A nightmare on Downing Street: Will COVID steal Christmas?

A nightmare on Downing Street: Will COVID steal Christmas?

By Sky News

It was never going to be the usual Halloween in a year when we faced a global pandemic, but clearly a rising number of COVID-19 cases left the prime minister spooked.

On Saturday evening, and after a few delays, Boris Johnson made the announcement he had hoped he’d not have to make again - effectively shutting England down for a second time this year.

The decision follows a stark warning from his top medical and scientific advisers there could be twice as many coronavirus deaths this winter than during the first wave.

The four-week lockdown, from Thursday, will be voted on by parliament on Wednesday.

But is it the right call? Has it come too late? And can people and businesses survive this time around?

On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, Sophy Ridge examines the reasons for the lockdown, how it differs to the first and asks: Will it really last four weeks and will it work?

We are joined by our deputy political editor Sam Coates, Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway, and Dr Daniele Bryden, who is the Vice Dean for Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Daily podcast team:
Podcast producer - Annie Joyce
Podcast producer - Nicola Eyers
Podcast producer – Emma-Rae Woodhouse
Interviews producer - Oli Foster
Archive - Simon Windsor
Music - Steven Wheeler
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