The UK Government has reportedly drawn up plans to introduce a ‘firebreak’ lockdown in England from as early as next month if hospitalisations remain at their current levels.
Scientists advising the government are said to be concerned about the number of daily Covid hospital admissions and there are fears that it could potentially overload the NHS.
A member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) claimed that the UK is on the verge of entering “an extended peak” of infections and hospitalisations.
The i newspaper is reporting that the brief lockdown could be introduced alongside the October break in schools.
This could see the half-term holiday extended from one week to two weeks.
Travel restrictions are also reportedly back on the cards, which would rule out any travel across the border to England from Scotland during this period.
But a lockdown is considered to be “unlikely” and would be a “last resort” in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
It has also been reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson could reintroduce measures on face coverings and social distancing later this month. The legal requirements on both measures were abolished in England from July.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC this morning that he has seen now plans for the ‘firebreak’ lockdown.
When asked about the reports, the Tory minister said: “No, I haven't seen any ... I know where this question comes from.
"The i newspaper was reporting that they think there could be a possible lockdown.
"Look, vaccines have given us the ability to reduce infections, to save 100,000 lives.
"It is through the booster programme that I hope ... we can transition the virus from pandemic to endemic status and deal with it year in, year out - it is going to be with us for many years - but not have to close down our economy or take the severe measures we had to sadly take in December of last year."
When asked about the firebreak reports again on LBC, Mr Zahawi said: "I haven't seen any plans around this.”
The Scottish Government has refused to rule out the possibility of Covid measures being reintroduced in Scotland.
Case numbers have spiked in Scotland the weeks that followed the August 9 reopening - which saw nightclubs welcome back punters for the first time since March 2020, while social distancing measures were also scrapped.
Nicola Sturgeon has previously stated that she does not want to see Scotland go back into a lockdown.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes told Holyrood last week that Scotland does not have enough money to support another Covid lockdown in the future, unless the UK Government agrees to fund another one.
She told Holyrood’s Finance Committee: “One of the biggest challenges right now from a financial perspective is the fact that there hasn’t been that much additional consequential funding from the UK Government in the last few months.
"Right now we are trying to remobilise the health service, remobilise the justice system, remobilise a whole host of different public services, as well as deal with the ongoing Covid impact from a budget that has not been supplemented by additional consequentials coming from the UK Government in the way that it was last year.
“That’s not what we’re discussing at the moment.
"We’re talking about trying to maximise the impact of the baseline measures.
"But if we were to, then we have no certainty that furlough will be in place, we have no certainty that self employed income support will be in place, and I have no certainty that there will be any additional funding in place.
"I am not sitting on funds right now that I could deploy to support businesses.
"We would need additional help from the UK Government.”
