Dr Hilary backs Tier 3 lockdown across England as ‘vaccine won’t stop infections’ – crushing hopes of a normal Christmas
DR Hilary Jones backed calls for a Tier 3 lockdown across England on Good Morning Britain today – crushing hopes of having a normal Christmas.
The TV medic declared only a national lockdown could stop the spread of Covid-19 as he told shocked viewers that even if a vaccine is made in-time it “won’t stop a rise in infections”.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
Dr Hilary made his remarks after The Sun revealed Boris Johnson is under pressure to put all of England under lockdown by mid-December – after chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance warned the second wave of coronavirus could be deadlier than the first.
It has dashed Boris Johnson’s hopes of a Christmas reprieve from lockdown rules.
Speaking on GMB earlier, Dr Hilary said: “Just look at the figures, the hospital admissions are increasing, doubling every two weeks. In a month from now we’ll be worse than we were in the first wave. Unless people are careful and the restrictions up north kick in and we see an improvement from then, that’s what we’ll see.
“We will see a greater mortality rate. We’ve seen this across Europe. In Sweden, where they relied on herd immunity, that’s not happening.
“It’s still very serious, we’re still in the pandemic. I’d love to give the population really good news but this is the worst pandemic for over a hundred years and we’re still in it. We can’t rely on a vaccine, we hope it will save people from dying but it won’t stop infections, not the early vaccine anyway.
“But people are working on it round the clock, round the world. I think we still need to rely on the basic principles which is hands, face, space and if we all do that and we’re realistic and don’t say Christmas is an exception.
“If we make Christmas an exception, then every celebration will be an exception. A birthday, a Friday night, a promotion…”
Some viewers didn’t appreciate Dr Hilary’s gloomy predictions, and one said on Twitter: “Turned on (GMB) for 10 secs, first i hear Dr Hilary scaremongering straight away ‘may have to make sacrifices at xmas or be like this spring/summer’ 
fed up with it, lets lockdown, hide under covers & hope virus vanishes, but look its still there & repeat,over & over,its a joke #gmb”
Turned on for 10 secs,first i hear Dr Hilary scaremongering straight away "may have to make sacrifices at xmas or be like this spring/summer
— Al (@twoforjoy1972) October 28, 2020
The Government’s Sage advisory body has warned that by the festive season, virus rates all over the country will soar past the levels seen in areas already put into the “very high” category.
The Sun has learned that the latest government modelling overseen by chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance shows more than 25,000 will be in hospital with the virus by the end of November — higher than the spring peak.
Most read in Celebrity
That is also more than double the 9,199 who were battling the bug in hospital yesterday.
The revelation came as the UK recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll since May, with a further 367 fatalities and another 22,885 cases confirmed.
The number of deaths is the highest daily figure since May 27, when 422 were reported.