“In a month you’ll be up to 100,000 new cases a day,” Professor Anthony Costello, a member of the UK’s Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and London’s University College (UCL), told The Mirror of the battle the UK is facing... Mr Johnson said rising hospitalisations were “a matter of serious, serious concern”, as he admitted doubt that the country would be out of lockdown anytime soon, hinting he may delay the Freedom Day celebrations. “If the Government takes a gamble (about lifting the country’s lockdown) the NHS will be overloaded,” Professor Costello said. “Let’s wait. Let’s stay as we are.” He warned that the real number of new infections of the Delta variant are likely to be twice the 8000 new daily cases currently being picked up by testing.