According to a leading epidemiologist, measures for social distance and face masks can be used ‘for years’.
Mary Ramsay, head of vaccination at Public Health England, said on Sunday “people have now become accustomed to the lower level restrictions, and people can live with that, and the economy can still continue with the less severe restrictions that are there.”
Warns the government must “look very carefully before any restrictions are lifted”, said dr. Ramsay also said that the return of major spectator events should be carefully monitored and clear instructions should be given to stay safe.
“I definitely think for a few years, at least until other parts of the world have been vaccinated as well as we have, and the numbers have come down everywhere, that is when we can very gradually return to a more normal situation,” she told the BBC. said.
Half of all British adults have now received their first dose of Covid vaccine, with Friday setting the record for most jabs given in one day. A combined 711 156 first and second doses were given to members of the public.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock calls the latest milestone a ‘phenomenal achievement’.
Professor Chris Whitty had earlier told MPs “simple interventions such as hand washing, face masks where appropriate, test-and-above and above all vaccinations” will hopefully keep the virus off the road map out of the way.
Sir Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser, also said that face masks would be necessary in certain situations if the number of infections increased in winter.
While Boris Johnson’s plan to ease restrictions in England has all legal restrictions on social contact ending on June 21, a government adviser issued a warning on Friday about the possible unsafe return of foreign holidays during the summer.
“We should have learned from what happened last year,” said Professor Peter Openshaw, vice president of Nervtag, which advises the government on emerging respiratory threats.
“There were a lot of imports of new cases from Greece, from Croatia, from Spain, and that made a big contribution to the cases that were seen in the UK late last summer.”
He added: “I’m afraid we’ll see the same thing again because the virus is by no means defeated.”
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace had earlier suggested that he not ban foreign holidays.
He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday that ‘we can not be blind to what goes on outside the UK’, adding that it is ‘premature’ and ‘potentially risky’ to book a holiday abroad.