UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told that British people that going back into a national lockdown is an absolute last resort for the country.
It would be his equivalent of a “nuclear deterrent”, he said.
In other words, it was something you’d use if it turned out to be absolutely necessary. But you wouldn’t want to because you’d also be caught up in the enormous damage that would result.
“I certainly don’t want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again,” the British PM emphasised.
Interview to mark end of first year as Prime Minister
Johnson made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with the popular Daily Telegraph newspaperto mark the end of his first year as Prime Minister.
The UK has been one of the countries hardest-hit by the pandemic and to date has registered the highest number of deaths in Europe. The figure currently stands at around 45 300.
Britain’s PM said he believed the health authorities were getting better at identifying and isolating local outbreaks, as well as identifying how and why COVID-19 affects certain groups.
Able to isolate outbreaks and address them immediately
“We’re genuinely able now to look at what’s happening in much closer to real time, to isolate outbreaks and to address them on the spot, and to work with local authorities to contain the problem locally and regionally if we have to,” Johnson explained.
The comments tie in with the aim of “a significant return to normality” by Christmas for the UK, which he laid out on Friday.
This is despite the warning, given on the same day, by the chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. He warned that “come winter, the challenges will be very much greater and of course there is a risk that this could also need national measures as well”.
