Documents from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) released on Friday showed Covid-19 was spreading significantly faster through England than the Government’s own predicted worst-case scenario for cases and hospital admissions. Sage had estimated 85,000 deaths from coronavius over the course of the winter, but an official document dated October 14 and published today reveals we are in a worse position than expected. Boris Johnson could impose a second national lockdown next week (Picture: AFP) Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van Tam is said to have warned ministers on Thursday morning that coronavirus is ‘out of control’. Steven Swinford, deputy political editor of The Times, tweeted: ‘I’m told that some projections circulating in Whitehall suggest that without significant interventions there will be a big spike in deaths around Christmas Eve. ‘Ministers hope the national lockdown measures, expected to last just under a month, will help suppress the spread.’ Top articles by Metro Halloween 2020: The trick or treating rules in tier 1, 2 and 3 areas . The Government now faces a critical weekend to determine what measures will be introduced. Scientists say a second national lockdown is needed to save Christmas . Scientists advising the Government are reportedly pushing for a month-long lockdown similar to what was imposed in France, saying this is the only way to save Christmas and stop hospitals running out of beds. The country went back into a strict lockdown tonight. Under the rules, schools will stay open but non-essential businesses will have to close, travel between regions will be banned and people can only leave their homes for work, medical reasons and an hour of exercise per day. President Emmanuel Macron said it was necessary to ‘apply the breaks brutally’ to avoid being ‘submerged by the acceleration of the epidemic’. The move put increased pressure on Boris Johnson, who has resisted calls for a national lockdown in favour of a tiered regional approach. France entered a second national lockdown on Friday, with thousands of people seen leaving Paris ahead of the restrictions .The PM is said to have been warned that delaying the lockdown could ‘backfire on him’ and that hospitals in England will be full by December 17 unless he took more action. He is expected to address the nation on Monday, when he will announced a national lockdown closing everything except essential shops and ‘educational settings’. A senior government source told The Times that no final decision had been made, with ministers also mulling over plans to implement a tier four level of restrictions closing restaurants and non-essential shops. However, officials are said to be in favour of a national approach as cases continue to rise despite regional lockdowns in many parts of the country.
