LONDON (REUTERS) - Britain should act sooner rather than later if it is going to follow Germany and France and take nationwide steps to slow a second wave of the coronavirus, said Professor Steven Riley, author of an Imperial College study into the spread of the disease.

"I think we need decide to if we're going to end up using those restrictions that have been brought in elsewhere in Europe today and yesterday. And if we're if we're going to do that, then we should think about timing. And sooner is better than later for these," Prof Riley, an expert on infectious disease dynamics, told the BBC.

The spread of the coronavirus continues to increase across all parts of England, with cases doubling every nine days, according to the new study by Imperial College.

Meanwhile, Housing Minister Robert Jenrick said on Thursday (Oct 29) that the British government will do everything it can to avoid putting the country into a second national lockdown and believes it can control the virus with tough local measures.

The minister added that the government kept everything under review but it wanted to avoid a second full national shutdown because of the damage it creates to livelihoods and the economy.

"The very clear policy of the government is to do everything we can to avoid a full national lockdown," he told Sky News.