British Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted on Sunday the coronavirus is out of control, hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a lockdown on London and south-east England, sparking a furor by canceling the Christmas plans of millions of people on short notice.
The Netherlands and Belgium have banned flights from the UK to prevent a new variant of Covid-19 from entering the countries, as reports said other European countries were considering similar measures.
Scotland banned travelers from England, while Wales entered another lockdown as health officials tried to deal with the new variant of the Covid-19 virus that is estimated to have up to 70% faster transmission than the previous strain, plus evident in recent days. in Kent.
When asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr if the coronavirus is under control, Hancock said: “No, sadly,” adding that the situation now is “incredibly difficult.” The best gift people could give at Christmas is to stay home and not spread the virus, he said.
London and the southeast of England have been placed in the new Level 4 of the Covid-19 alert system, which has different limits, from Level 1 (the lowest) to Level 4 (the hardest; equivalent to a total lockdown) . People are prohibited from traveling to and from a Level 4 zone.
Hancock indicated in interviews with the media on Sunday that the London closure could last for months, until a vaccine is deployed in the population. “There are no easy answers or easy options. I think the mistake would be to ignore the new scientific evidence, “he added.
So far, 350,000 people have received the first injection of a two-dose vaccine administered by Pfizer-BioNTech. London’s airports, train stations and roads were jammed late Saturday night as thousands of people tried to escape new lockdown restrictions that took effect early Sunday. Scotland Yard said police would enforce Level 4 rules starting Sunday.
People’s fury over the cancellation of Christmas plans was reflected in newspaper headlines Sunday and veteran Conservative MP Charles Walker calling on Hancock to resign, amid mounting criticism in the ruling party for handling the pandemic. .
Hancock said he understood Walker’s frustrations, which he admitted are shared by millions of people. But he said he is focused on work and will “of course” stay where he is, adding: “I am dealing with a global pandemic in the best way I can … and we must take action, however uncomfortable it may be.” . that.”
He said he is “very concerned” about the ability of the health service to deal with the current crisis, and said there are currently 18,000 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, just below the peak seen during the first wave in March and April.
Scotland Yard Commander Alex Murray said on Sunday: “I know Londoners will be deeply saddened by the news that the planned relaxation of the rules over the Christmas period has been lifted. The news about the spread of the virus is stark and deeply disturbing, and now we must all take immediate action to prevent the spread by staying home and staying safe.
“Across the city, officers will be deployed to take action against those whose selfish action risks endangering the health of Londoners. Likewise, we will continue with our joint application with the 32 local authorities of London, taking drastic measures against those companies that also break the rules and put health at risk ”.
Murray warned: “Our fight against the virus is not over. The rules are very clear and our collective actions in the next two weeks will have a direct impact on how quickly our city will recover. If people ignore these new rules, make reckless decisions that risk lives, I do not apologize for the subsequent enforcement action that will follow. “
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