Ex-government adviser: UK risks further 27,000 coronavirus deaths

Carry on as we are and another 27,000 will die from Covid-19, warns former government chief scientific adviser Sir David King as he tells pub landlords to stop serving indoors

  • Sir David King said current approach means 27,000 more deaths by April ‘likely’
  • He said the Government’s goal should be to get down to zero coronavirus cases 
  • He also argued pub landlords should only serve customers outside to reduce risk

Britain risks another 27,000 coronavirus deaths between now and next April if ministers do not focus on reducing the rate of infection to zero, a former government chief scientific adviser has claimed. 

Sir David King argued such a number of deaths is ‘likely’ under the Government’s current approach to tackling the deadly outbreak. 

He said it appeared as if the Government’s approach was to ‘maintain’ the current level of about 3,000 new infections per day across England.

But he said the goal should be to get down to zero coronavirus cases as he also argued that pub landlords should only serve customers outdoors to reduce the risk of transmission. 

The UK’s official coronavirus death toll currently stands at more than 44,000.  

Sir David King, a former government chief scientific adviser, today claimed there could be 27,000 more coronavirus deaths in the UK between now and April next year if the Government does not change its approach

Sir David, who set up the so-called ‘independent SAGE’ group of experts as an alternative to the Government’s official Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, has been one of the most vocal critics of Downing Street during the crisis. 

He told Sky News today: ‘What we are saying is 27,000 excess deaths are likely between now and next April, if the expectation by the Chief Medical Officer that he would be surprised and delighted if the UK is in the same place next spring. 

‘If he’s correct then we would still have around two to three thousand new infections in England per day and that is the number of deaths that would follow from that. 

‘Now, quite clearly, what independent Sage is calling for is first of all this is almost entirely preventable and absolutely unacceptable, it’s immoral but let me also add in response to your question to the previous speaker, it is best for economic recovery. 

‘The quicker we can get down to zero Covid UK, the more quickly we can get a full economic opening of our economies right across the United Kingdom. 

‘It looks as if the policy is to maintain the current level of about 3,000 new infections a day across England while Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland are heading towards zero, net zero.’

Pubs across England reopened their doors yesterday for the first time since March. 

But Sir David said they should not be allowed to serve people indoors because of the increased risk of spreading infection. 

‘I fully understand publicans who would like to be getting back to full operation but I would also advise anybody, publicans included, only open up that area of your pub where people can be outdoors and serve people outdoors who are not brushing into each other going into the pub,’ he said. 

‘There are means of achieving these objectives but we have to be patient and if we’re not patient, of course it’s not just a second wave as you are saying there, but if it bumps along at 3,000 a day, that is what produces this additional 27,000 deaths and we haven’t yet then opened up our economy. 

‘So, if we want to return to full economic growth as quickly as possible, get rid of the Covid virus.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk