U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson extends country’s COVID-19 lockdown due to Delta variant
The United Kingdom will be seeing at least another month of lockdown restrictions.
On Monday, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he would be extending the country’s COVID-19 restrictions, citing growing concerns over the Delta variant that was first identified in India.
In a warning to the U.K., Johnson claimed if he did not continue restrictions, hospitalizations and deaths attributed to the Delta variant would be as high as in the first wave of infections when the pandemic began.
In February, Johnson announced that the plan that would have the country fully reopen by June 21, allowing for pubs, restaurants, among other hospitality businesses to be open at full capacity with no restrictions.
With the measures remaining in place, that date has been pushed back to July 19.
In his announcement, Johnson still remained confident that the restrictions would soon be lifted.
“I think it is sensible to wait just a little longer,” he said at his news conference. “As things stand, and on the evidence that I can see right now. I’m confident that we will not need more than four weeks.”
With an extra month of time, efforts will be made to increase the amount of vaccinations given across the country, according to NBC News.
Even though it remains highly unlikely, Johnson’s spokesman said that the current data about COVID-19 and the Delta variant specifically would be reviewed on June 28, leaving the door open for an earlier lifting of restrictions.
Britain saw 7,742 new COVID-19 cases on Monday along with three deaths. According to Johnson, cases were increasing by nearly 64 percent each week and the number of patients in intensive care was also rising.
The Delta variant has been discovered to be 60% more transmissible than the last strain of the virus that was common around the world. Health officials have already warned that this variant could be the cause of a third wave.
