Despite Boris Johnson vowing that a second lockdown would not be inevitable, official government documents suggest otherwise.
With the number of infections on the rise, the UK looks set for a significantly higher death toll from coronavirus than during the first wave of the pandemic, unless restrictions beyond Tier 3 are implemented, reports the BBC.
The government's Sage committee has seen a documents this week that says "all models suggest a significantly higher peak than those estimated at any point in the current Reasonable Worst Case Scenario".
The Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are said to have discussed this on Friday, reports the news outlet.
The document, says that "median peak infections are projected to be 50% to 150% greater" than in the first wave of the virus in Spring.
It is understood that Mr Johnson is considering a "stay at home" instruction while keeping nurseries, schools, colleges and universities open, as well as essential shops, as a way of avoiding putting England into a full lockdown again.
This could come as early as Monday and it's understood that it could be for a month in the hope that restrictions could be eased in time for Christmas.
There are also plans for an acceleration in mass testing.
The report is believed to be from the government's SPI-M group of scientists and all models predict that infections and death rates will be higher than earlier this year.
With all predicting that hospitalisations are likely to peak in the middle of December, with deaths continuing to rise until at least late December before falling from early January.
It also adds that "the window to act is now for the majority of the country".
