UK coronavirus deaths top 1000 in worst winter day

Boris Johnson warns the lockdown restrictions could remain until April as Britain’s daily coronavirus death toll passed 1000.

‘We are in a tough final stretch’: Boris Johnson in the House of Commons on Wednesday night. Picture: AFP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that tough lockdown restrictions could remain until April as the country’s daily coronavirus death toll passed 1000 for the first time this northern winter.

Mr Johnson said restrictions would be lifted only “brick by brick” and people should not expect a mass relaxation of the rules when they were reviewed on February 15.

“We are in a tough final stretch, made only tougher by the new variant,” he told the House of Commons on Wednesday night. “Our emergence from the lockdown cocoon will not be a big bang but a gradual unwrapping.”

MPs backed the lockdown by 524 votes to 16 despite concerns among senior Conservatives that it could last for nearly three months.

The decision came as 1041 coronavirus deaths in the 24 hours to Wednesday were reported. It is the first death toll in four figures since April and takes the seven-day total to 4798, up 37 per cent from the week before.

A further 62,322 people tested positive, bringing the weekly total of cases to 403,914, a 43 per cent increase on the previous week.

Figures also showed that the number of excess deaths in the week to Christmas Day was higher than the number of coronavirus deaths, increasing fears over pressures on the National Health Service.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government would wait to see a reduction in the number of deaths before easing the lockdown in England, emphasising the importance of the vaccines taking effect.

The lockdown rules were announced by Mr Johnson on Monday night and became law on Wednesday, before they were debated by MPs.

The legislation keeps the measures in place until March 31 but they will be reviewed regularly.

Mr Johnson said he could not rule out delaying May’s local elections for a year.

Senior Tory MPs called for the time limit on the lockdown to be brought forward to mid-February, by which point ministers believe that the most vulnerable groups will have been vaccinated.

The Times