COVID: WHO warns against 'deadline rush' for lifting restrictions amid Delta Variant peak

As several countries including the US and UK are gearing up to minimise restrictions at a time when the Delta variant of COVID-19 has hit severely, WHO's head of emergencies program, Mike Ryan, on Monday, warned a new wave of coronavirus infections could be coming at any moment. The WHO official termed the countries move a 'premature rush' to back to normality. The WHO official's warning comes amid mounting concern over the highly deadly Delta variant, which was first detected in India.

"America is registering over 1 million cases a week. At the same time, the European country has also announced to lift restrictions at a time when the country is registering over half a million cases of COVID-19 in a week. It's not like this thing has gone away," Ryan warned.

UK to abolish compulsory face masks rule  

UK government is chasing the deadline to lift the COVID-19 restrictions in the country at a time when the country is facing its worst phase of Coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the people to "learn to live with" the virus. According to the recent order, Britons will no longer require face coverings after Freedom Day that is July 19-- the day on which the government would lift almost all restrictions. Boris Johnson also said that he would end the social distancing norms as soon as maximum Britons get vaccinated. The decision has raised eyebrows as the UK is still hammered by coronavirus cases and experts are expecting the Delta variant to become the dominant strain.

UK government facing criticism over its 'Freedom day' plan 

Indian-origin doctors' association chief in the UK, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, on Saturday, suggested Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to lift the compulsory safety measures and warned that COVID infections continue to rise at an 'alarming rate'.

“The government had promised to make decisions based on data and not dates. As the Delta variant continues to expand at an alarming rate, it makes no sense to remove restrictions in their entirety in just over two weeks," said Chaand Nagpaul, over the government's plan to lift lockdown in the UK.

According to a Forbes report, US President Joe Biden has set a goal in May of having 70 per cent of American adults to receive at least one COVID-19 shot by the Fourth of July. However, just 18 states and Washington, D.C. have surpassed the goal. Reports also suggest that the US has reached its highest vaccination rate in mid-April, but the rate has dropped since.