Fourth lockdown not ruled out, minister says as ‘measures could be reimposed’

AFP via Getty Images

Boris Johnson says ‘rough winter’ could be ahead and cannot exclude ‘new horrors’

Boris Johnson warned of a “rough winter” ahead as the UK saw a 37 per cent rise in the number of daily Covid cases compared to last week.

More than 10,000 new infections were reported on Monday, as well as five deaths.

It came after cabinet minister Kwasi Kwarteng said it was “unlikely” the remaining Covid restrictions could be lifted before 19 July. He highlighted that the government would “always err on the side of caution.”

Meanwhile, there were calls to scrap quarantine for those holidaying in amber list countries. Data from NHS Test and Trace revealed that only one in 200 people returning from so-called amber list countries had tested positive for Covid-19.

Also on Monday, Matt Hancock said he hoped self-isolation rules will be eventually scrapped and replaced with daily tests for those who have received two doses of a Covid vaccine.

• ‘Unlikely’ Covid restrictions will be lifted before 19 July, cabinet minister says
• ‘A sustained threat to patient safety’: Hospitals across the country swamped by record numbers in A&E
• More than one million Covid jabs booked over weekend as rollout opened to all adults in England