Another lockdown in England possible after Christmas, warns PM Boris Johnson

Relaxation in Covid-19 curbs across the UK from December 23 to 27 is expected to lead to spikes in cases and deaths, with the British PM, ministers and health officials repeatedly urging Britons to act responsibly during the celebrations

A third lockdown in England cannot be ruled out after the Christmas period due to the continuing rise in new Covid-29 cases, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday, as Wales and Northern Ireland announced post-Christmas lockdowns to curb Covid-19 transmission.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries his hand at cable splicing during a visit to the Openreach Learning and Development Training Centre in Bolton, Greater Manchester, northwest England, on December 18, 2020. (AFP)

Relaxation in curbs across the UK during the Christmas period from December 23 to 27 is expected to lead to spikes in cases and deaths, with the British PM, ministers and health officials repeatedly urging Britons to act responsibly during the celebrations.

Some hospitals in London, Leicester and Northampton have reported shortage of beds for Covid-19 patients.

There have been two lockdowns so far this year. A three-tier alert system is currently in place to deal with the virus, with London among places in the top Tier 3 with the toughest curbs.

Asked during a visit to Greater Manchester if he would rule out another lockdown in England after Christmas, Johnson said, “We’re hoping very much that we will be able to avoid anything like that. But the reality is that the rates of infection have increased very much in the last few weeks.”

“Next year, I have no doubt that as we roll out the vaccine and all the other things that we’re doing, it will be very, very different indeed.”

John Edmunds, epidemiologist and UK government adviser, said restrictions were likely to be tightened after Christmas, with current measures failing to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

He told Sky News, “At the moment, it doesn’t look like the tier system is holding the epidemic wave back, unfortunately. So I think we are going to have to look at these measures and perhaps tighten them up, we really will. It’s a horrible thing to have to say, but we are in quite a difficult position.”

There were 35,383 new cases as of Thursday evening – seven times the peak of April-May – and 532 deaths. There were 18,009 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, including 1,340 on ventilators.