Dr Hillary Jones warns UK could suffer second wave of coronavirus in next two weeks

Britain could suffer a second wave of coronavirus infections in the next fortnight, TV doctor Dr Hillary Jones has warned.

He told ITV’s Lorraine Kelly on Thursday morning that if the UK sees a second spike at all, it will happen this month.

But he said on Good Morning Britain: “If we do see one I think it will be a less significant than the first, however, let’s hope we don’t have one at all.”

Lorraine replied: “If that was going to happen when would that show itself do you think?”

“In the next two weeks,” Dr Hillary returned confidently.

He added that the only country to show signs of a second wave so far has been Iran, which saw a 50 per cent surge in Covid-19 cases in the first week of June.

Fears of a second wave are mounting as Boris Johnson continues to relax the lockdown further.

From Monday, the PM is allowing non-essential shops to reopen alongside zoos, safari parks and drive-in cinemas.

Adults living alone will be able to form “support bubbles” with one other household and stay overnight from this weekend, Mr Johnson has said.

Places of worship will also open for a private prayer, despite most schools remaining shut until September.

Around half of primary schools reopened last week to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils, despite warnings from teaching unions that it was unsafe and could trigger a second spike.

The PM is also expected to make a decision on whether to cut down the two-metre social distancing rule, which he confirmed is “under review”.

Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, revealed at Wednesday’s Downing Street briefing that Government scientific advisers were bracing for a second lockdown over winter.

“We are not at the end of this epidemic, not by a long shot,” he said. “We’re in the middle of it.”

He warned that there were “no comfortable” ways to ease the current lockdown without risking a bounce-back in infections.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific adviser, has urged “caution” after the R number – the rate of contagion – rose above the dangerous 1 last week.

Ministers have touted local lockdowns if there are regional flare-ups.