The UK may be running ahead of its European neighbors to vaccinate its population, but the British may have to be masked for “several years” if public health experts get what they want.
New cases of Covid-19 in the UK have dropped tenfold since the beginning of January, and more than 27 million Britons – more than half the adult population – have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Compared to the increase in cases on the continent and an average EU vaccination rate of around 10%, the UK appears to be winning its war against Covid-19.
The British seeking a complete lifting of the country’s punitive blockade, however, should not hold their breath.
This is according to Mary Ramsay, head of immunization at Public Health England. Ramsay told the BBC on Sunday that masks and social detachment may be needed to “many years,” or “At least until other parts of the world are as well vaccinated as we are, and the numbers have declined everywhere.”
With vaccines being distributed unevenly around the world and people in the poorest nations facing a long wait of years to be vaccinated, Ramsay’s prediction may be realistic if the British government listens to his advice.
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As a government agency, Public Health England certainly has a say in determining the UK’s Covid-19 response. His opinion is also not a minority one. While the government seeks to relax restrictions from the end of March, Prof. Chris Whitty, the UK’s top medical advisor, told lawmakers earlier this month that “Simple interventions,” face masks between them would be needed beyond the summer. The Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, for his part, suggested that masks would be needed during the winter to avoid a “outbreak” in new cases.
Ramsay stated that “People have gotten used to” wearing masks and practicing social detachment, telling the BBC that “People can live with them and the economy can still continue with the less severe restrictions in place.”
However, the public may not be as accommodating as she suggested. Thousands of people marched in London on Saturday in protest against the national blockade and virus-related restrictions, with police arresting more than 30 for violating Covid regulations.
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