British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that COVID-19 closure measures there “are likely to become more difficult” because the country needs to be “realistic” about the alarming spread of a new, more contagious type of coronavirus.
Johnson said there are “obviously a number of stricter measures we need to consider” as each region remains under a different level of closure.
“What we are doing now is using the tiger system, which is a very tough system … and unfortunately probably harder to keep things under control,” Johnson told the BBC, “The Andrew Marr Show.”
Most of the country is currently at the highest level 4, which should include the closure of non-essential shops and places such as gyms and leisure centers.
Johnson said he would not “speculate” on what new rules could be applied to stop the spread of the virus, but suggested that curfews and school closures be on the table for areas with worse outbreaks.
“This is not something we necessarily want to do,” Johnson said of the school’s possible closures.
Johnson said there was likely to be a ‘difficult period ahead’ as a new virus strain spread rapidly across the country.
“We need to be realistic about the pace at which the new variant is spreading,” Johnson told the news program.
‘We need to be realistic about the impact it has on the business [United Kingdom National Health Service]. And we must be humble before the virus. ”