More than 60% of Wales’ population will be in lockdown from tomorrow

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A further 5,693 people tested positive for coronavirus in the UK today – marking a 46 per cent rise on last Sunday’s total.

The increase brings the UK’s total cases to 434,969 while another 17 people died of the disease, according the Government’s Covid-19 UK dashboard.

Today’s death toll – which covers deaths in hospitals, care homes and the wider community – brings the total number of deaths during the pandemic to 41,988.

Last Sunday saw 3,899 people diagnosed with the bug, significantly fewer than this week’s total – which is the highest Sunday figure since April.

But many experts say the daily totals for testing are not comparable to the same totals at the peak of the pandemic when the country’s testing programme was much smaller.

More than 100,000 people are believed to have been catching the virus every day at the peak of the pandemic.

Today’s figures follow the news that 60 per cent of the Welsh population will be put under coronavirus lockdown from tomorrow after three more council areas are added to the government’s list.

In other coronavirus news: 

• Boris Johnson abandoned plans for a second national lockdown over fears Rishi Sunak could quit, a senior MP said;
•  Mr Sunak’s deputy yesterday swatted away suggestions of a rift between the Chancellor and Mr Johnson over the Government’s coronavirus strategy;
• Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden claimed Tory rebel fears over ministers imposing coronavirus restrictions without asking MPs to vote on them first are ‘overblown’;
• Mail on Sunday poll found voters are now more worried about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy than they are over the collective health of the nation;
• Mr Sunak’s ratings continue to soar, with an approval rating of plus 37. Mr Johnson, by contrast, receives a rating of minus 17;
• Burnley is England’s new coronavirus hotspot as the rolling seven-day rate of new cases for Covid-19 are calculated for local authority areas in England;
• Professor Mark Woolhouse – who sits on the Government’s Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) – said a third wave of infections next year is ‘entirely possible’;
• Professor Woolhouse said he is warned it is ‘doubtful’ there will be a jab ready for mass roll-out in six months; 
• The Government is set to use a ‘gargle-and-spit’ test for Covid-19 as part of Matt Hancock’s pledge to test 4.5 million people per day;
• Health Department last week allowed companies to put forward ideas to make ‘circa 3.0 million saliva collection kits per day’ on top of ‘circa 1.5 million swab collection kits per day’. 

Some 362 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Wales in the last 24 hours alone bringing the total to 22,945 – but no new deaths.  

Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan will be covered by the rules, which mean people will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse from 6pm on Monday.

They will not be able to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with, with extended households suspended. 

Some 344 people tested positive in Scotland, where one further death was reported. 

The announcement comes just hours before local lockdown restrictions come into force in Cardiff and Swansea, Wales’ two biggest cities, on Sunday evening.

Further measures were also introduced in Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire, on Saturday evening.

Restrictions are already in place in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

It means more than 1.8 million people in Wales – nearly 60 per cent the population – will be under local lockdowns from Monday night. 

On Saturday, there were a further 370 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Wales. 

Wales’s First Minister Mark Drakeford said in a statement: ‘Following a worrying rise in cases of coronavirus across South Wales, we took action on Friday to introduce local coronavirus restrictions in Llanelli and local restrictions will come into force in our two largest cities – Cardiff and Swansea – tonight.

‘We are now taking further action and placing three more areas under local restrictions in South Wales – Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen, and the Vale of Glamorgan – because we are seeing rising rates in these three areas. These areas also share borders with local authority areas where rates are much higher.

‘Introducing restrictions in any parts of Wales is always an incredibly difficult decision for us to make. But we’re acting to protect people’s health and to try and break the chain of transmission and stop the situation from getting worse.

‘This is not a regional lockdown – this is a series of local restrictions in each local authority area to respond to a specific rise in cases in each area, which have distinct and unique chains of transmission.

‘In some places, such as Caerphilly and Newport, we have seen really positive falls in response and we hope they can begin to be relaxed if they continue.

‘It’s really important everyone follows the rules where they live. We need everyone’s help to bring coronavirus under control. We need everyone to pull together and to follow the measures which are there to protect you and your loved ones.’

Yesterday, Burnley was revealed as England’s new coronavirus hotspot as the rolling seven-day rate of new cases for Covid-19 are calculated for local authority areas in England.   

The figures, for the seven days to September 23, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent three days (September 24-26) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

In Burnley, 228 new cases were recorded in the seven days to September 23 – the equivalent of 256.4 per 100,000 people.

Burnley has the highest rate in England, up from 145.1 in the seven days to September 16.

Liverpool has the second highest rate, up from 131.1 to 243.8 with 1,214 new cases.

Knowsley is in third place, where the rate has risen from 132.6 to 241.9, with 365 new cases.

The list is based on Public Health England data published on September 26 on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

Last night, hoards of revellers flocked to streets up and down the country in their droves after bars and pubs kicked them out at 10pm. 

