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Northern Ireland may require more than one “circuit break” lockdown during the winter, Stormont’s chief scientific adviser has said.
As reported by PA, Prof Ian Young said it would be sensible for people to plan for the prospect of multiple periods of lockdown over the coming months, though he stressed it was still not clear whether they would definitely be required.
Probably one of the most effective is certainly this idea of a circuit breaker or a relatively short-term lockdown. I don’t think that a single period of lockdown or circuit breaker would be sufficient to get us right through the winter.
I think it would be sensible to plan for the possibility of one or more periods of circuit break over the course of this winter. I don’t know, I can’t say, whether that’s something that will be required, but I think it would be sensible to plan for it.
Covid-19 cases have doubled in most places in England that are subject to long-term local lockdowns, exclusive Guardian analysis has found, amid growing concern that the patchwork of restrictions is confusing and done “on the cheap”.
My colleagues Niamh McIntyre and Josh Halliday report that in 11 out of 16 English cities and towns where restrictions were imposed nine weeks ago, the infection rate has at least doubled, with cases in five areas of Greater Manchester rising faster than the England average in that time.
Related: Covid cases doubled under most local lockdowns in England
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