The Prime Minister hopes the two-week “circuit break” would halt the chain of transmission after new cases of the virus in England are estimated to have doubled over the past week. Under plans, schools and offices would remain open but pubs, restaurants and leisure centres could be closed for a fortnight.
Mr Johnson insisted that while a second lockdown is the “last thing anybody wants” the current measures need to be kept “under review”.
Speaking during a visit to the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre construction site near Oxford, the Prime Minister said: “But as we look at this particular curve and what is happening now, clearly we are going to keep everything under review.
“I don’t want to get into a second national lockdown at all, it is the last thing anybody wants.
“I don’t want to go into bigger lockdown measures at all, we want to keep schools open and it is fantastic the schools have gone back in the way they have.
“We want to keep the economy open as far as we possibly can, we want to keep businesses going.
“The only way we can do that is obviously if people follow the guidance.”
Mr Johnson also warned the UK was “now seeing a second wave”.
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES:
7.20am update: Victoria records lowest number of cases since June
The Australian state of Victoria has reported its lowest daily increase in infections in three months.
The state, which has been at the centre of Australia’s coronavirus outbreak, confirmed 21 new cases in the past 24 hours and seven further deaths.
Overall, the country has recorded just under 26,900 infections and the death toll stands at 844.
7.15am update: Minister says it would be “wonderful” to have coronavirus-free care homes by September 2021
Care minister Helen Whately has written a letter to the heads of local authorities, care home providers and public health and adult social care directors expressing her hopes that coronavirus will be eradicated from care homes by September 2021.
Ms Whately said: “This time next year, it would be wonderful to achieve our objective of Covid-free care homes, resilient communities and a health and care workforce still able to give their very best.”
The letter was published alongside the Government’s adult social care winter action plan on Friday evening.
