As infection rate climbs, PM confirms second wave but still says no to national lockdown

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Ministers are considering tough new coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions as Boris Johnson said the long-feared second wave of the pandemic has arrived in the UK.

With new cases of the disease in England estimated to have doubled over the past week, the prime minister said they were keeping “everything under review”.

“Transmission at a faster rate” with deaths expected to rise

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its latest estimate “shows the number of infections has increased in recent weeks”.

Confirmed cases and hospital admissions for coronavirus are doubling every seven to eight days in the UK, according to the new data from the ONS.

The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the R number had risen to between 1.1 and 1.4, meaning cases could rise very quickly. The R number represents the number of people an infected person will pass the virus on to. Last week, the R number was said to be between 1.0 and 1.2.

Although deaths are currently low, experts expect them to rise. Sage has said the R number “shows that we are moving to wider spread growth in transmission at a faster rate”.

Overall, an average of 6,000 people in England per day were estimated to be newly infected with coronavirus between 4-10 September. This is almost double the 3,200 people per day from 30 August to 5 September. The figures do not include people staying in hospitals or care homes.

Read on...

Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England (PHE), said:

We’re seeing clear signs this virus is now spreading widely across all age groups and I am particularly worried by the increase in rates of admission to hospital and intensive care among older people.

This could be a warning of far worse things to come.

Early easing of lockdown contributed to second wave

Johnson is facing calls from the first ministers of Scotland and Wales to call a meeting of the government’s Cobra civil contingencies committee with the devolved administrations to consider the worsening situation.

Speaking during a visit to Oxford on Friday 18 September, Johnson said:

We are now seeing a second wave coming in. We are seeing it in France, in Spain, across Europe – it has been absolutely, I’m afraid, inevitable we were going to see it in this country

However, critics have pointed out that rather than being “inevitable”, easing lockdown restrictions too early has contributed to the second wave. This includes opening pubs and shops, encouraging restaurant visits with Eat Out to Help Out, encouraging people to return to work in offices, and reopening schools and colleges.

HEALTH Coronavirus(PA Graphics)

Still avoiding a national lockdown

Earlier on 18 September, health secretary Matt Hancock announced new restrictions for large parts of England’s North West, West Yorkshire and the Midlands.

The prime minister insisted he still wanted to avoid a second national lockdown. He added however:

Clearly when you look at what is happening, you have got to wonder whether we need to go further than the ‘rule of six’ that we have brought in on Monday.

His comments came as new confirmed daily cases of coronavirus hit 4,322 – the highest since 8 May.

HEALTH Coronavirus
(PA Graphics)

The government is thought to be looking at a temporary two-week “circuit break”, with new controls across England in an attempt to break the chain of transmission and prevent a new spike in the disease.

The move could see hospitality and leisure venues forced to close their doors again, while socialising between households could be banned.

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    1. To the tune of ‘Eton Rifles’.

      Sup up your beer and collect your fags
      There’s a row going on down near slough
      Get out your mat and pray to the west
      I’ll get out mine and pray for myself
      Thought you were smart when you took them on
      But you didn’t take a peep in their artillery room
      All that rugby puts hairs on your chest
      What chance have you got against a tie and a crest?

      Hello-hurrah, what a nice day, for the Headless Chickens
      Hello-hurrah, I hope rain stops play, with the Headless Chickens

      Thought you were clever when you lit the fuse
      Tore down the house of commons in your brand new shoes
      Compose a revolutionary symphony
      Then went to bed with a charming young thing

      Hello-hurrah, cheers then mate, its the Headless Chickens
      Hello-hurrah, an extremist scrape, with the Headless Chickens

      What a catalyst you turned…
      We came out of it naturally the worst
      Beaten and bloody and I was sick down my shirt
      We were no match for their untamed wit
      Though some of the lads said they’ll be back next week

      Hello-hurrah, there’s a price to pay, to the Headless Chickens
      Hello-hurrah, I’d prefer the plague, to the Headless Chickens
      Hello-hurrah, there’s a price to pay, to the Headless Chickens
      Hello-hurrah, I’d prefer the plague, to the Headless Chickens

    2. More dishonesty from the government. New “cases” are NOT evidence of a ‘spike’ or ‘second wave’. They are entirely the predictable consequence of the massive increase in testing.

      The tests are NOT discovering NEW ‘infections’. The PCR test cannot distinguish between the fragments of older coronaviruses (previous flus) which the immune system dealt with – and which mean that the person already had immunity to this new (but not deadly) coronavirus – hence the absence of symptoms.

      It already seems that the administrations are itching to declare a new ‘lockdown’ based dishonestly and unscientifically on the unreliable PCR test. They may also be hoping that they can keep the fear level going until the normal flu season starts – when they will again try to convince the public that flu victims are in fact corona victims.

      For some proper science please study this rigorous analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UvFhIFzaac&feature=share

    3. Email sent Govt dated 20.9.2020
      https://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/
      Link to post 20.9.2020
      Part -1– emailed Govt parties today 20.9.2020
      Lancashire lockdown: Local political leaders call on prime minister,
      for more support to cope with coronavirus
      ///
      Just for starters 4 Question for Govt + local Cllr of Lancashire

      Is this why the People of Blackpool have had their L-Down lifted
      Just to hold a football match and be Ginny pigs for the Virus remembering the Virus that is AIRBORNE RESIDENTS of Blackpool Lancashire/P.B.C/Colne

      To useless Tory Govt + Tory M.P. of Blackpool why is L/Down now just lifted to stage a football match why? The supporters you let in 1000 Not socializing or keeping mask on will aid in spreading the Virus faster in Lancashire area and the rest of areas around Blackpool like P.B.C/Colne will be kept in L-Down just for a football match why.
      Q-1 Boris WAS THIS A Tory Govt bribe to the resident of Blackpool
      To lift L-Down their only in Lancashire part of U.K yes or no?

      Q-2 What bribe will our Tory M.P. offer us in P.B.C/Colne to keep our L-Down in place will he again promises to build our Over -H-Bypass again he has failed to deliver to keep us in L-down??

      Part-2
      Q-3 The 1000 people at this match will infect over resident of Blackpool + visitors to Blackpool (No if no buts) So this proves again, the Tory Govt is using L-Down as a political tool Point for scoring with Tory voters (Not to protect us all from Virus now) will P.B.C./Colne area that have been following the L-Down rule be placed in an harder L-Down just so Blackpool can have a football match with fans attending yes or no?

      Q-4 To our elected P.B.C/Colne Cllr are you going to lets Tory Govt get away with this political SCAM yes or no? and keep us resident of P.B.C/Colne in L-Down while Blackpool run around all free from L-Down rules there spreading Virus to other area of Lancashire like Pendle/Colne we cannot have this one rule for one area to benefit and one rule of another that will loss business + shops in town centers because of L-Down in our area of P.B.C/Colne will you Cllr of this area tell Boris to shove is L-down rules where the sun shines out off yes or no?

      So before you Boris shit on us in Lancashire /P.B.C/Colne again with new L-Down rules you better have London in a L-Down like us in Pendle we voter will not forget this Blackpool Scam them out of L-Down and us in a harder L-Down considering our infection rate is lower than London Center-Blackpool now.

      I as a resident plus a voter of P.B.C.-Colne wish a full reply to the 4 question here for A-Stephenson -Boris -Hancock plus our elected Cllr of my area(No new harder L-Down in Pendle-Colne area Cllr)

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