Some are pressing Britain to reinstate COVID restrictions as cases surpass 49,000 in one day
Though the U.K. lifted COVID-19 restrictions over the summer, allowing the lives of many residents to begin to return to normal, infection rates have remained high and recently began to increase again, the Associated Press reported. As Britain recorded more than 49,000 new cases Monday, some are pressing the government to reinstate the restrictions and expedite the rollout of booster shots to slow down the spread.
Critics and scientists have decried Britain's transition back to behavior that may have been safe before the pandemic, but now leaves people at risk as the world continues to battle the virus, the AP reportedThe U.K. recorded 49,156 new COVID-19 cases on October 18, the largest number since mid-July. Above, a woman wears a face mask as she walks in London, on October 19.
Masks and social distancing have all but vanished in most settings in England, including schools, though Scotland and other parts of the U.K. remain a bit more strict. Even in shops, where masks are recommended, and on the London transit network, where they are mandatory, adherence is patchy. Millions of people in Britain are being offered booster shots, but critics say the program is moving too slowly, at about 180,000 doses a day. More than half of the people eligible for a booster dose haven't yet received one.
Ferguson said one factor influencing the U.K.'s high case numbers was that it has relied heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine,"and, while that protects very well against very severe outcomes of COVID, it protects slightly less well thanHe also noted that"most Western European countries have kept in place more control measures, vaccine mandates, mask-wearing mandates, and tend to have lower case numbers and certainly not case numbers which are going up as fast as we've got.
For now, the government says it won't change course but will try to boost vaccination rates, with a new ad campaign and an increased number of sites outside of schools where kids can receive their shots.
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