UK's Johnson defends lockdown amid criticism of delay

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday defended his decision to impose a second national lockdown, brushing aside criticism that weeks of delay have meant thousands more infections and hundreds of needless deaths.

The comments came as Johnson gave the House of Commons details of the proposed four-week lockdown in England that is set to begin Thursday. The plan was hurriedly announced Saturday after updated projections showed that rapidly rising infection rates risked swamping hospitals in a matter of weeks.

“Faced with these latest figures, there is no alternative but to take further action at a national level,″ Johnson told lawmakers, adding it was right to try imposing local measures first. “I believe it was right to try every possible option to get this virus under control at a local level with strong local action and strong local leadership.″

The new policy comes three weeks after Johnson announced plans for a three-tiered regional approach to combating the virus, with tighter restrictions imposed on areas with higher infection rates. The government chose that strategy in an effort to reduce the economic and social impact of new restrictions, even though a committee of scientific advisers on Sept. 21 recommended a short lockdown as a “circuit breaker” to slow the spread of COVID-19.

But that approach became untenable after new analysis showed COVID-19 was spreading so rapidly that the number of deaths this winter could more than double those recorded earlier this year. The government needs to act now to prevent the National Health Service from being overwhelmed, Johnson said in the face of criticism from members of his own party who are concerned about the impact the restrictions will have on jobs and civil liberties.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said the cost of that delay was...