Liz Truss warns of the dangers of another England lockdown
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International trade secretary Liz Truss has said that another national lockdown would “set us back hugely” as the government weighs up imposing new Covid restrictions.
Cases continue to spike in parts of the North, including Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle, with some media outlets speculating that hospitality venues could be closed except for takeaways in these areas.
Cases have doubled nationally in the past 11 days to 14,542, while deaths have also doubled to 76 over the same time frame.
Truss told the BBC this morning: “We are working very carefully right across the country to make sure we’ve got the right measures in place to restrict the spread of the virus, and of course we are keeping that constantly under review.
“What’s really important, though, is that we don’t want to go back to a second lockdown where we end up having to close down the economy and the potential damage that has on people’s livelihoods.”
The cabinet is believed to be split between those who want to have a lighter touch Covid regime to protect the economy and those that want to be more cautious about the spread of the virus.
Rishi Sunak has come out recently to say that the UK must “live without fear”, while also emphasising the need for the Tories to be the party of personal responsibility.
Health secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove are seen as the two most influential voices in cabinet that are pulling for a more cautious approach to stopping the spread.