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About four weeks after administering the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine and starting vaccinations with the one developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca, the pandemic situation in the UK today remains particularly delicate. On Sunday, January 3, more than 50,000 new coronavirus infections were recorded in the country for the sixth day in a row and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said restrictions to contain infections could be tightened in some areas, including those that could postpone the reopening of the schools, one of the nodes that is being discussed the most.
In an interview with BBC, Johnson explained that government officials could not predict that a particular mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus would spread, the so-called British variant, which appears to be able to spread more easily than the variants that have circulated thus far and has resulted in suspension. of numerous flights and the closure of borders with other countries. Johnson also said that he hoped the lockdowns would no longer be needed as vaccines progress, but that under the circumstances, the restrictions are likely to tighten.
In recent weeks, more or less rigorous measures have been imposed in the United Kingdom according to the cases found in different parts of the country and some other risk indicators, a bit as is also happening in Italy. At the moment around 4 out of 5 Britons are following the restrictions of the so-called “level 4”, that is, the one in which non-essential activities are closed, it is recommended to stay at home and it is possible to meet a non-cohabitant at the time, exclusively outdoors.
However, according to official data, 54,990 people were infected on January 3 and in the last 7 days more than 366 thousand confirmed cases were registered: almost double the number found in the week of December 20 to 27. Deaths from causes related to the coronavirus have also increased in the last week: they were 4,228, 24.5 percent more than in the previous 7 days.
Johnson said the government had made “all appropriate decisions” to prepare for winter, but explained that it was “completely resigned” to the idea that new preventive measures must now be introduced, although no decision has been announced so far. . Opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer demanded that the government immediately introduce a nationwide lockdown because, according to him, “the virus is clearly out of control” and it would not make sense “to talk about new restrictions and then put them in place at a time. alone”. Two or three weeks “.
Currently, the government’s priority is to vaccinate the guests of nursing homes and healthcare workers: there are 730 centers for the administration of vaccines and another 180 should open within the week, in addition to 100 new dedicated sites to be installed in the inside. of hospitals. According to data compiled by the University of Oxford in collaboration with a charity, as of December 27, the most recent statistic, nearly a million people had been vaccinated in the UK. According to guardian, the National Health System (NHS) has 530,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine available that are ready to use, and Oxford University immunologist John Bell said Times Radio that today 450,000 additional doses must be administered. Johnson later said that there are “a few million [dosi del vaccino] Pfizer to be used ”, which the government is distributing“ as quickly as possible ”.
Johnson said there are no delays in vaccine distribution, but also explained that he cannot say when it will actually reach the 2 million people vaccinated per week that he had initially expected.
According to the country’s health authorities, the real problem is the availability of vaccines, which is a “global problem”, as well as “the main obstacle” that will have to be faced “for several months, and especially during the critical winter period.” For this reason, the National Vaccination and Immunization Commission recommended that the second dose of the vaccine be administered 12 weeks after the first and no more than 3-4 weeks later, as originally planned: in this way, it might be possible to give many more people some kind of protection against the virus.
– Read also: How the UK did before with the coronavirus vaccine
One of the issues that is causing the most discussion in the face of possible new restrictions is that of the reopening of schools, on which in recent months the government has been undecided or has given confusing indications and then retrace its steps.
The government originally predicted that primary schools would reopen in England from Monday, January 4, while middle and secondary schools would return to classrooms after the Christmas break in parentheses, starting the following days. Last week, the return of primary schools had been postponed in some areas of London and in the south-east of England, where the new variant of the coronavirus was more widespread; Finally, on Saturday, all primary schools in London were closed until at least January 18, although education will be guaranteed for children with special needs and for the children of essential workers. For Labor MP, Kate Green, it was another “government setback that created chaos among parents just two days before the start of the new school term.”
Several teacher unions had opposed going back to classes in primary schools because, although children rarely contract COVID-19, they too can become infected and therefore transmit it to other people. The National Education Union, the nation’s largest teachers union, also recommended that parents keep children at home, while proposing to offer distance education. Johnson, however, urged parents to “absolutely” send their children to school if possible, adding that the government “really fought to keep schools open during the pandemic” and that “schools are safe.”
– Read also: Less and less UK
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