Coronavirus UK: 90k may be infected every day, says Patrick Vallance

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UK announces 21,242 more coronavirus cases and 189 deaths as Sir Patrick Vallance claims up to 90,000 people could be getting infected every day in England – but he admits the outbreak IS slowing

  • Chief scientific officer today held TV briefing with Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak
  • Showed slide estimating new daily cases in England could be 22,000 or 90,000
  • Sir Patrick admitted there are signs the epidemic’s growth is slowing down 
  • New Office for National Statistics estimates tomorrow are ‘likely to increase’ 

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

The UK today announced another 21,242 positive coronavirus tests and the deaths of another 189 people as Sir Patrick Vallance claimed as many as 90,000 could be catching the virus every day. 

The chief scientific adviser said that numbers are ‘still heading in the wrong direction’ but also admitted Britain’s outbreak appears to be slowing down.  

Speaking in a TV briefing alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Sir Patrick showed slides that estimated there are somewhere between 22,000 and 90,000 new infections every day in England.

The startling upper estimate comes from a statement prepared by SAGE sub-group SPI-M, which provides regular virus modelling for Sir Patrick and has members known to be in favour of a national circuit breaker lockdown.

Office for National Statistics estimates are generally considered to be the most reliable measure, because they’re based directly on mass random swab testing of the English population, but they are a fortnight out of date.

Last Friday they estimated there were 27,800 new infections per day in the first week of October, including people who never get tested. A new estimate will be published tomorrow and Sir Patrick said he expects the figure to be significantly higher. 

Sir Patrick also said it appears to now be taking between 14 and 18 days for cases in the country to double, slower than the estimated seven days in mid-September. 

Sir Patrick Vallance said that numbers are 'still heading in the wrong direction' but also admitted Britain's outbreak appears to be slowing down

Sir Patrick Vallance said that numbers are ‘still heading in the wrong direction’ but also admitted Britain’s outbreak appears to be slowing down