Nearly 42,000 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Britain. (Representative)
London:
England is on track for around 50,000 coronavirus cases a day as of mid-October and an increase in the number of deaths unless the public takes preventative measures seriously, Britain’s top advisers warned on Monday.
Infection rates in England replicate the strong resurgence of Covid-19 seen in France and Spain, doubling roughly every seven days, government chief medical officer Chris Whitty said.
“We are seeing a rate of increase in the vast majority of the country,” he said at a press briefing, urging the public to adhere to stricter social distancing guidelines after widely shared photos of young revelers in British cities.
“It’s not someone else’s problem. It’s our whole problem.”
The briefing gave a preview of an expected announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week detailing government action to flatten the coronavirus exponential curve as winter approaches, when regular respiratory illnesses typically increase.
Nearly 42,000 people who have tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Britain, the worst of the pandemic in Europe.
After a summer lull – when the government urged the public to frequent pubs and restaurants – cases rose rapidly to some 6,000 a day, according to a survey by government statisticians.
Second wave
Johnson said last week Britain is already witnessing a second wave of Covid-19 – in line with parts of Europe – and the government has introduced new restrictions for millions in the northwest , north and central England.
People in England who refuse to self-isolate to stop the spread of the coronavirus could face fines of up to £ 10,000 ($ 13,000, 11,000 euros) under strict new regulations.
Johnson said that starting September 28, people will be legally required to self-isolate if they test positive or if the National Health Service (NHS) screening program so requires.
Whitty said it was essential for the public to play their part in preventing the NHS from being overwhelmed during the colder months.
“We’re literally turning a corner in a bad way, even if only relatively recently. At this point the seasons are against us,” he said at the briefing, alongside the advisor. chief scientist Patrick Vallance.
Vallance said that on current trends, the daily number of cases will reach around 50,000 on October 13, and a month later, will exceed 200 deaths each day.
Whitty said “science in due course will come to our rescue” with an effective vaccine, but over the next six months, “if we don’t change course, the virus will take off.”
Alignment
The British government in London controls health policy in England, but the sector is a decentralized matter for the administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This has led to different approaches to tackling the virus. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she hoped for a “four-nation alignment” on the next steps.
But she said at a daily briefing in Edinburgh that “if necessary it will have to happen without it”.
The Cardiff government has meanwhile announced that three other parts of South Wales will be placed under local lockdown due to an increase in coronavirus cases.
Johnson spoke to Sturgeon and the leaders of Wales and Northern Ireland on Monday, his spokesman said, after a weekend of meetings with his cabinet with Whitty and Vallance.
The government says it prefers to avoid the type of nationwide lockdown imposed in March, but is ready to do so if necessary.
A further meeting of the government emergency response cell is scheduled for Tuesday, Johnson’s spokesman said, adding: “If further action is required, we will not hesitate to take them.”
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
