Professor Sir Mark Walport, who is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was “pretty clear” tougher restrictions were needed.
Asked if Tier 4 restrictions were enough, the former chief scientific adviser told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “It’s the Tier 4 restrictions, it’s obeying them.
“It is thinking about breaking essentially every possible route of transmission we possibly can.
“Those are the things that are absolutely necessary and it is pretty clear we’re going to need more.”
Boris Johnson also signalled current anti-Covid measures were likely to get tougher.
He said: “What we are doing now is using the tiering system, which is a very tough system… and, alas, probably about to get tougher to keep things under control.
“But, we will review it.”
He added: “And we have the prospect of vaccines coming down the track in their tens of millions.
“And that, I think, is something that should keep people going in what I predicted, back on your show in in October, will be a very bumpy period right now.
“It is bumpy and it’s going to be bumpy.”
Boris Johnson said that circuit-breakers “buy you some temporary respite” from the spread of Covid-19.
He told the Andrew Marr Show: “If you want to stop coronavirus spreading, then of course it’s open to you or to any government to close down the entire economy for the duration.
“If you look at all these examples of firebreaks or circuit-breakers, all they do is buy you some temporary respite.”
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