Vast swathes of Saturday-night drinkers were seen downing pints on empty roads in Soho, London, while others rushed to buy alcohol from off-licences in Leeds after the newly-imposed rules meant venues shut early.

Meanwhile, a huge queue of people formed outside Tesco Express in Portsmouth, Hampshire, as many opted to keep the night going with cans and bottles bought from the supermarket.

Booze-fuelled crowds also gathered at the popular Harbourside area in Bristol, on the streets of nightlife-hotspot Newcastle and in student-heavy city York.

In Liverpool, mask-free rulebreakers gathered in a large crowd on the street, jumping and chanting in an impromptu party. Scenes in Liverpool prompted the city’s mayor to slam the curfew as ‘simply making things worse not better’.

The influx of merry partygoers heightened the risk of spreading the virus even more as they crammed together on public transport – after Uber fares surged by 2.6 per cent due to increased demand in London.

The shocking pictures come as Professor Mark Woolhouse from the University of Edinburgh – who sits on the Government’s Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) – said a third wave of infections next year is ‘entirely possible’.

He warned Britain will have to live with the virus until ‘some kind of cavalry’ comes to the nation’s rescue in the form of a vaccine or rapid testing and said he is ‘doubtful’ a jab will be ready for mass roll-out in six months. 

The Prime Minister’s decision to impose the 10pm curfew to avoid a potential second wave has been hit by criticism after it was revealed the move was not advocated by Sage – the panel of scientific experts chaired by Sir Patrick Vallance.

Sage members are said to be increasingly frustrated that they are being overruled while simultaneously being scapegoated for the harsher measures, according to the Daily Telegraph.

A former World Health Organisation director, Professor Karol Sikora, also highlighted concerns, saying: ‘Where is the evidence? Closing a little early will just hurt so many business owners.’

Sage scientists are reportedly calling on the Government to release their advice to exonerate them from any part in mooting a pub curfew.  

Concerns about the potential impact on businesses appear to be echoed by the rest of the population as a Mail on Sunday poll found  voters are now more worried about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy than they are over the collective health of the nation.

The Deltapoll survey suggests that a majority of people – 51 per cent – think the impact on the economy is the greatest problem facing the UK over the next year, compared to 42 per cent who worry about the effects on health.

When asked about the impact over the next five years, the gap widens, with 66 per cent citing the economy and just 28 per cent mentioning health.

And an overwhelming 89 per cent are concerned about the impact of Covid restrictions – including the 10pm curfew on business – with just 8 per cent saying they are unconcerned.

The results suggest there is growing support for the position of Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who has argued in Cabinet against ‘doves’ such as Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove who want more stringent restrictions. 

Mr Sunak’s ratings continue to soar, with an approval rating of plus 37. Boris Johnson, by contrast, receives a rating of minus 17. 

A senior MP today revealed that Boris Johnson abandoned his plans for a second national lockdown over fears Rishi Sunak could quit as rift claims deepen.

Mr Sunak warned the economic impact caused by a second national lockdown would make his job near impossible.

He argued to keep Britain open to protect millions of jobs and businesses despite medical and scientific experts wanting tougher restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, The Sun reported.

The Chancellor has introduced a number of measures to save jobs and businesses throughout the pandemic, including the Job Retention Scheme and Eat Out To Help Out. 

A senior MP said: ‘There were fears he would find it difficult to carry on if he was ignored.

‘It was all down to the Chancellor that we avoided delivering a hammer blow to the economy and took a more balanced approach instead. Rishi saved the day.’

Yesterday, Mr Sunak’s deputy swatted away suggestions of a rift between the Chancellor and Mr Johnson over the Government’s coronavirus strategy.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay insisted both men were working ‘in tandem’ and denied Numbers 10 and 11 were adopting different approaches.

On Thursday Mr Sunak said the nation needed to learn to ‘live without fear’, just days after the Prime Minister tightened coronavirus laws amid a steep rise in cases.

Rumours of a rift came amid Tory rebel fears over ministers imposing coronavirus restrictions without asking MPs to vote on them. 

The Government will this week ask MPs to renew emergency coronavirus powers for another six months. 

But Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, has tabled an amendment which would require votes to be held on new measures ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’. 

Sir Graham is believed to now have the support of 60 of his Tory colleagues ahead of a potential crunch vote on the move on Wednesday.  

One of the backers of the amendment, former Brexit minister Steve Baker, today argued that ‘liberty dies’ when governments are allowed to ‘exercise draconian powers without parliamentary scrutiny in advance’. 

But Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defended the Government’s current approach of imposing rules without parliamentary votes as he said Mr Baker’s concerns were ‘slightly overblown’. 

The Cabinet minister said the ‘rapidly’ changing nature of the pandemic meant that the Government needed to retain the ‘power to move quickly’.