The Guardian view on local lockdowns: share the data faster | Editorial

The UK government needs to be more rigorous and transparent with information if regional outbreaks of Covid-19 are to be contained

In the game of whack-a-mole, the target pops up in one location and, once hammered down, appears immediately somewhere else. The defining features of the exercise are randomness and futility, which makes it an unfortunate metaphor for Boris Johnson to use for his government's strategy when dealing with local Covid-19 outbreaks.

The re-imposition of lockdown controls on Leicester is the first test of that approach and indications are not encouraging. The mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, has complained about slow sharing of vital information from central government. It appears to have taken almost two weeks for evidence that the disease was surging in the city to translate into practical action.