Coronavirus outbreak has reached critical point, says Whitty

Britain stands at a “critical point” in the coronavirus pandemic, ProfessorChris Whitty will warn, as he lays the ground for tough new controls in anurgent attempt to halt the surge in infections. In a televised briefing onMonday, the chief medical officer for England will say the country faces a“very challenging winter”, with the current trend heading in “the wrongdirection”. Boris Johnson spent the weekend with senior ministers and advisersdiscussing what action to take as the rise in the number of new cases showedno sign of slowing. It is thought the Prime Minister could announce newmeasures in a press conference as early as Tuesday.