A former government advisor has warned that mask-wearing and social distancing will still be required of much of the year amid concerns over new variants.
Imperial College London epidemiologist and former Sage adviser Professor Neil Ferguson, who has been credited as the architect of the UK's first lockdown, suggested that rules aimed at reducing the risk of transmitting the virus are likely to stay in place for the rest of the year.
Speaking on to Sky News after a new "concerning" variant was identified in Bristol he explained that, while the vaccine rollout will have a major impact on deaths, another will be needed in the wake of new variants.
He said: "The key issue if this new variant of concern can even partially escape immunity.
"It makes control going forward that much more problematic.
"And I think is very uncertain, but you know, people will be worried if this new variant could potentially interfere with the vaccine."
He continued: “It’s not going to allow us to go back to normal - certainly not until the autumn", he said.
"There will be new things we can’t predict precisely, like the waning of immunity, like new variants coming up, which means there will be some residual need to maintain some social distancing, mask-wearing, probably for much of this year", he added.
However, so-called "Professor lockdown" said he hoped that life would see a much greater return to normality by next year.
He added: "But as vaccine manufacturing capacity gets ever greater and as we update the vaccines and get ever more effective vaccines, I'm hoping that by this time next year it will look a lot more normal.
"Maybe there will still be mask-wearing for mass gatherings and things like that, but we certainly I very much doubt will be anything like where we are now."
