Boris Johnson fears UK second wave in TWO WEEKS after 28% surge in British coronavirus cases this month
BORIS Johnson fears a second wave of coronavirus will sweep over the UK this summer – and it could start in just a FORTNIGHT.
The Prime Minister is said to be "extremely concerned" by new outbreaks "bubbling up", both at home and abroad.
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A senior Government source told the Daily Mail: "People have got to realise we're in the middle of a pandemic."
Although the number of UK cases is relatively low, rises were recorded each day last week.
It's the first time that's happened since the peak of the virus in April.
The seven-day average stands at almost 700 – 28 per cent up on three weeks ago.
And on Sunday, Government officials suddenly imposed a 14-day quarantine for all Brit holidaymakers returning from Spain after cases in the country doubled.
It comes as sources say the PM fears another surge in the UK.
Advisers have been warning of a potential second wave of the pandemic this winter.
However, it's now believed it could come sooner.
A Downing Street source told the Mail: "The PM is extremely concerned by what he's seeing abroad and fears we could be seeing the same thing here in a fortnight.
"People have got to realise we are still in the middle of a pandemic.
"He wants to go further on opening things up and getting people back to work, but he knows it'll be his head on the block if things go wrong."
On a visit to Nottingham yesterday, Mr Johnson said Brits are facing a rise in cases.
"The most important thing is for everybody in all communities to heed the advice, to follow the advice, not to be spreading it accidentally and get it right down and we'll be able to ease the restrictions across the country," he said.
"But clearly we now face, I'm afraid, the threat of a second wave in other parts of Europe and we just have to be vigilant."
It's believed Mr Johnson is alarmed by the resurgence of the virus in parts of Europe following the easing of lockdown.
France has warned the progress in the fight against coronavirus has been "erased", with officials from the health ministry saying: "We have returned to levels comparable with those at the end of the lockdown period.
"We have thus erased a good part of the progress made during the initial weeks since the lockdown was lifted."
The Belgian government warned of a second "complete lockdown", while the head of Germany's public health agency yesterday said he was "very concerned" by rising infection levels.
The head of Germany's public health agency yesterday said he was 'very concerned' by rising infection levels.
Ministers in the UK will meet on Wednesday to decide whether to extend travel restrictions further, with Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia all said to be sources of concern.
And on Tuesday, another 119 Covid-related deaths were recorded in the UK – the same day the quarantine for Spain was extended to the country's Balearic and Canary islands, where case numbers are lower.
A Whitehall source said: "The PM was determined to make sure we have a clear and consistent message on Spain, regardless of the situation in individual regions.
"That's fair enough, but you can see why Spain is upset because it treats the whole country as if it was as bad as the worst region.
"If other countries did that to us they would be judging the whole country on the situation in Leicester."
There are no immediate plans to reimpose restrictions on a nationwide basis, it is understood.
A source said: "We have not seen a sharp uptick yet, but we are concerned.
"We don't want to experience what some other countries are experiencing and it would be remiss of us if we were not looking at steps to prevent that."
Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty is monitoring a number of areas on a 'watch list' due to high or fast-rising infection rates, including Peterborough, Northampton, Luton, Leicester, Rochdale and Bradford.
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