[ad_1]
The government has laid out how it intends to turn the COVID-19 pandemic into a long-term manageable virus.
In a 60-page roadmap outlining how it intends to tackle the crisis, officials warned that we could continue to see dangerous seasonal surges next year and beyond.
The government said it cannot rule out reimposing economic and social restrictions at the local or regional level if it is necessary to suppress the coronavirus in the short term.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
All schools in England date back to March 8.
And funding from its Contain Outbreak Management Fund, which provides financial support to local authorities in England to reduce the spread of COVID-19, will increase by another £ 400 million to £ 2 billion in 2022.
According to the roadmap, we should expect the test, trace and isolation system to be used to keep the virus under control, regular asymptomatic tests underway in the sectors with the highest transmission rates, and testing in the workplace. .
Additionally, a host of other measures will be evaluated in the coming months, including COVID certification, international travel monitoring, and a review of social distancing.
England’s top science adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told a Downing Street news conference Monday night that even more action may be required.
He said: “We think it is possible that … next winter in particular, certain things will be necessary.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Full statement from the prime minister
“Next winter it may be necessary to have things like the use of masks in certain situations. And hygiene should remain part of the norm, making sure that if we have the type of symptoms that we know are associated (with COVID), we do not work .
“Having effective test, trace and isolation systems still in place will be an important part of the benchmarks we are talking about.
“And taking individual responsibility … thinking about where there is an environment where they could be at risk, especially during the winter months, is the kind of thing that I think we should look forward to next winter.
“This all depends on what we see, what we measure and how it goes. I don’t promise anything, but those are the kind of measurements that you would expect to be required as a sort of base during the winter months.”
The government says in its roadmap that there is no certainty about when several of the measures it has will be lifted, such as social distancing of more than 1 meter and the mandatory use of masks in some situations.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Starmer urges prime minister not to waste public sacrifices
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned at the press conference that he expects COVID in the coming years to reflect the annual flu outbreaks, which cause thousands of deaths each year.
The government’s hope is that the creation of its new National Institute for Health Protection, incorporating Public Health England, NHS Test and Trace, and the Joint Center for Biosafety across the UK, will help prevent or suppress future outbreaks.
But some scientists have said they are concerned that the government’s plan does not go far enough to protect the country from the potential future threat posed by the coronavirus.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Shops and hair salons can reopen on April 12
Martin Hibberd, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “As for the model, I am concerned that September this year will be very similar to September last year.
“Hopefully, I think we can escape the large projected increase in cases in June and July (thanks to the vaccines being better than we think), but if we do, we will end up too relaxed and then be open to new ones. Escape variants of the vaccine will arrive and cases will increase by September.
“Like last year, we need to plan for testing and tracing to work (preferably returning it to PHE, NHS, and local government) during the (hopefully) quiet summer months, so that any further spikes in cases can be quickly spotted and avoided (no need for closures again next winter).
“Where is the planning to make us resistant to future outbreaks? If we don’t do it now, we will surely forget it when we need it.”
