Scientists have poured cold water on Boris Johnson's pledge for a "significant return to normality" by Christmas, warning it is still "a long way off".
Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said "go[ing] to work normally, travel on the buses and trains, go[ing] on holiday without restrictions, [to] meet friends, shake hands, hug each other and so on – that’s a long way off, unfortunately."
He told BBC Rado 4's Today programme: “If we return to those sort of normal behaviours [before a vaccine] the virus will come back very fast.” Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, said he would be "very surprised" if a vaccine was found in the next six months.
It comes as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has "paused" publication of the daily coronavirus death figures hours after Matt Hancock ordered an "urgent review" into their accuracy. Separately, 13 more coronavirus deaths were recorded in England's hospitals on Saturday, while none were recorded in hospitals in Scotland and Wales.
