Stricter lockdown measures and financial support are needed, Sage member says

Stricter lockdown measures and more financial support for those who cannot work remotely are needed to tackle the UK’s coronavirus crisis, a member of the  Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said.

Professor Andrew Hayward, director of the University College London (UCL) Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, told Times Radio he worried that the latest lockdown had “split the population in two” between “those who can afford to stay at home and work and those who can't".

"I suspect what we're really seeing is a very fast decline in those who are staying at home, and either a levelling-off or potentially even a continuing increase in those who are continuing to work," Prof Hayward said.

He backed stronger lockdown restrictions, adding it needed to be possible for "those people who can't afford to work from home to work from home with the right financial packages to support that".  

Prof Hayward’s comments follow the latest results from UCL’s Covid-19 Social Study, which found that 38 per cent of respondents self-isolated for less than 10 days after developing symptoms. The result included 13 per cent who did not self-isolate at all.

The Sage member also underlined concerns about higher levels of activity compared to the first lockdown in March. There are three times as many people now using the London Underground and twice as many people using cars and buses.

Earlier this week, Boris Johnson refused to rule out ramping up restrictions, saying the measures were kept "under constant review".

Keir Starmer said it was “obvious" that England’s rules would be tightened, adding that it was likely PM would ask MPs to vote on stronger measures within the next fortnight.

Calling for tougher measures, the Labour leader told the Commons on Wednesday: "Every time there's a big decision to take, the PM gets there late .

"The next big decision is obvious; the current restrictions are not strong enough to control the virus – stronger restrictions are needed."