A scientist advising the UK government has warned that another national blockade may be coming, as the new variant of the virus spreads across the country and the number of cases in Britain continues to rise.
Speaking on Thursday morning, Mike Tildesley, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), told BBC radio that a larger part of the country may need to be in Tier 4, the level with the most difficult regional measures , or a national total confinement level.
“The cases are increasing in a really worrying way, so I suspect that, unfortunately, we will see an even greater increase in restrictions, probably more of the country being in Tier 4 or, ultimately, probably a national blockade before we reach the end of January. , ” he said.
Tildesley’s predictions come when an additional 20 million people wake up under Level 4 measures after Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the decision to extend the most severe restrictions to three-quarters of the population.
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Hancock’s announcement on Wednesday means that only the Isles of Scilly, a picturesque archipelago off Cornwall, is not subject to Level 3 or 4 measures and is the only place in all of England where pubs are open.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of his “Bitter regret” but said the country was forced to take other measures.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom announced that the Covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca had been approved and the launch would begin on January 4.
The good news was mitigated by the rise in infection rates across the country, as a new variant of the virus, prevalent across the UK, is “56% more transmissible,” according to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
On Wednesday, health officials recorded 50,023 new infections and 981 deaths.
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