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We’re a ‘long, long, long way’ from easing lockdown, Hancock says
Coronavirus cases are still too high.
Matt Hancock has warned that we are a ‘long, long, long way’ from coronavirus cases being low enough to start easing restrictions.
Speaking on Sky News on Sunday this weekend, Matt Hancock said: “There is early evidence that the lockdown is starting to bring cases down.
“But we are a long, long, long way from that being low enough because the case rate was incredibly high.
“You can see the pressure on the NHS you can see it every day. The NHS are doing an amazing job in incredibly difficult circumstances.”
He added: “I am confident in the measures that we’ve got in place now.
“What really matters is that everybody follows them. The reason for that is not just the death toll each day which is far too high.
“It is very important that we continue to follow the rules. That’s at the core of it. Even whilst we do everything we can to support the NHS through this.”
Speaking on the Andrew Marr show later on Sunday, Hancock explained that the ‘good news’ is that there are ‘early signs that certainly the rise in the number of cases has been halted’.
He continued: “In many parts of the country, cases are starting to come down.
“The vaccine roll out programme is going really rapidly. We’ve now vaccinated three-quarters of over 80s in the country and we’re really proud of that.”
Hancock went on to explain that we know the vaccine stop people from dying with a ‘high degree of confidence’ but that ‘we don’t know about the effect on transmission’.
He continued: “We are essentially monitoring the effectiveness of the vaccine right across the country, right now. Our goal here is to be able to start to lift restrictions as soon as safely possible.
“It is not going to be 2028, Andrew. It’s one of those questions we don’t know the answer to.”
One of the leading figures in the Covid Recovery Group of MPs, former minister Steve Baker said that public compliance could not be expected indefinitely with no hope in sight.
He said: “Covid causes death and serious harm and we must control it, but these lockdowns, restrictions and school closures are causing untold damage to people’s health, livelihoods and prospects.”
Adding that the top four risk groups should have immunity by March 8th where ‘the government should start easing the restrictions in a way that is safe and proportionate. But the public need to hear today what the plan for easing restrictions is.’
He said it was ‘not enough to expect public compliance with prolonged severe measures, without giving some hope, and showing some optimism and light at the end of this very dark tunnel’.