Boris Johnson rules out half-term circuit breaker lockdown for good & accuses Labour of trying to ‘turn the lights out’

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BORIS Johnson ruled out a half-term circuit breaker for good yesterday as he accused Labour of trying to “turn the lights out” with a national lockdown.

He stood firm after Sir Keir Starmer again insisted on the short break despite medics saying it would not work.

Boris Johnson has ruled out a half-term circuit breaker for good

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer again demanded the short lockdown – despite government medics saying it wouldn’t work

 

Hours earlier, an expert warned MPs of tens of thousands of deaths if Britain stuck with the PM’s three-tier system.

But the PM said it would be wrong to shut down the whole country when infection rates in South West England and parts of the South East are minuscule compared with the North.

Mr Johnson turned on Sir Keir, saying: “It is the height of absurdity that he attacks the economic consequences of the measures we are obliged to take across some parts of the country when he wants to turn the lights out with a full national lockdown.”

His decision to stick by his regional approach appeared vindicated when Nicola Sturgeon extended Scotland’s circuit breaker after figures revealed it failed to quash Scotland’s second wave.

Yesterday, Scotland recorded a further 28 Covid-related deaths — the highest since May 21 — and an extra 1,739 cases.

Across Britain 26,688 more people tested positive for Covid — with cases up by a quarter in just 24 hours.

It takes the total number of confirmed infections to 789,229.

Official figures also show a further 191 died, taking the national toll to 44,158.

The PM said it would be the ‘height of absurdity’ to shut down the whole country

Meanwhile Nicola Sturgeon has extended Scotland’s circuit breaker

Mr Johnson’s ruling ends weeks of speculation that he could lock down the country for two weeks to coincide with the school holiday.

But the PM did come under fire for failing to reveal how regions would come out of Tier 3, the highest level of restrictions.

Currently, the measures — in place in Merseyside, Lancashire and due in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire — will be reviewed every 28 days.

CHRISTMAS PEAK

Tory MP William Wragg, representing Hazel Grove in Gtr Manchester, said he opposed the rules owing to their wider effects.

He added: “Perversely, the closure of Covid-secure premises will make it more likely that people will meet in each other’s homes.

“Many vulnerable people are terrified of criminalising themselves inadvertently simply through usual interaction.”

Earlier, government adviser Prof John Edmunds had warned the second peak could really hit the UK over Christmas because the three-tier system was slowing down Covid — but not stopping it.

Prof John Edmunds warned Brits could face a second Covid peak at Christmas

Prof Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the Government was “not being as cautious as I would like”.

Predicting the UK could see tens of thousands more deaths in coming months, he added: “If we just leave it as it is, then we’ll see peaks in the North West probably within the next four to six weeks.

“The rest of the country are weeks behind.”

Meanwhile, 12 footballers have been fined for breaking Covid laws after going for a drink to celebrate a cup win.

Players from South Shields United are said to have tried to dodge Tier 2 restrictions by telling staff at a Wetherspoon pub in South Tyneside they were from the same household.

But they realised the truth when the men took off their coats and all had the same football strip on. Police dished out £200 fines.

In Nottingham four students have been fined £10,000 each for hosting a house party after telling police who tried to shut it down they were “spoiling their fun”.

They first said guests had left, but officers found more than 30 hiding in a kitchen, bedrooms and basement.

The four have been suspended by their university pending its own investigation.

The Tier 3 measures, currently in place in Manchester, will be reviewed every 28 day

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