The UK could be thrown into Tier 5 with even more stringent measures than the existing Tier 4 if Covid cases don’t come under control. Top scientists have reportedly warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson stricter restrictions need to be brought in to stop Covid spiralling out of control this winter. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has told the Prime Minister the R Rate will surge above one in January because of the new strain.
A senior Whitehall source told Express.co.uk the Government could be looking into a Tier 5 add on to current restrictions, saying: “We are ruling nothing out, the new strain is of serious concern. Tier 4 appears not to be strong enough.”
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick also admitted that “it may be necessary to take further action” to stop rising infection rates.
According to Public Health England, 57,725 new cases were reported in the UK in the last 24 hours, while 445 deaths have been recorded. This includes a 48-hour period in Northern Ireland.
In the last seven days, the country has registered 341,946 positive cases of the virus, which puts the overall infection rate at 398.2 out of every 100,000 residents.
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Who’s at risk of going into Tier 5?
The areas recording the most cases of Covid in recent weeks continues to be Greater London and the south east.
These parts of the country were the first to be plunged into the newly introduced Tier 4 at the start of December.
The latest data from Kent County Council on December 31 shows there are 666 weekly cases out of every 100,000 people in the area.
The worst-affected part of Kent is Dartford, which has 974.2 cases out of every 100,000 people, up by a staggering 79 percent between the previous record seven days before.
Second in the region is Gravesham, which showed an increase of 44 percent to a total of 945.4 per 100,000 citizens.
Gravesham has recorded 1,041 new cases in the seven days to December 27, while Hastings, Kent, registered 839 cases in the same period.
London is also at risk of Tier 5, with a number of boroughs in the capital showing a significant increase in positive cases.
Croydon had 3,396 positive cases in the week leading up to December 27, while in the Borough of Newham, it was 3,834.
In addition to London and Kent, Essex hasn’t been faring well with Covid cases either.
Positive results in Southend-on-Sea skyrocketed to 1,856 in the seven days to December 27, while Basildon recorded an additional 1,955.
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The top 25 Upper Tier Authority areas with highest cases levels are as follows:
- Thurrock – 1,245.8 per 100,000 population
- Redbridge – 1,158.5
- Barking and Dagenham – 1,137.6
- Havering – 1,080.7
- Newham – 1,077.8
- Enfield – 1,049.7
- Bexley – 1,035.5
- Tower Hamlets – 996.8
- Southend on Sea – 958.4
- Waltham Forest – 914.1
- Bromley – 903.3
- Haringey – 881.5
- Medway – 873.8
- Essex – 870.7
- Merton – 862.3
- Sutton – 860.7
- Barnet – 859.1
- Harrow – 845.7
- Croydon – 845.3
- Hounslow – 843.4
- Bridgend – 839.2
- Greenwich – 812.3
- Hillingdon – 807.8
- Slough – 781.1
- Lewisham – 770.7
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of East Anglia, warned the capital would be first in line for the tougher measures.
Professor Hunter said: “Newham, Lewisham, Islington, Hillingdon, Havering, Haringey, Greenwich, Hackney – if anything [Tier 5] is going to be in London or predominantly in London.
“Whether it’s the capital as a whole or particular local authorities within that, I’m not sure how they will do it, but I expect it would be difficult to put some authorities in and leave others out.”
Dr Simon Clarke, expert in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, reiterated the sentiment.
Dr Clarke said: “I really do think it’s going to be London and parts of the South East.
“They have been in Tier 4 the longest and it doesn’t appear to be having any effect. We would see their infection numbers coming down.”
Professor Sir Mark Walport, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC on Sunday morning that it was “pretty clear” tougher restrictions were needed.
Asked if Tier 4 restrictions were enough, he said: “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.”
