LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that tougher blocking restrictions were probably on the way, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, but schools were safe and children should continue to attend where permitted.
Cases of COVID-19 in Britain are at record levels and the increase in numbers is fueled by a new and more communicable variant of the virus. The government has canceled the planned reopening of schools in and around London, but the teachers’ unions want wider closings.
Much of England is already experiencing the most difficult level of restriction under a four-tier system of regional regulations designed to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the national health system.
But asked in an interview with the BBC about concerns that the system may not be sufficient to bring the virus under control, Johnson said the restrictions “may be about to get tougher”.
“Obviously, there are a number of tougher measures that we would have to consider … I am not going to speculate now on what they would be,” he said.
Opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer said Johnson should implement a national blockade within the next 24 hours.
“What we’ve learned is that the more you postpone tough decisions, the worse it will be on the health front, the worse it will be on the economy,” Starmer told reporters.
Johnson sets the policy for England, with rules in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales defined by his delegated authorities.
Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said his cabinet will meet on Monday to discuss possible additional measures to limit the spread of the virus and has ordered the Scottish parliament to be repealed.
Britain reported 54,990 new cases of the virus on Sunday and recorded more than 75,000 deaths from the pandemic.
The government’s response was severely criticized. But vaccine launches are scheduled to accelerate on Monday with the first 530,000 doses of the newly approved Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines ready to be administered, Johnson said.
He expected “tens of millions” to be dealt with in the next three months.
Millions of students are due to return from Christmas holidays on Monday, and Johnson advised parents to send their children to school in areas where the rules permit.
“I have no doubt that schools are safe and that education is a priority,” he said.
Some local authorities and unions have warned against the reopening of schools and have threatened to act against government councils. Others say the closure also has a major negative impact on students.
“We must renew and maintain the consensus that children’s time outside school should be kept to an absolute minimum,” wrote Amanda Spielman, chief inspector of schools, in the Sunday Telegraph.