ANOTHER pandemic could see 840,000 people die, 1.3million people need hospital treatment and more lockdowns, a Government worst-case scenario warns today.
The chance of another Covid-style outbreak is now between 5 per cent and 25 per cent and would be "catastrophic", the latest Cabinet Office risk register claims.
The risk is "one of the most serious facing the UK".
And it could take "years" for the UK to recover from another outbreak, according to the gloomy assessment.
It may mean nine months of emergency response and longer term lockdown measures coming back like shutting down the borders, it says.
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It would mean thousands of casualties and tens of billions of pounds wiped off the economy.
It adds: "Recovery from one wave of the pandemic may be hampered by the arrival of a subsequent wave of the same pandemic."
The malicious use of rogue drones and threats to our undersea telecommunications cables are also key on the potential risks facing the nation.
Terror attacks, cyber breaches, nuclear hits, natural disasters and war all feature on the new National Risk Register.
The risk of another assasination of a high profile figure like Sir David Amess is more than 25 per cent, it warned.
However, the global threat to our energy supplies is under 1 per cent.
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden will visit SSE’s Able Seaton Port facility in Hartlepool to urge firms and the public to be aware of the threats we face.
He said: “This is the most comprehensive risk assessment we've ever published, so that government and our partners can put robust plans in place and be ready for anything.”
"One of those rising risks is energy security. We’ve installed the first turbine at the future world's largest offshore windfarm, which will provide secure, low-cost and clean energy for the British people - enabling us to stand up to Putin's energy ransom."