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UK lockdown news - live: Boris Johnson considers second shutdown amid coronavirus death toll warning

<p>Dominic Raab says second national lockdown would be 'desperately unfair'</p> (PA)

Dominic Raab says second national lockdown would be 'desperately unfair'

(PA)

A second national lockdown to save Christmas is being considered by Boris Johnson after the publication of chilling scientific papers predicting that coronavirus deaths this winter could outstrip the 85,000 envisaged in the government’s “worst case scenario”.

Newly-released documents from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) warn the scale of Covid-19’s spread throughout the UK means the death toll could surpass the 85,000 fatalities previously predicted by government modelling.

It is being reported that the prime minister will hold a press conference on Monday to announce a new national shutdown beginning as early as Wednesday and last until 1 December.