Scientists warn national lockdown needs to be stricter to reduce case numbers

Scientists are warning that measures under the national lockdown need to be tougher to have a similar impact on case numbers as the March shutdown.
People walk past a 'Stay Home Save Lives' sign on Broadmead in Bristol during England's third national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. Under increased measures people can no longer leave their home without a reasonable excuse and schools must shut for most pupils. PA Photo. Picture date: Saturday January 9, 2021. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA WirePeople walk past a 'Stay Home Save Lives' sign on Broadmead in Bristol during England's third national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. Under increased measures people can no longer leave their home without a reasonable excuse and schools must shut for most pupils. PA Photo. Picture date: Saturday January 9, 2021. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
People walk past a 'Stay Home Save Lives' sign on Broadmead in Bristol during England's third national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. Under increased measures people can no longer leave their home without a reasonable excuse and schools must shut for most pupils. PA Photo. Picture date: Saturday January 9, 2021. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Professor Robert West, a participant in the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), said the current restrictions are “still allowing a lot of activity which is spreading the virus”.

The expert has warned that the more infectious variant, along with the usual winter pressures requires stricter measures than the ones announced by Boris Johnson for England this month.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Professor Robert West said during this third lockdown more children are going to school compared to the first lockdown, adding that schools are “a very important seed of community infection.”

He said: “Because we have the more infectious variant, which is somewhere around 50% more infectious than last time round in March, that means that if we were to achieve the same result as we got in March we would have to have a stricter lockdown, and it’s not stricter.

“It’s actually less strict.”

Read More
Moderna Covid vaccine granted approval for use in the UK - what you need to know

Some scientists have estimated the variant could be as much as 70% more transmissible.

Prof West said the Government is “very much aware of the consequences of different levels of restrictions and obviously what it’s doing is it’s making what it considers to be a political decision”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Criticising the Government, he said it is “completely false” for them to say they have acted at the right time.

The professor said that when cases dropped in the summer, experts had advised the Government to ramp up its Test and Trace system as well as support for people to isolate.

He said: “They didn’t do this. They maintained their hugely expensive but ineffective test, trace and isolate system.

“They’re not providing the kind of support that’s needed for people to feel that they’re able to do the sorts of things that the Government is now saying ‘well, we’re going to punish you if you don’t do it’. So they’ve got it all the wrong way round.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A Government spokesperson said: “Our priority from the outset has been to protect the NHS to save lives and we have taken advice from scientific and medical experts throughout.

“As new evidence has emerged, we have adapted our approach and taken swift action to try and stop the spread of the virus.

You can subscribe to this website and enjoy unlimited access to local news, information and puzzles online. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Simply click ‘Subscribe’ in the menu.