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Britain Locks Down as Europe Becomes Pandemic Epicenter

Henry Ridgwell

   LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is defending plans to
   impose a nationwide lockdown beginning Thursday, warning that a failure
   to act could cause up to twice as many deaths this winter as during the
   first wave in the spring.

   The country is recording several hundred COVID-19 deaths and at least
   20,000 new coronavirus infections every day. Government scientists say
   infection rates are exceeding worst-case scenarios modeled just weeks
   ago.

   Johnson offered a stark warning to British lawmakers in Parliament
   Monday.

   "To those in this House who believe we should resist further national
   measures, let me spell out the medical and moral disaster we face,"
   Johnson told members of Parliament. "If we allow our health system to
   be overwhelmed, exactly as the data now suggests, then that would not
   only be a disaster for thousands of COVID patients, because their
   survival rates would fall, we would also reach a point where the NHS
   was no longer there for everyone. The sick would be turned away because
   there was no room in our hospitals -- that sacred principle of care for
   anyone who needs it, whoever they are and wherever, whenever they need
   it, could be broken for the first time in our lives."

   Johnson said Britain's lockdown would end as soon as the data allowed.

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