Boris Johnson ignored the advice of his own top scientists to impose a Nicola Sturgeon-style two week circuit breaker lockdown on parts of England where coronavirus is running out of control.
Papers from the UK government’s SAGE advisory group show that scientific advisors officially recommended an urgent two-week ‘circuit break’ lockdown three weeks ago.
More than three million people in central Scotland are currently on a two-week lockdown with household visits banned and bars and pubs closed down until the 25th of October.
Angry MPs will demand answers in the Commons on Tuesday afternoon when they debate the new three-tier system.
They will want to know why only one area, Merseyside, was put on "very high risk" when documents show scientists were urging him to go further.
With Labour branding the revelation “alarming”, Johnson has already been asked to explain why he is seemingly ignoring scientific advice.
At a Downing Street press conference on Monday, Chief Medical Officer for the UK Government, Chris Whitty, admitted the standard Tier 3 measures in England do not go far enough on their own.
- In a meeting on September 21, the SAGE group said a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown across the whole of England was one of a shortlist of five measures that “should be considered for immediate introduction”.
- SAGE said a circuit-breaker of perhaps two to three weeks was “likely to have similar levels of effectiveness as national lockdown in Spring” and bring the R below 1, albeit only temporarily.
- For good measure, SAGE also noted the problems with the Test and Trace system meant it was only having a “marginal” impact on controlling the virus.
- The scientists advised that a strict lockdown now is the only way to save Christmas. The documents stated: “ Modelling suggests that 14 days of significant reduction in transmission in October could put the epidemic back 28 days and could significantly reduce the prevalence of infection in December.”
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: “This is deeply alarming. Why were these documents published an hour after the press conference?
“Why is the government ignoring its own scientists? Why is the PM taking steps that scientists say will not be sufficient? What is the PM going to do to get control of the virus?”
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick insisted the Government had to take "a balanced judgment".
Jenrick said ministers have taken the “right approach”, adding: “We want to try, wherever we can, to avoid a blanket national lockdown that is incredibly damaging to people’s lives and remember the rate of infection does vary very widely across the country.”
