The UK authorities is claimed to be weighing up a delay of round a fortnight past the June 21 timeline set for the ultimate stage of a roadmap to finish all authorized lockdown restrictions, amid a seamless rise within the circumstances of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in components of the nation. The delay being thought-about is to allow all over-50s to be totally vaccinated with each doses of a vaccine, discovered to be only towards the extremely transmissible variant of concern (VOC) first recognized in India, and in addition to depart adequate time for the jabs to take impact.
‘The Times’ newspaper quoted a Cabinet supply as saying {that a} delay of between two weeks and a month is to be anticipated and one other mentioned {that a} delay made extra sense than a partial lifting of lockdown restrictions to keep away from any confusion in messaging. It follows a so-called downbeat briefing from the federal government’s Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance to the Cabinet.
When requested in regards to the studies, UK Environment Secretary George Eustice would solely say that “nothing is being dominated out” by the government, as it is scheduled to make an announcement on Step 4, or last stage, of the lockdown roadmap on Monday. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly told his Cabinet that while the relationship between cases and hospitalisations has changed, there is a need to continue to look at the data carefully ahead of making a decision on Step 4.
Downing Street said that data emerging over the coming week will be “crucial” in deciding whether or not all authorized coronavirus restrictions can finish as hoped on June 21. “There nonetheless stays nothing within the knowledge presently to recommend Step 4 can’t go forward on the earliest date. But we do have to look very carefully on the knowledge over this coming week,” Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said.
According to the roadmap announced earlier this year, Step 4 would see the last indoor venues which remain closed, including nightclubs, reopen and restrictions on large events and performances cease to apply. Ministers have previously suggested that some limited measures may remain in place beyond June 21, including further working from home, social distancing in bars and restaurants and mask wearing in public settings.
Meanwhile, the government announced emergency measures of enhanced testing and vaccinations for parts of north-west England showing a spike in Delta variant cases, including Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Public Health Wales (PHW) also revealed that there are now 178 cases of the Delta coronavirus variant in the country, an increase of 81 cases since June 3.
“The organisation is alerting the public that Wales may slowly be beginning to experience localised community transmission of the variant, with increasing evidence of cases with no travel history, PHW said.
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