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LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to end an England-wide lockdown as scheduled on December 2 and announce a return to regional restrictions, as statistics show coronavirus infections have stabilized.
Johnson’s office said Saturday night that the government plans to revert to a three-tier system of localized restrictions in England, with areas facing different measures depending on the severity of their outbreaks. More communities are expected to fall into the two highest virus alert categories, Johnson’s office said in a statement.
The government put England under a four-week lockdown that began on November 5. The cabinet is scheduled to discuss the plans on Sunday, with the prime minister aiming to give Parliament the details on Monday, according to the statement.
Johnson’s office also confirmed plans to begin a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program next month, assuming regulators approve a vaccine against the virus. The government will also increase mass testing in an effort to suppress the virus until vaccines can be implemented.
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Johnson announced the shutdown in England on October 31 after public health officials warned that an exponential increase in new confirmed coronavirus infections threatened to overwhelm the National Health Service as the winter flu season approached. The shutdown closed non-essential businesses and banned most social gatherings, but schools remain open.
New known cases of COVID-19 have started to decline across the UK, and the number of positive tests over the past seven days has dropped 13.8 percent from the previous week. A total of 2,861 COVID-related deaths were reported during the last seven-day period, 17 fewer than a week earlier. The infection rate remains high, 244 cases per 100,000 people.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told reporters on Friday that the lockdown has succeeded in slowing the spread of the virus, although he stressed that people must follow the rules to control cases.
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the government’s deputy chief medical officer, warned that profits could be quickly lost due to a virus that takes “just seconds” to spread.
People should “keep the pressure on this virus and push it as much as we can until the end of the (lockdown) period,” he said.
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The government’s scientific advisory group, known as SAGE, is expected to release reports on Monday showing that the previous three-tier strategy was not strong enough and recommending stricter restrictions when it returns.
Under that system, a “medium” alert level requires restaurants and pubs to close at 10 pm and prohibits residents from mixing in groups of more than six. The “high” level prevents people from gathering indoors with someone other than your home or an extended “bubble of support”.
In areas subject to a “very high” alert, pubs and bars can only stay open and serve alcohol only if you come with a large meal. People are advised not to travel in or out of those areas.
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