Towards universal lockdown after the “amnesty” of holidays
British scientists are concerned that the imposition of Level 3 restrictive measures in parts of England will not be enough to stem the new outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic nationwide in the UK and suggest that after the holiday season and the ” “amnesty” decided by the Johnson administration to “save Christmas”, the new year will come with the imposition of new draconian Level 4 measures.
“There is the idea of taking action beyond Level 3 and gaining ground,” he said, confirming that the government was considering imposing measures such as shutting down public transport, closing shops, extending school holidays and activating the “Stay Home” command.
In addition, the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) has given its approval to the implementation of Level 4 restrictive measures to control the epidemic.
“A new universal lockdown in England cannot be ruled out after Christmas,” Education Secretary Nick Gibb said on British radio today, adding that the ‘level system’ applied by zones in Britain was ‘effective’.
“Nothing is ruled out, of course, in dealing with the pandemic, but the diagnostic system is a very effective method… to focus on restrictive measures,” he said when asked about the possibility of a third lockdown in Britain.
When asked again to confirm that the government does not rule out a lockdown after Christmas, he replied: “I did not say that, we have a very effective level system.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to back down under pressure from experts and has pledged to keep his promise to allow up to three households to meet for five days next week, urging Britons to be “careful”.
John Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of SAGE, said Christmas relaxation was a risk, as the prevalence of the epidemic was high.
“It does not seem that the level system is stopping the epidemic wave, unfortunately. I think we should consider these measures and maybe strengthen them. ”
Source: Guardian, Daily Mail
