Coronavirus is "holding a gun" to the UK government's head as stricter lockdown measures for parts of the north loom. Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), the situation is not far from the NHS being stretched in the north of England.
Professor Edmunds said: "I don't think it's us (scientists) holding the guns to the Prime Minister's head, I think it's the virus." He added: "It's not our decision.
It is their decision, it is a dreadful decision. "There is no way out of this where harm isn't done, and you're balancing harm to one sector of society, in order to protect other sectors of society, and so on. "It's dreadful.