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UK raises virus alert level, warning of high transmission

Shoppers wear masks on Oxford Street in London, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Britain's top medical advisers have painted a grim picture of exponential growth in illness and death if nothing is done to control the second wave of coronavirus infections, laying the groundwork for the government to announce new restrictions later this week. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Shoppers wear masks on Oxford Street in London, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Britain's top medical advisers have painted a grim picture of exponential growth in illness and death if nothing is done to control the second wave of coronavirus infections, laying the groundwork for the government to announce new restrictions later this week. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Shoppers wear masks on Oxford Street in London, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Britain's top medical advisers have painted a grim picture of exponential growth in illness and death if nothing is done to control the second wave of coronavirus infections, laying the groundwork for the government to announce new restrictions later this week. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

By DANICA KIRKA and JILL LAWLESS / Associated Press 5 min read

LONDON (AP) – British medical officers raised the nation’s COVID-19 alert level on Monday, saying the virus is in general circulation and the transmission is high. The move comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce further restrictions Tuesday designed to slow the spread of the virus.

The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, saying cases are rising “rapidly and probably exponentially,” raised the alert from three to four, the second-highest level, on the advice of the Joint Biosecurity Center.

The change came hours after other top British health experts warned the public they must make more sacrifices to control the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a briefing televised live to the nation, Chief Scientific Officer Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said after a slow rise in new infections over the summer, the number of new COVID-19 cases is now doubling every seven days. They said new infections could increase tenfold to almost 50,000 a day next month if nothing is done now to stem the tide.

In other countries, such an increase in infections has soon led to a rise in deaths, Whitty said, adding “we have, in a very bad sense, literally turned a corner” after weeks of rising infections.