ALL of England should go into Tier 4 today to stop a Covid surge from thousands of super-spreading Christmas gatherings, experts say.
Another 24 million people in the south and east of the country will head into the country’s strictest tier from 12.01am on Boxing Day – but some academics are demanding it be brought forward to today and imposed on the whole country.
And they say much more is needed to control the spread of a new mutant Covid.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed a highly infectious new South African strain has been found in the UK.
Officials at the Independent SAGE group have today issued a statement claiming the situation is “rapidly worsening” and “incredibly dangerous”.
They said: “Evidence is now strong that the new variant of Covid is significantly more infectious than previous strains.
“This is making a bad situation worse.
“Cases in all tiers are rising, even where the variant is still rare.”
Tiers 1 to 3 “are not able to contain the spread of the new variant”, they say.
Modelling from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows the mutation will account for 90 per cent of new cases by mid-January, it’s claimed.
“Christmas Day mixing of households indoors for prolonged periods of time, as allowed in Tiers 1 to 3 in England and across the devolved nations, sets the scene for thousands of super-spreading events,” officials from the group said.
“In the context of the new strain, this is incredibly dangerous.”
Instead, experts say, the Government must U-turn on plans for Christmas bubbles for the whole country – and “place all regions of England in Tier 4” now.
And epidemiologists are backing calls to put the country back into lockdown – with some saying schools must shut once again.
Professor Giridhar Babu said models show that “all NHS regions are projected to experience a subsequent wave of Covid-19 cases and deaths” in the new year.
The third wave will peak in spring 2021 for London, the south-east and east of England, and in summer 2021 for the rest of the country, he claims.
“School closures in Jan 2021 may delay the peak and decrease the total burden in the short term,” he said.
“So what needs to be done?
“In order to reduce the peak ICU burden below the levels seen during the first wave, the most stringent intervention scenario with Tier 4 England-wide and schools closed during January, as well as two million individuals vaccinated per week, is needed.”
Meanwhile, Brit microbiologist Dr Arthur Hosie said all of England must face stricter measures.
“England should be in Tier 4,” he said.
“Political arrogance will cost lives.”
Under the current plans, areas including Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire will be put into even tighter restrictions from December 26.
Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Northamptonshire will go into Tier 3 too, and Cornwall and Hereforshire will be bumped up from Tier 1 to 2.
