The UK’s lifting of restrictions could be delayed if variants and infections surge, minister says
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has warned today that there could be a delay in June’s lifting of restrictions if variants or infection rates become a problem.
To avoid a postponement of the well-anticipated 21 June, Zahawi told LBC: “The way we don’t have to do that is by everybody doing their bit, by taking the two tests a week, doing your PCR test in those areas, and to isolate, isolate, isolate.
“We have got to break the cycle of infection because one of those big tests was infection rates have to be suppressed, and the other big test is variants.
“If those cause a problem, then the tests will fail. The four tests have to be met for June 21.”
Monday’s easing of restrictions in Britain is still set to go ahead, Zahawi said, despite concerns around the B1617.2 variant, which was first found in India but has now been found in more than 40 countries.
The UK reported cases of India’s variant doubling yesterday, from 520 to 1,313 in the past week, according to Public Health England.
London and the North West have seen the highest surge in cases, which are still moderately low, but comes as the capital’s PCR test capacity is set to soar 450,000 tests per month.
“We think that the road map for Monday remains in place because the vaccines are delivering, and vaccines are keeping people out of hospital and, of course, away from severe infection,” the vaccine minister told Sky News.
He added that the government was “confident” this could continue but said officials will “continue to monitor” the situation.
In the meantime, officials will “flex” the vaccination programme according to the clinical advice, Zahawi told BBC Radio 4.
“We will flex the vaccine programme according to the clinical advice,” he said, adding that, “even if you get your first dose now it’ll take two to three weeks before that protection’s in place and it begins to affect transmission rates, which especially amongst the younger cohorts is what’s important to break the cycle of transmission.
Isolating is the “way we break this cycle,” Zahawi stressed. “People need to take advantage of those free PCR tests, two tests a week of lateral flow to find out whether you’re positive and get your PCR test after that, that’s what’s really important.”