[ad_1]
The health secretary has not ruled out the possibility of another national lockdown, saying that if the Level 4 restrictions work “it is due to people’s behavior.”
He was asked if the government could take further steps to try to stop the spread of COVID-19Matt Hancock told Sky News: “We don’t rule out anything.”
He said areas at Level 3 were experiencing “strong increases” in coronavirus cases, an indication that those parts of the country that are not yet at Level 4 could move up to the highest level of restrictions in the near future.
“This new variant is much easier to catch, it is much more transmissible, and now we are seeing the effect of that in many different parts of the country, unfortunately,” said the Secretary of Health.
“And it means that while the old Level 3 might contain the old variant, that is proving increasingly difficult in all parts of the country.”
When asked if Level 4 restrictions work to keep the virus in check, Hancock said: “It depends on people’s behavior, frankly. What matters is, yes, of course, the rules that we implement, but it’s also about of how people act.
“And frankly, what I would say is this: It is critical that everyone in the country do all they can to reduce the spread of the virus.”
With the emergence of new variants of COVID-19, first identified in the UK and South Africa, and daily cases regularly exceeding 50,000, there are increasing calls for Boris Johnson to take more action.
The prime minister has made it clear that he is considering that, saying in a BBC interview on Sunday: “We may have to do things in the next few weeks that may be more difficult. I am completely reconciled to that. I think the whole country is fully reconciled with that. “
Earlier that day, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government must impose a national lockdown within 24 hours because the virus is “clearly out of control.”
Sky’s political correspondent Tom Rayner said the health secretary had put “a little more meat on the bones” than the prime minister said.
“What Matt Hancock said is that he pointed directly to Level 3 areas experiencing steep rises, which would imply that the question in terms of the first approach the government is considering is whether or not more areas need to move to Level 4.” Rayner said. .
“He too, I thought interestingly, when asked if we are in a situation where Level 4 is not enough, he said that it is about people’s behavior. He said that it is essential that everyone follows the rules and described it as a massive national effort ”.
“What I gather from that is that the government hopes that through a combination of moving more areas to Level 4 and increasing compliance, through more compliance or different messages, that is the approach as it stands.”
