“We are looking at the data to see how to manage the spread of the virus ahead of a very challenging winter period.” More than 40,000 people in Britain have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in March, the highest number in Europe. New cases fell rapidly due to an unprecedented three-month national lockdown, but have risen as the shuttered economy, schools and offices reopened. The government has been heavily criticised for a shortage of testing capacity. The warning from Whitty is expected to foreshadow a national address by Johnson later in the week, although this has not been confirmed by ministers. Health minister Matt Hancock on Sunday warned the country was at a tipping point, saying that people must follow rules on self-isolating or face the imposition of further lockdown measures. The government announced large fines for non-compliance. Hancock has refused to rule out another national lockdown - something which Johnson has said would have disastrous consequences for the economy - and said officials were meeting to decide how best to handle the rising cases in London.