New leaked SAGE 'worst case scenario' predicts 85,000 deaths from second wave of coronavirus
Top Points of this report;
- Boris Johnson is under pressure from scientists for a national 'circuit breaker' lockdown to slow infections
- Ministers were told the second wave could be much deadlier than the first with scientists demanding action
- If the current rate continues, 200,000 people a day will be getting infected by next weekend
Scientists increased pressure for a tougher national lockdown last night amid suggestions that up to 85,000 could die in a second wave of coronavirus.
The new 'worst case' scenario came in a leaked Sage committee paper as government-commissioned research claimed nearly one million in England are currently infected.
The study warned the country was at a 'critical stage' in the second wave and urgent action was needed to get the R number below one.
.Boris Johnson is under growing pressure from scientists for a national 'circuit breaker' lockdown or a return to the kind of restrictions the country faced in spring. It emerged yesterday that ministers were given an analysis by Sage suggesting the second wave could be deadlier than the first, with many in the group of scientists believing the Government needs to take drastic action now.
The latest official study, released last night, was conducted by Imperial College London researchers and based on random swab testing of 86,000 across England between October 16 and 25.
It found the spread of the virus accelerated dramatically in the past fortnight, with the number of new cases doubling every nine days. The national R rate is almost 1.6.