NHS leaders have urged Boris Johnson to resist moving any area of the country down a tier in today’s review – but the PM has been warned riots may erupt if he forces areas with low infection rates to remain in tier three.
Health chiefs have told the Tory leader to exercise ‘extreme caution’ as the threat of a third coronavirus wave hangs over the country after the rules are relaxed at Christmas.
However, ministers were cautioned last night that ‘riots’ could break out after figures showed infection rates in tier three areas including Greater Manchester, Coventry, Warwickshire, Solihull and Leeds have fallen.
One political insider in the Midlands told The Sun: ‘If they don’t come out of Tier 3 there will be riots. They have brought their rates down immeasurably, there is no reason for them not to come out.’
Meanwhile, other sources have warned Mr Johnson could face clashes with northern leaders if he refuses to release the regions from the harshest measures.
Most areas are expected to remain in their current tiers, with a decision to be announced in Parliament today.
A Whitehall insider said: ‘I would be surprised if any area goes down a tier.’
An assessment meeting was chaired last night by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, after figures revealed daily cases had spiked by 50% in the UK.
Another 25,161 cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours, while 612 people were reported to have died with the virus on Wednesday.
The prime minister refused calls to ‘cancel Christmas’ yesterday – despite leading medics warning his decision will ‘cost many lives’.
At a Downing Street press conference, the Conservative politician said a planned five-day relaxation period at Christmas would still go ahead – but urged people to take precautions.
He has suggested avoiding overnight stays, cutting contacts before meeting people, spending less time together and avoiding travelling from a high-risk area to a lower risk one.
Admitting that the situation with Covid-19 was ‘worse’ than when the rules were set, Mr Johnson said: ‘While it would not be right to criminalise people who made plans and simply want to spend time with their loved ones, we’re collectively, across the UK, governments at every level, asking you to think hard and in detail about the days ahead.
‘We’re keeping the laws the same but we all want to send the same message: a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas. ‘When we say three households can meet on five days I want to stress these are maximums and not targets to aim for.’
England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty also told people to ‘keep it small, keep it short and keep it local’ last night.
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