Crackdown planned in Britain as deaths hit record high

London: Ministers are considering a "tough crackdown" to ensure more Britons stay at home after the daily coronavirus death toll hit a record high.

There is growing concern in government over compliance with the current lockdown after cases continued to rise sharply. One in 15 people are now estimated to be infected in some parts of London. Rates in Liverpool and other areas have almost quadrupled in a week.

The British government has ramped up its warning as the infection rate soars in London.Credit: AP

A new hard-hitting advertising campaign has been unveiled warning the public that if they leave their homes "people will die".

In a television ad, Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, warns: "COVID-19, especially the new variant, is spreading quickly across the country. This puts many people at risk of serious disease and is placing a lot of pressure on our NHS. Once more, we must all stay home."

The campaign also urges people to "act like you've got it", adding that "anyone can spread it". Boris Johnson issued a plea to the nation to obey the rules, insisting it "is now more vital than ever" as the NHS faces "severe strain". He cautioned against complacency based on the "renewed hope" offered by the vaccine roll-out.

"Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates across the entire country continue to soar at an alarming rate," the Prime Minister said.

The government is understood to be considering taking tougher enforcement action amid pressure from scientists and Labour politicians to introduce further restrictions.

The UK recorded on Friday recorded 1325 deaths, its highest ever daily death toll. It surpassed the worst total during the peak of the first wave of the virus in April, when it hit 1224. The 68,053 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus is also the highest figure reported by the government in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic.

Case rates rose in all 315 English local authority areas in the seven days to Monday, bar one – Richmond upon Thames. In Barking and Dagenham, one in 15 people now have the virus, according to Public Health England.

Rishi Sunak is under pressure to do more to help small business owners who, it is feared, may be struggling to afford to stay at home, as Transport for London data showed buses and trains were much busier than during the first lockdown.

Yesterday, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, announced he would be introducing tougher coronavirus restrictions, including tighter social distancing and capacity measures in supermarkets. It came as schools were reportedly inundated with the children of key workers at much higher rates than during the first lockdown, raising fears that the virus would continue to spread in classrooms. The new adverts, which will appear on the television, radio and social media, appeal to the public's conscience. One features a man in a hospital bed and states: "If you go out you can spread it. People will die."

Others stress that the hyper-infectious COVID-19 variant is spreading fast, and that one in three people with coronavirus do not have symptoms.

Ministers are increasingly concerned about compliance with the lockdown but believe there are few additional major options left to tighten the restrictions any further. "We've put in these very tough national restrictions. It is a lockdown for everyone all the time," said a government source.

They stressed the focus now was on persuading the public to obey the current rules. Heavier-handed enforcement remains a lever the government could pull, however. Police forces are already stepping up their role, having announced this week that they will take a stricter approach.

Government insiders pointed out that the blanket lockdown rules are simpler, and therefore should be easier to police, than the tiers system. Sadiq Khan, the London mayor on Friday called for face masks to be worn outside the home, including in supermarket queues, and demanded churches and other places of worship be closed.

But Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, said: "It's absolutely vital that traditions of public worship can continue and I think it's a very important part of the life of the nation."

A senior scientific adviser to the government warned that the third lockdown is unlikely to bring cases down, and said deaths will only begin to fall again once enough people are vaccinated. Government scientists have also advised that the two metre rule should be reinstated.

Khan declared a major incident in the capital as the coronavirus infection rate there exceeded 1000 per 100,000 people, a 27 per cent increase in hospital patients between December 30 and January 6. There are now more than 7000 people in hospital with COVID-19, a 35 per cent increase compared to the previous peak of the pandemic.

The triggering of major incident status – defined as a situation requiring a special response by the emergency services – came the day after Sussex and Surrey took the same step.

Meanwhile, a third vaccine, from US biotech firm Moderna, has been authorised for use in Britain. However, it will not be available for some months, because the company has agreed to give the first batches to the US, where the jab was funded and developed.

The government said it had purchased 10 million doses of the vaccine on top of its previous order of 7 million.

The Telegraph, London

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