Oxford Street is empty of shoppers, while the national coronavirus blockade three continues.
Mike Kemp | In pictures Getty Images
Britain has begun reducing cases of the more infectious variant of the coronavirus in South Africa and will step out of the deadlock just to make sure that doesn’t change, the country’s health secretary said on Sunday.
A day before Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out his plan to ease restrictions in England, Hancock said there were early data showing that the faster-than-expected release of the vaccine had reduced transmissions and eased pressure on hospitals.
The UK has the fifth worst official death toll in the world, with 120,365 deaths, but early action to secure the mass vaccine supply means one in three adults has now had a first stroke and daily death rates have risen. began to decline.
Hancock said in total that the United Kingdom had about 300 cases of the more infectious variant in South Africa of the disease that causes COVID-19.
“But most of these are now historical cases and more than a month ago,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr. “The latest data shows that there are about a dozen new ones, so a much, much smaller number.”
England has also introduced hotel quarantines to prevent variants from traveling abroad.
To date, the UK has administered a first dose of the vaccine to 17.2 million people, over a quarter of its population of 67 million and only behind Israel and the United Arab Emirates in vaccines per capita.
The government said on Sunday that all adults in the UK would be given a first blow by the end of July, with the aim of giving a first dose to all those over 50 by April 15.
But despite the improved image, Hancock and top epidemiologist John Edmunds said the restrictions need to be eased easily and in stages to see what impact increased human circulation has on the virus.
Hancock suggested that each relaxation could take a few weeks to detect the impact before another part of the economy could reopen. Schools are expected to return first in early March.
Edmunds said it was difficult to say how widespread the South African version was, but that, like the rest of the pandemic, it was held in place.
“The risk comes when we release the blockage,” he said, adding that allowing the virus to circulate to younger and healthier people could lead to additional mutations that undermine the vaccination program.
Johnson will express his thoughts on relaxing the blockade on Monday. Despite pressure from a member of his party, who was shocked by the 10% contraction in the 2020 economy, the prime minister is expected to be cautious.
“There should be no doubt – the way out of the blockade will be cautious and gradual, as we all continue to protect ourselves and those around us,” Johnson said in a statement.