A third wave of coronavirus that has hit Europe will “wash up” on Britain’s shores, Boris Johnson has said.
The Prime Minister said that as infection rates on the continent rise people in the UK should be “under no illusion” we will “feel the effects”.
The comments cast further doubt on the prospect of foreign holidays this year and come amid a row over Covid vaccine supplies with the UK government warning the president of the European Commission not to block exports to the UK.
Speaking to reporters on Monday Johnson said: “One thing that’s worth stressing is that, on the continent right now you can see, sadly, there is a third wave underway, and people in this country should be under their illusions that previous experience has taught us that that when a wave hits our friends, it I’m afraid washes up on our shores as well. And I expect that we will feel those effects in due course.”
Johnson stressed the importance of “international cooperation” in getting people vaccinated.
The PM is to speak to EU leaders in bid to stop ban being imposed on vaccine exports to UK after the European Commission revived its threat to ban vaccine exports to the UK, which could put back the UK’s vaccine programme by two months.
Ahead of the EU summit on Thursday where the proposal will be discussed, Johnson is expected to speak to EU leaders including Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, in a bid to stop vaccine protectionism taking hold.
Johnson said he did not think the EU wanted to see vaccine blockades.
He said: “I’m reassured by talking to EU partners over the last few months that they don’t want to see blockades. I think that’s very, very important ... I’ve talked to our friends repeatedly over period, we’re all facing the same pandemic, we all have the same problems."
He said the UK would “bash on” with the roadmap to easing restrictions.
He said: “Clearly the matters to us in the UK is that we get on with the rollout of the vaccine programme. I think we’ve now done over half the adults in the country, which is very good news.”
Downing Street said it remained “confident” in vaccine supplies, when asked if any potential block of coronavirus jabs to the UK by the EU could delay when people receive their second dose.
“We have said throughout the vaccination programme that supplies will fluctuate, but we remain confident in our supplies,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters.
The spokesman added: “As we publicly said, we are on track to offer first doses to all over-50s by April 15, and all other adults by the end of July. we remain committed to ensuring people get their second doses within 12 weeks.
“I would point to the fact that not only do we produce AstraZeneca vaccines here in the UK, but they are produced in other countries as well, and we remain confident in our supplies.”
Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said: “The Prime Minister is being frankly complacent about the threat of a third wave of Covid from Europe on the UK. It would not be inevitable if the Government had listened to Labour and taken tougher action to protect our borders.
“It’s unacceptable that only one percent of international arrivals quarantine in a hotel. We need a comprehensive hotel quarantine system now, to help protect against a third wave and to safeguard the vaccine rollout. Ministers will only have themselves to blame if they do not act now.”
