A World Health Organisation expert has called on people to keep social distancing and using face masks whatever Boros Johnson announces today.
Dr David Nabarro, special envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organisation, said he would urge people to maintain social distancing and keep using face masks.
He told Sky News: “On the one hand we’ve got a dangerous virus, on the other hand we must get on with life because it just can’t go on with the restrictions that people have had up till now.
“Finding that middle path, how to live with this virus’s constant threat, is key.
“If I were able to talk to everybody personally over the coming weeks, I would say: You must restart life and everybody wants you to do that, but please be really careful, maintain that physical distance of between one metre and two metres, especially indoors, and don’t forget to wear your face masks because that really can give extra protection.
“It’s these simple things, but all done together that will really make the difference as to whether or not future spikes are huge or future spikes are small and easily contained.”
He added: “There is no security with this virus; it is constantly capable of changing, and as it changes it has the ability, we believe – and not demonstrated so far – but it could develop the ability to be able to evade the protection that’s been given to us by these wonderful vaccines.
“But we deal with that when it comes and we deal with it by being on the alert, and by being able to pick up new clusters of disease very fast, and then to deal with them very fast.”
Dr Nabarro told Sky News: “I’m pleased with the reality that people are being quite cautious, perhaps even a little bit afraid, of what this virus might bring.
“But I think, at the same time, we’ve got to get on with life, and we can’t go on mothballing ourselves forever.
“So, finding a way to restart, despite this fear, is what I think we will have to do.
“We must maintain a very vigilant posture in the coming months because there will no doubt be variants appearing.
“But, at the same time, we have to get on with life so we have to just be on the lookout for new spikes of disease and deal with them when they come.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to announce the next step out of lockdown in England today - which should include hospitality reopening indoors, people being allowed to meet each other and stay over indoors, the relaunch of domestic and some foreign holidays and people being allowed to hug.
