UK Health Minister, Sajid Javid, warned on Wednesday that COVID-19 cases could rise to 100,000 a day in the United Kingdom, but stressed that the government will not reintroduce any coronavirus restriction for now.
"Cases are rising. They could go yet as high as 1,00,000 a day. This pandemic is not over," Javid said during a televised press briefing from 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister.
The health secretary said, however, that despite the current rise in positive cases, COVID-19-related deaths, and the increasing pressure on the National Health Service (NHS), no contingency measure will be enacted at this moment.
"We are looking closely at the data, we are not implementing Plan B at this point," he said.
Earlier, the head of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, urged the government to reintroduce some anti-COVID-19 measures, such as mandatory mask-wearing in crowded places, working from home, and a ban on unnecessary indoor gatherings, as hospitals are on the verge of being overwhelmed ahead of winter.
Javid put emphasis, instead, on the successful rollout of the vaccination campaign that has seen over 45 million people fully vaccinated since December 2020.
He also announced that the government has secured deals with pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Merck for two antiviral drugs, to provide treatment for COVID-19 and tackle the surge over winter. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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