For the last week there has been increasing concern from DHSC and SAGE about rising Covid numbers following a sluggish booster jab programme and a steady rise in the number of Covid deaths. Chronically poor predictor and gloomster Neil Ferguson is already warning that the UK may need to reimpose restrictions and just yesterday the Coronavirus Act was extended for another six months without a hitch. What is the data actually saying?

According to the Spectator’s Data Tracker on October 12, Covid patients occupied just 5% of all NHS hospital beds and whilst the optimum NHS bed occupancy was around 85%, 5.5% of NHS hospital beds are not currently occupied by patients. Daily Covid hospital admissions are 80% lower than they were during the pandemic peak and it’s clear that the link between cases and hospitalisations is still largely broken. Given all this, it seems too soon to panic. 

So far the government is remaining firm in its decision not to reimpose restrictions. On this morning’s media round Kwasi reassured the public that “any talk of lockdowns is not helpful – it’s not going to happen”.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng "categorically rules out" another Covid lockdown telling LBC: “Any talk of lockdowns is not helpful - it’s not going to happen”@NickFerrariLBC pic.twitter.com/IUwO30SmPx

— LBC (@LBC) October 20, 2021

The government should stick to its guns on avoiding another lockdown, getting booster jabs into the arms of the old should have the highest priority…