A 'CIRCUIT-BREAKER' national lockdown is the short-term answer to England's coronavirus fight, say Adver readers.

The two-week solution suggested by top scientists has been backed by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, while prime minister Boris Johnson sticks to his guns over a more localised approach.

Mr Johnson introduced a three-tier Covid-19 system on Monday as case numbers continue to rise all over the country.

Northern Ireland has gone a step further by imposing a four-week 'circuit-breaker', which will come into force tomorrow.

More than 1,000 people responded to a poll on the Adver website yesterday, with 59 per cent saying all pubs, bars and restaurants should be closed and October half-term period should be extended by two weeks.

Only 21 per cent said they disagreed with the idea and 20 per cent suggested the country should learn to live with the virus.

On Facebook, Maria Phillips said: “I think after watching the scenes in Liverpool on Sky News this morning, unfortunately, we have to do something more drastic.”

Nadi Bardy added: “I think a short, sharp, clear action like this might be the way as everything is too loose and people are just finding ways round the rules.”

But Jill Cuss disagreed, saying: “I’m not sure the country can afford it, more and more jobs will be lost and may never be recovered. So many parts of the country are not having any real problems.

“Why shut it down? I think it’s something we have to learn to live with and behave sensibly.”

And Debbie Knights said: “No, people need to be responsible so we can maintain as much normality as we can safely.”

Reports say a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) paper calculates more than 7,000 lives could be saved if England follows suit for a fortnight from October 24.

Sir Keir said a two to three-week national lockdown was needed to prevent a “sleepwalk into a long and bleak winter”.

He said: “There’s no longer time to give the prime minister the benefit of the doubt. The government’s plan simply isn’t working. Another course is needed.”

As the pair clashed in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Johnson countered: “The whole point is to seize this moment now to avoid the misery of another national lockdown – into which he wants to go headlong – by delivering a regional solution.”

Scientists also criticised the government’s £12 billion test and trace system as only having a “marginal impact” on Covid-19 transmission.

On Tuesday the UK recorded the highest daily death figure in four months, with a further 143 people dying within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.