The UK could face a third wave of the pandemic if it fails to get the balance of restrictions ‘right’ over Christmas, the Foreign Secretary has warned.
Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show today, Dominic Raab refused to rule out a third national lockdown in the New Year. When asked about another peak of the virus, he said: ‘There’s a risk of that if we don’t get the balance right. But so far the R level is coming down, that’s really important.’
He went on to add that the government’s new tier system, which is more restrictive than the first time it was introduced, will allow rules to ‘ease up’ when there is confidence the virus risk is decreasing.
Andrew Marr then interjected, asking if there could be another lockdown in 2021 if the government does not get the ‘behaviour’ it would like from the public over Christmas. It was announced this week that families would be allowed to form bubbles with two other households between December 23 and 27.
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Raab said the government are doing ‘everything we can’ to avoid the heaviest restrictions returning in January, but refused to say whether he would back the measures if necessary.
The current nationwide lockdown in England is due to end on December 2, with areas across the country then plunged back into a tier system. The tiers will be reviewed in two weeks.
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But earlier this week Boris Johnson wrote to Conservative MPs offering them another chance to vote on the restrictions next year, saying the tier system will have a ‘sunset of February 3’.
In a bid to avoid a rebellion, the Prime Minister also said that at the first review of the measures on December 16 he would move areas down a tier where there is ‘robust evidence’ that coronavirus is in sustained decline.
The vote after Christmas will determine whether the tier system stays in place until the end of March.
Johnson also committed to publish more data and outline what circumstances need to change for an area to move down a tier, as well analysis of the health, economic and social impacts of the measures taken to suppress coronavirus.
Labour is yet to confirm whether they will support the motion on the tier system. Without their backing, and if Johnson suffers a major rebellion, it could struggle to pass through the Commons.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/29/uk-at-risk-of-third-wave-that-could-force-another-national-lockdown-13672382/