WARNING OF A SECOND WAVE IN TWO WEEKS

EXCLUSIVE: Boris ‘extremely concerned’ after 28% increase in Covid cases since start of month

BRITAIN may see the start of a second wave of coronavirus within a fortnight if people drop their guard, it was warned last night.

Boris Johnson is ‘extremely concerned’ by the number of cases ‘bubbling up’ at home and abroad, a senior government source has revealed.

Although the number of cases across the Uk remains relatively low, rises were recorded each day last week for the first time since the April peak.

The seven-day average stands at almost 700 – 28 per cent up on three weeks ago.

Nicola Sturgeon also warned of ‘difficult’ months ahead, with a possible second wave of the virus coming as the NHS faces pressure from the deadly flu season.

Yesterday, Mr Johnson urged the public to be ‘vigilant’. He said: ‘The most important thing is for everybody in all communities to heed the advice, to follow the advice, not to be spreading it accidentally, and get it right down and we’ll be able to ease the restrictions across the country.

‘But clearly we now face, I’m afraid, the threat of a second wave in other parts of Europe and we just have to be vigilant and we have to be very mindful.’

Mr Johnson has told allies he fears the

tell-tale signs of a resurgence could be seen within as little as two weeks in the UK if people fail to follow government guidance on social distancing, handwashing, face masks and quarantine.

A source said: ‘The PM is extremely concerned by what he’s seeing abroad and fears we could be seeing the same thing here in a fortnight.

‘People have to realise we are still in the middle of a pandemic. He wants to go further on opening things up and getting people back to work, but knows it’ll be his head on the block if things go wrong.’ The PM’s warning came as:

■ Families were warned not to book foreign holidays amid a ‘worrying’ rise in coronavirus cases in parts of Europe;

■ Spain reacted angrily to the UK’s decision to warn tourists against visiting;

■ Ministers will meet tomorrow to decide whether to extend travel restrictions, with Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia said to be sources of concern;

■ Parents were told some schools are unlikely to resume full-time education for all pupils until later in August;

■ Pubs and restaurants have been warned they will be forced to close if they do not follow strict coronavirus rules.

Miss Sturgeon yesterday said that, although Covid-19 cases are declining here, there is a ‘worrying’ resurgence in several countries, including parts of Spain, Belgium, Germany and France.

She warned a similar trend ‘could easily happen in Scotland’, and the fight against the virus will continue to be ‘painful’. Only four people tested positive in Scotland in the latest 24-hour period and there were no new deaths for the 13th day in a row.

The First Minister is not expected to announce major steps out of lockdown when she gives a statement to MSPs tomorrow, other than confirming plans to open schools from August 11 and press ahead with pausing shielding advice.

Miss Sturgeon cautioned that there could be an ‘added challenge’ as we go into winter because ‘as well as having a resurgence of Covid or a second wave of Covid, we could also have a lot of flu’.

Former chief medical officer Sir Harry Burns is heading up a group looking at preparations for winter.

Miss Sturgeon said that eligibility for the flu vaccine is likely to be ‘wider than normal’ this year to try to keep down the number of cases.

Deputy chief medical officer Dr Nicola Steedman said the virus is still a threat because there is no vaccine and only an estimated 5 per cent of Scots have been exposed to it so far, which means the vast majority of the population have no immunity.

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