Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government was “absolutely open” to delaying the end of the lockdown, and June 21 was a “not before” date that would depend on the data. He said the Delta coronavirus variant was about 40 times more transmissible than the Alpha strain, but added that hospitalizations were “largely flat,” meaning the vaccine is working.
Should we wait until everyone is vaccinated?
Research has shown that although a single dose of the vaccine offers some protection against serious illness, it is much safer to have both doses.
Hancock urged people to get their second jab, saying: “The best scientific advice I have at this point is that after a jab it’s not as effective against the new Delta variant, but after the two jabs it is. “
Dr Julian Tang, a consultant virologist at the University of Leicester, said he believes the end of the lockdown should be delayed until at least 70% of the population is fully vaccinated.
READ MORE: Thousands over 18 flock to be vaccinated against Covid
He said: “If you open up fully you will see bigger increases than what we are seeing now – despite increased vaccinations and peak testing, cases continue to rise in hot spots, which must mean that they are increasing elsewhere. “
“If you open everything up you will see a bigger increase, then the government will panic and shut everything down again.
“From a purely virological point of view, you want to know what we are doing now to control the virus down the line.
“At some point you will have to open up, but that should happen after at least 70% of the population has received two doses.
Dr Tang said it was inevitable that the virus would remain in the population, regardless of vaccinations.
He said: “The government will have to decide what level of virus we can live with.
“Immunologists who dream of eradicating this virus are only dreaming – respiratory viruses are seasonal and none have been eradicated.”
A final decision on whether to ease England’s lockdown further will be made on June 14.
When asked if certain measures, such as wearing face coverings and working from home, could stay beyond June, Mr Hancock said: “I wouldn’t rule that out.”
When asked if the easing of the lockdown could be delayed if the data on the Delta variant looked “bad”, Mr Hancock said the government was “absolutely open to doing it if that is what needs to be done. produce”.
He said that the “roadmap has been put in place to take these changes into account”.
Mr Hancock added that although new infections had “increased a little”, the number of people admitted to hospital with the Delta variant was “largely stable”.
He said the majority of hospital patients appeared to be those who had not received a vaccine, with “only a very small minority” of fully vaccinated patients.
Those who had been doubly vaccinated appeared to be less seriously ill, he said.
It showed that vaccines were working, he said, and that the link between infection and hospitalization had been “cut but not broken.”
On Saturday, Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said the number of people hospitalized with the Delta variant was increasing but not “very significantly.”
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This notice was published: 2021-06-07 09:28:35
