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LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday (Jan 3) that stricter lockdown restrictions would likely be on the way as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, but schools are safe and children they should continue to attend where allowed.
COVID-19 cases in Britain are at record levels and on the rise, driven by a new and more communicable variant of the virus. That has already forced the government to cancel the planned reopening of schools in and around London, with calls from teachers’ unions for wider closures.
Much of England is already under the strictest level of restrictions set out in a four-tier system of regional regulations designed to stop the spread of the virus and protect the national healthcare system.
READ: Britain will allow mixing of COVID-19 vaccines on rare occasions
People queue for COVID-19 tests at a mass screening center at Charlton Athletic Football Club in London, Britain, on January 3, 2021 (Photo: Reuters / Simon Dawson).
But, when asked in a BBC interview about concerns that the system is not enough to control the coronavirus, Johnson said the restrictions “unfortunately, could be about to get tougher.”
“Obviously, there are a number of stricter measures that we should consider … I am not going to speculate now on what they would be,” he said.
Johnson sets policy for England, with rules in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales set by their delegated authorities.
Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said her cabinet would meet on Monday to discuss possible additional steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus and ordered that Scotland’s parliament be repealed.
Britain recorded 57,725 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and has recorded more than 74,000 deaths from the pandemic.
The government’s response has been harshly criticized. But vaccine launch will accelerate Monday with the first 530,000 doses of the recently approved Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines ready to be administered, Johnson said.
He expected “tens of millions” to be treated over the next three months.
READ: AstraZeneca expects to supply 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine each week in the UK: The Times
Doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and UK-based pharmaceutical AstraZeneca arrive at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, England on January 2, 2021 (Photo: AP / Gareth Fuller).
Millions of students will return from their Christmas break on Monday, and Johnson advised parents to send their children to school in areas where the rules allow it.
“I have no doubt that schools are safe and that education is a priority,” he said.
Some local authorities and unions have warned against reopening schools and have threatened to act against government advice. Others say the closures have a huge negative impact on students as well.
“We must renew and maintain the consensus that children’s time out of school should be kept to an absolute minimum,” wrote Amanda Spielman, chief inspector of schools, in the Sunday Telegraph.
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