London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Boris Johnson to warn UK: tougher lockdown may be necessary

Boris Johnson to warn UK: tougher lockdown may be necessary

Outbreak will get worse before it gets better, PM tells nation as death toll hits 1,000
Boris Johnson will warn every household in Britain that the coronavirus outbreak is likely to worsen and that he is prepared to tighten the nation’s lockdown, after the UK suffered the biggest daily increase in its death toll.

The country’s 30 million households will receive a letter from the prime minister cautioning them that the worst is still ahead, along with details of the government’s orders on social distancing, symptoms and handwashing, as ministers battle to prepare the NHS for the coming surge in cases.

“From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time,” Johnson says in the letter, which will land on doorsteps this week. “We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do.

“It’s important for me to level with you – we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal … That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”

The stark warning came as health chiefs reiterated that Britain will do well to keep deaths below 20,000 and warned against complacency. It follows new research from Imperial College London, which suggested Britain could suffer 5,700 deaths – far lower than previous estimates – should it follow the same path as China.

“Now is not the time to be complacent,” warned Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England.

“If we do reduce the deaths to a level which is below what we initially thought, I want to be absolutely clear, that won’t be because we are somehow lucky. It will be because every citizen of this country, the British public, has complied with the instructions that the government has given based on the best scientific evidence.”

With the number of coronavirus cases around the world passing 600,000, it emerged that:

The UK death toll increased by 260 people over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,019 so far. It was the largest daily increase since the outbreak began and the largest day-on-day percentage increase since 18 March.

Police signalled they would take robust action against acts of deliberate coughing over elderly or vulnerable people, as officers said they had been made aware of several such allegations.

Spain recorded another record daily death toll of 832, though health officials said that the outbreak may be peaking in some parts of the country. Deaths in Italy rose by 889 to 10,023 people.

President Trump said he was considering a two-week quarantine for New York, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut as the number of Covid-19 cases in those states continued to climb.

Meanwhile the business secretary, Alok Sharma, insisted there were “no gaps in government” despite the prime minister being among several senior figures to have entered self-isolation.

Officials said that Boris Johnson still had only mild symptoms, after revealing on Friday that he had contracted the virus.

He was working from 11 Downing Street on Saturday and will today chair a meeting of the Covid-19 war cabinet. Alister Jack, the Scottish secretary, is the latest cabinet minister to be self-isolating after he developed mild symptoms.

A poll for the Observer shows the majority of the British public want even stricter measures put in place to combat the spread of the virus and believe that the government was too slow in responding to the pandemic.

The latest Opinium poll suggested 57% of the public think the lockdown measures should go even further, while a third (33%) think there should be a ban placed on all public transport. A majority (56%) also think the government did not act fast enough. However, the vast majority of voters (92%) back the current lockdown measures and approval for the government’s handling of the crisis is also growing.

Ministers remain under pressure over the preparedness of the NHS. It has prioritised the testing and approval of new protective equipment amid continued complaints from NHS and care workers that they do not have access to the right protection. Coronavirus tests are also now being rolled out for NHS staff, with more test centres set to be opened in the next few days.

Concerns remain over the number of ventilators and the speed at which more can be purchased. There are currently 8,000 available and another 8,000 said to be arriving in the next few weeks. Stefan Dräger, the head of ventilator manufacturer Drägerwerk, told German magazine Der Spiegel that the number of intensive care beds in England per capita was lower than Italy and five times lower than in Germany. “The challenge in England will be greater than in Spain,” he warned.

Downing Street officials have also said they are prepared to use the RAF to repatriate British nationals stuck overseas if commercial flights cannot be found. “Our priority is commercial flights, but we do not rule out exceptional means if necessary,” said one.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×