“Plan B” coronavirus restrictions must be enforced immediately to prevent the UK “stumbling to a winter crisis”, an NHS leader has warned.
NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has urged the government to bring back certain measures, including mandatory face coverings in public places.
His remarks came as the UK recorded 223 COVID-related deaths on Tuesday – the highest number of daily fatalities since 9 March.
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Why are COVID cases rising in the UK?
A further 43,738 coronavirus cases were also reported in the latest 24-hour period, and on Monday, the UK saw the highest number of new infections since mid-July.
Although Downing Street has said it is keeping a “very close eye” on rising case rates, a spokesperson warned the prime minister has “absolutely no plan to introduce Plan B”.
If this strategy was enforced, people could be asked to work from home again and vaccine certificates would be required for nightclubs, while large indoor and outdoor venues could be forced to close.
Last month, Health Secretary Sajid Javid also confirmed that lockdowns would be considered as a “last resort” if this plan did not work.
Mr Taylor said the NHS is now preparing for what could be “the most challenging winter on record”, and encouraged Britons to support the health service by “behaving in ways that will keep themselves and others safe”.
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Scientist’s winter COVID warning
Warning that the nation’s recovery from the pandemic could be put at risk if pre-emptive action is not taken, he added: “The government should not wait for COVID infections to rocket and for NHS pressures to be sky high before the panic alarm is sounded.”
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman has previously said that Plan B would only be activated if there was a “significant risk of the NHS being overwhelmed”.
But No 10 says that the UK is not at this point, and the vaccine rollout means “the levels we are seeing in both patients admitted to hospital and deaths are far lower than what we saw in previous peaks”.
Professor Neil Ferguson – a leading member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies – said yesterday that he thinks Plan B could be implemented in England this winter, but a return to the type of lockdown seen back in January is unlikely.
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Why aren’t more getting booster jabs?
The UK now has one of the highest weekly rates of new reported cases in the world, and vaccination rates have fallen behind other European countries.
Data shows that approximately 67% of the population has received two doses of a COVID-19 jab, compared with 75% in Denmark, 79% in Spain and 86% in Portugal.
While the weekly rate of new reported cases stands at 24 per 100,000 people in Spain and 48 per 100,000 people in France, this figure currently stands at 463 per 100,000 people in the UK.
In other developments, the government has said it is also keeping a “close eye” on a new mutation of the Delta variant, which has been called AY.4.2 by scientists.
The UK Health Security Agency warned this variant is now making up 6% of new cases and could be up to 10% more transmissible.
Adam Finn, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol and a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), says the “very rapid rise” in the number of cases in the UK is a “reflection of how people are behaving”.
He told Sky News “nobody” appears to be wearing masks inside anymore, adding he doubts people are doing lateral flow tests.
Professor Finn said: “There’s a general sense that life’s gone back to normal and as a result the infection is being passed around.”
He added that unless there is a “clear message put out that we’ve got more infection going on now than at any point in the pandemic”, despite fewer hospitalisations, people are “not really going to take precaution”.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that the government is “ramping up” its vaccination programme in a bid to encourage eligible children to get jabbed.
He added children aged between 12 and 15 would be able to use the national booking service to secure their COVID-19 vaccines “to make the most of half-term next week”.
A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.
More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.
It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.
“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.
“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.
The wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown. Pic: Sky Watch NI
More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. Pic: Sky Watch NI
Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.
On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.
Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”
Moors Valley Country Park blackened by fires this week
Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.
In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.
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Wildfires spread across nature reserve
Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.
Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.
The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.
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