LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday that the most costly blocking restrictions in England are likely, as the country falters with a new variant of the coronavirus that has raised infection rates to the highest levels recorded .
Johnson, however, insisted that he “has no doubt” that schools are safe and asked parents to send their children back to classrooms in areas of England where they can. Unions representing teachers have asked schools to adopt distance learning for at least a few weeks more due to the new variant, which scientists said was up to 70% more contagious.
The UK is experiencing an acute outbreak, registering more than 50,000 new coronavirus infections per day for the past six days. On Sunday, it registered another 54,990 cases, slightly below the daily record of the previous day of 5,725. The country also recorded another 454 deaths related to the virus, totaling 75,024. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the United Kingdom is alternating with Italy as the most affected European country.
“We are totally reconciled to do whatever it takes to keep the virus under control, which could involve tougher measures in the coming weeks,” Johnson said in an interview with the BBC. “Obviously, there are a number of stricter measures that we would have to consider.”
Johnson admitted that school closings, curfews and a total ban on household mixes may be on the agenda for areas under greater stress.
London and south-east England are experiencing extremely high levels of new infections and there is speculation that restrictions will have to be tightened to keep the virus under control. In parts of the British capital and its surroundings, there are about 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.
The Johnson government is using a layered system of coronavirus restrictions. Most of England is already at the highest level 4, which involves closing stores that do not sell non-essential items and places like gyms and recreation centers, as well as home classes.
“What we are using now is the tiered classification system, which is a very difficult system and, unfortunately, it will probably be more difficult to keep things under control,” he said. “We are going to review it and we have the prospect of vaccines reaching tens of millions, offering people literally life and hope.”
The United Kingdom has advanced rapidly on the issue of vaccination. It was the first to vaccinate people over 80 and healthcare professionals on December 8 with the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. Last week, regulators approved another vaccine made by the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca that is cheaper and easier to use than the Pfizer vaccine.
Hundreds of new vaccination sites are expected to be in operation this week, as the National Health Service is stepping up its immunization program with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Authorities say some 530,000 doses of the new vaccine will be in place on Monday, as the country moves towards its goal of vaccinating 2 million people a week as soon as possible.
“We hope to be able to make tens of millions in the next three months,” said Johnson.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered in a small number of hospitals during the first few days so that authorities can be on the lookout for any adverse reactions. Hundreds of new vaccination sites – both in hospitals and in local doctor’s offices – are expected to be launched this week, joining more than 700 already in operation, NHS England said.
In a shift in practices in the United States and elsewhere, Britain plans to give people a second dose of both vaccines within 12 weeks of the first injection, instead of 21 days, to speed up immunizations in the largest number of people as quickly as possible.
“My mom, just like you or your older loved ones, may be affected by this decision, but it is still the right thing to do for the nation as a whole,” said the government’s deputy medical director, Professor Jonathan Van- Tam, said in an article for the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
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