LONDON • Britain is at a tipping point on Covid-19, Health Minister Matt Hancock said yesterday, warning that a second national lockdown could be imposed if people do not follow government rules designed to stop the spread of the virus.

Covid-19 cases have risen sharply in recent weeks to more than 4,000 a day, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling it a second wave, and stricter lockdown measures being introduced in areas across the country.

"The nation faces a tipping point and we have a choice," Mr Hancock told Sky News. "The choice is either that everybody follows the rules... or we will have to take more measures."

Mr Hancock later told the BBC that a second national lockdown was a possible option. "I don't rule it out, I don't want to see it," he said.

Last Saturday, Mr Johnson announced fines of up to £10,000 (S$17,600) from next Monday for people in England who break new rules requiring them to self-isolate if they have been in contact with someone infected with Covid-19.

In addition to tighter rules on social gatherings across the country, several cities and regions in Britain have imposed "local lockdowns", limiting even more strictly when, where and how many people can meet up socially.

Mr Johnson said in a statement yesterday: "The best way we can fight this virus is by everyone following the rules and self-isolating if they're at risk of passing on the coronavirus.

He added that "so nobody underestimates just how important this is, new regulations will mean you are legally obliged to do so if you have the virus" or have been asked to isolate by the National Health Service.

Asked about London Mayor Sadiq Khan's comments last Friday that new restrictions were increasingly likely in the capital, Mr Hancock said: "I've had discussions this week with the Mayor of London, and the teams are meeting today to discuss further what might be needed."

Mr Hancock was also asked on Times Radio about the possibility of Londoners being told to work from home later this week. He said: "Well, I wouldn't rule it out."

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said he would support whatever measures the government brings forward, but criticised the testing system for not having the capacity to deal with increased demand as schools reopened.

Britain has been the worst-hit country in Europe by the pandemic, with nearly 42,000 deaths. Numbers of new cases are reaching levels not seen since April, with some attributed to illegal raves.

For legal nightspots shut by the pandemic, however, there is no knowing when they will reopen.

It has been six months since the music and lights have been turned off at London's Printworks, a former newspaper printing factory-turned-nightclub, and similar dance venues across Britain.

"We're fighting for our survival," Printworks' co-founder Simeon Aldred told Agence France-Presse.

Just a few months ago, the nightspot welcomed up to 5,000 clubbers an evening.

Mr Aldred is unsure whether he and his business partner will have to lay off the 400 staff working across all their venues or plan for reopenings, possibly early next year.

"We've been burning our own (cash) resources," he said, while deploring what he sees as a lack of government visibility. "It won't go back to exactly the way it was, but I think people will still want to come together, eat together, pray together and dance together."

Mr Peter Marks, chief executive of Deltic, one of Britain's largest nightclub groups, with 53 venues, fears bankruptcy.

"We've come from a very successful, healthy company to one brought to its knees," he told Agence France-Presse, noting that the closures are still costing it millions of pounds in rent and other fixed costs. This is despite government support with paying staff wages and giving tax cuts.

According to the Night Time Industries Association, British nightclubs - together with bars, pubs, restaurants and theatres - generate £66 billion annually and employ about 1.3 million people.

While the government has been paying the bulk of wages for millions of workers during the pandemic, its furlough scheme is set to end next month, with analysts forecasting a surge in unemployment as a result.

A government statement said: "We know this is an incredibly difficult time for nightclubs, but they will need to remain closed for now, in line with current scientific advice to control the virus. We continue to engage with industry representatives and listen to their concerns."

While acknowledging the risks, Mr Marks believes clubs can reopen safely. "We don't want to cause a spike in cases, but we think we can have a way to come back with protocols to reduce the risks," he said.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE