Main content

Coronavirus: What next as UK deaths rise and cases surge?

As a second wave of coronavirus surges across Europe, France and Germany impose tough new restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. Is another national lockdown inevitable in the UK too?

Has the country reached another key moment in its response to Covid-19?

The government’s Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) - a committee attended by scientists across a range of fields - is forecasting that more people will die of Covid-19 this winter than in the first wave.

It is estimated that deaths could peak at a lower level than the spring, but then remain at a constant level for weeks or even months.

But have we become blasé to the increasing death toll? And would we even follow restrictions if a new national lockdown was announced in the UK?

Newsnight’s Political Editor Nick Watt reports.

In the studio, Kirsty Wark is joined by UCL Professor of Health Psychology Robert West and LSE Professor of Global Health Clare Wenham.

Release date:

Duration:

13 minutes