Britain may have to keep “some measures” in place to restrict the spread of COVID-19 until its entire adult population is vaccinated, Susan Hopkins, the managing director of Public Health England, said on Thursday.
She said some measures may have to stay in place beyond that.
“I think we are going to have to have some measures in place until the whole population is vaccinated, at least all of the adult population,” she told Sky News.
"And even then I think we'll need to know more about transmission before we can release everything and get back to life as it was."
So far, Britain has given a first vaccine shot to about 13.5 million people and is also bringing in new strict border controls, which make it illegal to go on holiday, to prevent new strains of the virus entering the country.
Ministers have faced criticism, including from members of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, about giving out mixed messages on the easing of restrictions.
(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
