebreak’ lockdown next month if coronavirus cases surge again.
They insisted reports that the half-term holidays in october could be extended by a week if the NHS was pushed to breaking point were ‘not true’.
But Downing Street admitted there were ‘contingency plans’ ready as a ‘last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on our NHS’.
citing an unnamed senior government scientist, the i newspaper said a ‘precautionary break’ could be part of ‘contingency plans’. it also quoted another unnamed source saying ‘a firebreak lockdown is by no means out of the question’.
But the prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘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
‘Least impact on the economy’
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.’
The Daily Mail understands the Government is finalising a ‘winter plan’ with fresh contingency arrangements to suppress the virus – though ministers are likely to opt for measures that have the least impact on the economy.
cases, deaths and hospitalisations are all increasing in england after remaining stable over the summer.
Health officials expected a surge in covid when children returned to school, but they say the size of any autumn and winter wave is uncertain.
officials are closely monitoring covid hospital admissions, which are close to 1,000 a day – compared with more than 4,000 at the peak.
if hospitalisations reach a level at which NHS capacity is under threat, scientific advisory group Sage may recommend the reintroduction of some lockdown restrictions.
latest data shows cases have risen by 14 per cent in the past week, with 37,489 yesterday. Weekly deaths are up 39 per cent after another 209 were recorded. Hospital admissions have also increased slightly and there are 7,976 patients on wards with covid. This is still well below the January peak of 39,000.
professor chris Whitty and Sir patrick Vallance have repeatedly warned that Britain faces a tough winter, leaving the door open to another lockdown. in July Sage published documents outlining how to manage coronavirus in the long term, warning some ‘baseline measures’ should stay in place. The document added: ‘Stronger measures may be desirable for autumn and winter all other things being equal.’
The paper added that local measures, potentially including lockdowns, would be needed ‘in all scenarios’ to tackle surges in particular areas. experts said self-isolation when ill would remain ‘critical’ and that working from home was also a ‘highly effective’ long-term option.
Government scientists have stressed that high levels of immunity means it is difficult to predict the trajectory of the epidemic.
professor neil Ferguson, whose modelling was crucial in bringing about the first national lockdown, said cases were likely to rise over the coming weeks.
But he added: ‘i’m hopeful – it could be that we see two or three weeks of growth and then it starts to decline.
‘The challenge is it could be more like six or eight weeks in which case numbers of hospitalisations per day could go up to levels which really stress the NHS.’
He said the Delta variant had compromised vaccine effectiveness but jabs had still curbed hospital cases.
Yesterday data from the office for national Statistics revealed covid deaths in england and Wales had climbed to their highest level in five months.
The agency said 668 people had coronavirus mentioned on their death certificates in the week ending August 27.
‘High levels of immunity’