Covid weekly deaths return to levels last seen in MARCH as Boris Johnson warns we’re ‘not out of the woods’ after refusing to rule out a Christmas lockdown
- Some 995 deaths registered in England and Wales in week ending November 5 mentioned the coronavirus
- This is the highest number since the week to March 12 during the 2021 third national lockdown, the ONS said
- But deaths remain significantly lower than during previous peaks because of the success of Covid vaccines
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Covid deaths in England and Wales have returned to levels last seen in March, official data revealed today as the Prime Minister warned ‘we’re not out of the woods’.
Some 995 deaths registered across the two countries in the week ending November 5 were put down to the virus, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is the highest number since the week to March 12 (1,501) during the 2021 national lockdown.
Deaths involving the virus have been creeping up over the past four weeks following the back-to-school wave, but remain significantly lower than in previous peaks because of the success of vaccines, even though cases are high.
For example, the last time Britain was recording 40,000 daily infections was December 2020, and there were more than 500 daily deaths compared to around 150 now.
Boris Johnson has so far resisted pressure to resort to Plan B, with No10 hoping that the booster roll-out will stop the NHS succumbing to ‘unsustainable’ pressure this winter without the need for masks and vaccine passports.
Yesterday the PM admitted that a Christmas lockdown was not completely off the cards, making a desperate plea for Britons to get their top-up jabs and warning ‘storm clouds’ of infection were gathering over Europe.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson today repeated his loose threat of needing to take tougher action this winter as he told his cabinet that the country was ‘still not out of the woods’ in fighting the virus.
Some 995 deaths registered across the two countries in the week ending November 5 were put down to the virus, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is the highest number since the week to March 12 (1,501) during the 2021 national lockdown
Boris Johnson today admitted that a Christmas lockdown was not completely off the cards. He warned ‘storm clouds’ of infection were gathering over Europe and forcing nations back into restrictions, which highlighted how the UK ‘cannot afford to be complacent’
The PM — who appeared to be suffering from a cold when he addressed the nation in a Downing Street press conference yesterday — warned the crisis in Europe highlighted how the UK ‘cannot afford to be complacent’.
He said people should get a booster if they want to ‘avoid restrictions on daily lives’, adding that it would be an ‘utter tragedy’ if double-vaccinated people died from Covid because they didn’t get one.
Mr Johnson also admitted people might need proof of a booster jab to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’ in the future, in a move which could cause fresh chaos for Britons’ travel plans.
The warnings came as Britain recorded another 39,705 daily coronavirus infections, which were up nearly a quarter on last Monday’s figure. But deaths and hospital admissions – both lagging indicators – fell week-on-week.
There were 47 Covid victims registered today, down 18 per cent on last week, and latest hospital data shows there were 976 admissions on November 9, down 7.5 per cent.
The PM issued his warning at a Downing Street press conference, where he also confirmed that people in their forties will be offered a booster jab and older teenagers will get second doses.
Asked if a lockdown would be necessary if cases continue to rise, the PM said ‘clearly we cannot rule anything out’ but insisted he didn’t ‘see anything in the data that says we have to go now’.
The comments came after Austria announced a draconian new lockdown on the unvaccinated, after a dramatic increase in infections, and the Netherlands imposed a curfew on pubs and restaurants to deal with rising cases.
Germany, France and Italy have also been seeing a significant uptick in their outbreaks. The PM was joined today by his chief scientists Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance at the Government’s first Covid briefing of the month.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation earlier approved the booster vaccines to an extra 8million Britons in their forties. It said people could come forward for them ‘with the confidence that they are safe and effective’. A total of 12m top-up doses have already been administered.
Data published today by the UK Health Security Agency revealed that people who get a third shot are 80 per cent less likely to get symptomatic Covid than those who had their second dose in spring.
There has not been enough time to measure the effect on hospitalisations and deaths but officials claimed protection is expected to be ‘even higher’.
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