UK ‘long, long, long way’ from relaxing Covid lockdown

The health secretary admitted there was still a long way to go until lockdown can be eased (Picture: Sky/ PA)

Evidence shows that current lockdown restrictions are starting to lower infection rates but the country is still a ‘long, long, long’ way off easing measures, said the health secretary.

When pressed why current restrictions in place are not as strict as those implemented during the nation’s first lockdown, despite the emergence of new, highly transmissible variants, Matt Hancock said he was ‘confident’ about the rules.

He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: ‘Well there is early evidence that the lockdown is starting to bring cases down but we’re a long, long, long way from being low enough because the case rate was incredibly high.

‘And you can see the pressure on the NHS. You can see it every day – the NHS are doing an amazing job in incredibly difficult circumstances.

‘So, I’m confident about the measures we’ve got in place now. What really matters is that everyone follows them.

‘Not just because the date toll each day, which is far too high, but also because of the pressure on the NHS – including from people who thankfully come out of hospital alive – is enormous and that has knock-on consequences for people who suffer from all other illnesses.’

In further updates, Mr Hancock said as of this morning three-quarters of all over-80s in the UK have now had their first dose of the vaccine.

‘Similar number of care homes – around three quarters – and in fact we’ve vaccinated more people in just the last three days than France has in the entire history of this disease,’ he added.

The health secretary admitted he would like to have ‘more information’ on the new variants – in particular the ‘concerning’ Brazil and South Africa ones – and said scientists were ‘working’ on this.

But he added: ‘The new variant I really worry about is the one that is out there that hasn’t been spotted.’

He said the UK, South Africa and Brazil have strong genomic sequencing services, which pick up new variants, and is concerned other countries with limited resources may not be able to notice that infection spikes could be down to new strains.

Around three-quarters of all over-80s in the UK have received their first dose, said Mr Hancock (Picture: Reuters)

‘There are probably others elsewhere that simply haven’t been picked up because the country doesn’t have that genomic sequencing service,’ Mr Hancock added.

When asked how worried the public should be about the known Covid strains, he said the Kent one has been estimated to be at least 10% more deadly but experts are still ‘not exactly certain’. He pointed to one study which suggested it could be up to 50% more fatal.

The government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) earlier concluded the UK variant may increase the death rate by between 30% and 40%.

Mr Hancock added: ‘But in a way, for all of us, that doesn’t matter. What matters is we’ve got to get this virus under control and the only way you do that is by stopping the social contact and following the rules.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow…