- The PM all-but confirmed Freedom Day would be pushed back from June 20 to July 19 on Saturday
- Cases continued to rise by more than a third over last week to 7,738 – second-highest daily figure since Feb.
- Independent SAGE’s Anthony Costello, of University College London, said the true daily infection figure was likely more than double the 8,000 recorded in tests
- He said: ‘In a month you’ll be up to 100,000 new cases a day. If the Government takes a gamble and lets rip like Tory backbenchers want, the NHS will be overloaded. Let’s wait. Let’s stay as we are’
- Tory ministers have warned Mr Johnson that a delay will leave a ‘very short window to open up,’ with further push-backs leading to a full reopening only next spring – after winter pressures on the NHS cease
Britain faces 100,000 Covid cases every day by July, scientists have warned, and Boris Johnson has been told by ministers that lockdown rules will remain until next spring unless he can see off pressure to delay Freedom Day.
The PM all-but confirmed June 20 would be pushed back to July 19 on Saturday as Covid cases continued to rise by more than a third over last week to 7,738 – the second-highest daily figure since February after they exceeded 8,000 on Friday.
‘We are seeing some worrying stuff in the data, clearly. We are seeing the Delta (Indian) variant causing an increase in cases, we are seeing an increase in hospitalisations,’ Mr Johnson said.
Around 90 per cent of new infections are now the Indian variant and cases are doubling every nine days.
Independent SAGE’s Anthony Costello, of University College London, said the true daily infection figure was likely more than double the 8,000 recorded in tests.
He told The Mirror: ‘In a month you’ll be up to 100,000 new cases a day. If the Government takes a gamble and lets rip like Tory backbenchers want, the NHS will be overloaded. Let’s wait. Let’s stay as we are.’
The surge in cases caused by the Indian variant has yet to be reflected in death figures, which remained low on Saturday, falling from 13 last week to 12.
And Britain’s vaccine roll-out continued at pace, with 202,846 first doses dished out. It takes the total number of people to have received a first dose to just under 41.3million — 78.4. per cent of the population.
Another 285,513 second doses were also given yesterday, taking the total number of fully protected adults to 29.5million.
But the PM remained cautious in Cornwall, saying: ‘The whole point of having an irreversible road map is to do it cautiously and that’s what we are going to do. I know people are impatient to hear more but you will be hearing the full picture on Monday.’
Tory ministers have warned Mr Johnson that a delay will leave a ‘very short window to open up,’ with further push-backs leading to a full reopening only next spring – when winter pressures on the NHS have abated.
The minister told The Telegraph: ‘I am very worried the people who want to keep us shut down now want us to keep us shut down permanently and are aiming for “zero Covid”.
‘Once you start delaying to the spring you’re making this type of control of people’s lives semi-permanent.’