The UK's coronavirus death toll will exceed 100,000, predicts a SAGE professor. Professor John Edmunds added: "I think total numbers of deaths will be unfortunately measured now in those sorts of numbers, 100,000 or more." The current death toll - where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, is 82,624.
Boris Johnson will address the nation at 8pm where he is expected to announce a national lockdown. Prof Edmunds warned "major additional measures" were needed immediately to control the spread of the virus.
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine scientist told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: "We're in a really difficult situation. "The new strain is significantly more transmissible than the old strains.