They warn UK for signs of a “te …

The Advisory Group on New and Emerging Viral Threats (Nervtag) of the UK asked Boris Johnson’s government postpone the last stage of the easing of restrictions by Covid-19 taking into account the “exponential growth” of new infections by the Indian strain, which represents three quarters of current infections, and shows signs of a “third wave”.

UK is planning proceed with the total lifting of the third quarantine, in force for five and a half months, on June 21. That would mean removing all limits on social contacts, reopening nightclubs, and ending restrictions on weddings and social events.

Nervtag member Ravi Gupta said there were early signs the third wave had already started, After surpassing 4,000 daily infections on Friday for the first time in nearly two months, and warned that they could continue to rise in the coming months.

Gupta, in dialogue with the BBC, urged the government to delay the next phase of easing restrictions, which would be the last, to allow get more people vaccinated before dropping all social distancing rules and wearing face masks.

“It will probably take longer than previous waves to appear due to the fact that we have quite high levels of vaccination in the population, so there may be a false sense of security for a while, and that is our concern “, he stressed. Since the launch of vaccination in the country, 58.8% of the population has already received a first dose, while 37.9% have received the second puncture.

In this sense, Environment Minister George Eustice said the government “could not rule anything out” when asked if the reopening would continue on June 21. “Rates are rising slightly, but from a low and probably predictable base, given that there are a significant number of young people who mix now but who have not received the vaccine, ”Eustice also explained to BBC radio.

Meanwhile, Adam Finn of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization said authorities should have a clear picture of the pandemic before relaxing any restrictions. The UK recorded 4,245 coronavirus cases yesterday, 1,005 more than on the same day last week.