UK Raises Coronavirus Alert as Infections Rise 'Exponentially', Heightened Curbs from Thursday
News 18The UK government has raised its coronavirus alert level from three to four, which indicates that the transmission of the virus is high and rising “exponentially”. Earlier, the Chief Medical Officers of all four regions of the United Kingdom England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales issued a joint statement to confirm the change in the alert level for all parts of the UK as the prospect of a second nationwide lockdown looks imminent. The statement came hours after England CMO Chris Whitty addressed a Downing Street briefing earlier on Monday to present charts and data that showed that the UK is in the grips of a second wave of the pandemic, with infections roughly doubling every seven days. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that childcare would be exempt from these stricter rules on households and hospitality establishments required to follow various stipulations. Wider nation-wide restrictions being considered by the government include a short two-week lockdown that would see additional rules around household interactions and restrictions on the hospitality and leisure sectors, but not involve school closures.