Professor Chris Whitty has warned that winter 2021 could see a resurgence in strict coronavirus restrictions. England’s Chief Medical Officer claimed this would be because winter “benefits” the spread of the virus. He made the claims during a Downing Street briefing, as he outlined the possible lifting of restrictions throughout the year.
Sky News’ Sam Coates has asked how normal life could really be after the 13.2 million most vulnerable alone have been vaccinated.
He pointed out that the risk for those aged 20 up to 50 was still to high to let the virus rip through the groups.
Professor Whitty answered: “If people don’t take the ‘stay at home’ seriously, the risk at this point in time in the middle of winter with this new variant is extraordinarily high.
“What is going to happen over time is that the risk level is gradually going to decrease.
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He continued: “It’s not going to be that it’s really bad and then it stops.
“We’re going to essentially have the risk walking down a path
“Things will be able to be lifted by degrees, possibly at different rates in different parts of the country, we’ll have to see.
“The Government has made very clear that ministers prioritise education for example, as one of the things that would go early, but that’s a ministerial decision very much.”
England has now been forced into a third national lockdown due to a worrying surge in coronavirus cases.
Over 60,000 new cases have been reported in the last count, as well as a further 830 deaths.
Case rates have increased by 70 percent in the UK in the last two weeks to December 30.
Around three in 10 hospitals beds are now occupied by COVID-19 patients.
The Prime Minister has warned that the coming weeks will be the “hardest yet.”
