UK coronavirus alert level moves to 4
The UK’s coronavirus alert level has now been increased from level 3 to 4.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to hold an emergency cobra meeting on Tuesday morning.
He will then address the nation.
These latest updates come after scientific advisers for the government clarified that transmission is now “high or rising exponentially”.
They have warned that there could be up to 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October if further action is not taken.
According to current guidelines, if the coronavirus alert level reaches 5 a second lockdown will begin.
Level 4 therefore paves the way for increased social distancing restrictions.
Sir Patrick Vallance said:
“At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days.
“If, and that’s quite a big if, but if that continues unabated, and this grows, doubling every seven days… if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day.
“Fifty-thousand cases per day would be expected to lead a month later, so the middle of November say, to 200-plus deaths per day.
“The challenge, therefore, is to make sure the doubling time does not stay at seven days.
“That requires speed, it requires action and it requires enough in order to be able to bring that down.”
4,368 cases were reported in the UK on Monday, up from 3,899 the day before.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock added:
“The raising of the alert level announced by the UK chief medical officers reflects the significant shift in the current threat posed by coronavirus.
“This country now faces a tipping point in its response and it is vital everybody plays their part now to stop the spread of the virus and protect lives.
“The first line of defence has always been all of us playing our part, remembering hands, face and space, the rule of six and self-isolation of those who risk passing on the virus.”
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