The UK has “turned a corner” for the worse and is on course for up to 50,000 new daily cases of Covid-19 by mid-October, which could lead to 200 deaths a day by the following month, the government’s chief scientific and medical advisers have warned. A few hours after their briefing the Covid alert level was raised for the first time since the system was introduced in the spring; it is now back up at level 4, meaning “transmission is high or rising exponentially”. (See 5.44pm.) The statements seem intended to ready the public for an announcement from Boris Johnson tomorrow which is expected to see restrictions tightened in some way at a national level, not just locally as has been the case in recent weeks. Johnson will chair cabinet and a meeting of Cobra before announcing the measures in the Commons in the early afternoon. Today he spoke to the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in advance of the decision. Afterwards No 10 put out a statement saying the PM and the first ministers had “all agreed to act with a united approach, as much as possible, in the days and weeks ahead”. And Nicola Sturgeon, who will make her own announcement tomorrow, posted this on Twitter.
Scottish ministers are considering far-reaching restrictions to combat the surge in Covid cases including local lockdowns linked to school holidays next month, travel restrictions, closing play parks and shutting down hairdressers, a leak has revealed. About a quarter of the Welsh population will be subject to local lockdowns after sharp rises in Covid-19 cases triggered restrictions in four new areas. Arlene Foster, the first minister of Northern Ireland, has announced everyone in the region will now be covered by a ban on mixing in other people’s homes.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has announced that in England there will be an exemption for childcare from local lockdown measures. (See 3.46pm.) He also announced how people will be prioritised for testing. (See 4.59pm.) That’s all from me. But our coverage continues on our global coronavirus live blog. It’s here: