New Delhi: It seems that coronavirus is rearing its ugly head again in Britain after its hospitals are closed to be being overwhelmed by a new wave of Covid-19 infections which calls for tougher restrictions, the health service's lobby group said on Wednesday.
However, the government indicated it was not the time for a new lockdown, according to Reuters. Britain logged 223 new deaths from the infection on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since March, and cases are the highest in Europe.
What is the government's stance?
“There won’t be a fresh lockdown of the U.K. economy, even as cases tick upward and Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns of a difficult winter ahead," Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said. Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said another lockdown would be wrong and also played down the prospect that more limited measures would be brought in soon.
"Ministers, scientists, experts are looking at data on an hourly basis," he told the BBC. "And we don't feel that it's the time for Plan B right now."
Johnson once again reiterated that Britain's early success with vaccinations meant that England will navigate a bumpy winter without needing a new lockdown, having previously shut down the economy three times.
As of now, Britain has recorded the eighth biggest death toll globally from coronavirus with almost 139,000 fatalities, according to the agency report. It is one of the many countries that initiated the vaccine programme early and Prime Minister Boris Johnson also lifted almost all Covid-19 restrictions in England and ended social distancing measures.
What are the views of health experts?
On the other hand, doctors have shared concern that the increase in Covid-19 patients going into hospital along with pressures on the NHS from seasonal viruses may leave hospitals unable to deal with long waiting lists and function normally.
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, called for measures that Johnson is holding in reserve including mask-wearing and working from home, which would only be minor inconveniences and could avoid stumbling into a crisis.
"I talk to health leaders every day, and I have literally not spoken to any leader who doesn't say that their service is under intense pressure now. This is the middle of October. Things are only going to get worse," Taylor told BBC radio.
The quick start of vaccines in Europe will also mean that immunity could start waning among those vaccinated first, and scientists are pleading for the pace of booster shots to increase.