UK moving too slow to tackle COVID-19 due to lag in cases and deaths, says govt adviser
UK could be moving too slowly to tackle the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases because of a lag that has been caused due to the difference between cases and deaths
Britain could be moving too slowly to tackle the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases because of a lag that has been caused due to the difference between positive cases and fatalities, a government adviser said on September 26. The UK, which has reported 425,775 cases and 42,025 fatalities, has been battered by an 'inevitable' second wave of COVID-19. However, Graham Medley, a professor of infectious disease modelling, asserted that due to the lag, he is worried that the country might end up in a position it “did not intend to”.
'The lag concerns me'
Speaking to BBC radio, he explained that he was concerned about the lag due to which both the government and people might end up in a situation, they’ve been trying to avoid. He then added that because the number of death looks very low, even though the cases were surging at a high speed, the country would not “act soon enough”.
Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked people to ‘Work from Home’ in England, to curb the spread of COVID-19. In addition, he has imposed new restrictions on clubs, bars, pubs amid other places, Associated Press reported. Johnson had also said the second wave of COVID-19 was 'inevitable’ and touted the imposition of new tougher restrictions.
In addition to work from home, the hospitality sector has also been reduced to table service only. However, a full lockdown is unlikely to be announced. Authorities in England had announced that a fine of 11,000 euros would be levied on all those who refuse to self-isolate to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The new restrictions have been announced in the northwest, northern and Central England after cases soared.
Image credits: AP
Published By : Riya Baibhawi
Published On: 26 September 2020 at 17:40 IST