Boris Johnson warns more people will die of Covid as England eases lockdown
Boris Johnson has today warned that more people will die of Covid-19 as England unlocks, while adding that it has been the lockdown and not the UK’s vaccine rollout that has driven down rates of infection.
The Prime Minister urged people in England to be cautious and to still follow social distancing rules, after pubs, restaurants and non-essential retail opened yesterday.
Covid-19 rates in the UK are at their lowest point since August, with 19,209 cases recorded in the past seven days – a 21.5 per cent week-on-week drop.
There have also been 238 deaths in the past week, which is a 4 per cent weekly decline.
Speaking to Sky News, Johnson said: “It’s very important for everyone to understand the reduction in these numbers and hospitalisations and in deaths and infections has not been achieved by the vaccination programme, people don’t appreciate that it’s the lockdown that has been overwhelmingly important in delivering this improvement in the pandemic and in the figures we’re seeing.
“The vaccination programme has helped, but the bulk of the work in reducing the disease has been done by the lockdown. So as we unlock the result will inevitably be that we will see more infections, we will see more hospitalisations and deaths and people just have to understand that.”
Thousands of pubs and restaurants across the country opened yesterday for the first time since December for outdoor patrons, sparking celebrations in London and beyond.
Long queues were also seen at some retail stores in central London, with masses of young shoppers spotted outside JD Sport from when it opened.
Indoor hospitality, theatres, cinemas and museums are set to reopen on 17 May, according to Johnson’s roadmap.
The roadmap then sets out 21 June as the planned date when England will shed most or all restrictions.
“At the moment I can’t see any reason for us to change the roadmap, to deviate from the targets we’ve set themselves and you know what they are 17 May, 21 June are the next waymarks on the roadmap,” he said.
“It is very very important that if we’re to get there in the way we all want then we continue to be cautious and we continue to exercise restraint and do the basic things to stop the spread of the virus.
“Washing your hands, giving people space, doing things in fresh air as much as you can.”