UK: Debate on virus restrictions intensifies

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - The UK government announced on Friday that there were a further 24,405 positive cases of the novel coronavirus across the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 989,745.

There were also a further 274 deaths, bringing the total to 46,229.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics reported that around 568,100 people in England had coronavirus last week.

Numbers sharply increased particularly among secondary school children.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab refused to rule out that the government could add a tougher Tier 4 to its existing three tier system of coronavirus restrictions in England.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford said the country would not go back to a system of local lockdowns. Instead, new rules that would be easier to understand will be introduced.

Local leaders in Birmingham said today that the local lockdown system was not working, and that a national circuit-breaker lockdown across England had to be considered.