The UK will see a surge in coronavirus cases later this year, even if most of the population is vaccinated, Boris Johnson’s top scientific advisers warned on Tuesday.
Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, also said that “things can quickly get bad” and “a lot more people will die” if restrictions are eased too quickly.
He said there was minimal scope to speed up the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown, with five weeks required between each step to analyse the effect of lifting restrictions on case numbers.
Most Covid-19 measures are due to be dropped by June 21, but some MPs are pushing for that date to be brought forward due to the success of the UK’s vaccination programme.
More than 22.3 million people have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in the UK, according to government figures.
But Prof Whitty said vaccines are “not 100 per cent effective” and some people will not be inoculated against Covid-19.
He said young people in particular would remain major spreaders of the virus.
"At some point we will get a surge in the virus," he said, adding that the disease will find a way to spread to unvaccinated people.
"It may happen later in the summer if we open up gradually, or there is the seasonal effect and it might happen over the autumn and winter."
He said the UK was taking “big blocks of risk” with the current easing measures, advising MPs against speeding up the programme.
"If you open up too fast, a lot more people die,” he said.
"If we unlock too quickly we would get a substantial surge while a lot of people are not protected.”
In a further warning, Prof Whitty said moves to tighten measures in Europe following another surge demonstrated why “this is not all over”.
“I think it's very easy to forget quite how quickly things can turn bad if you don't keep a very very close eye on it,” he said.
"If you start shunting things forward you will get these higher peaks."
England’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said it would take a long time for the UK to eradicate Covid-19.
He said further mutations of the virus might be in transmission outside the UK because some countries do not have the capacity to detect them.
"I do not think we will stop new variants emerging,” he said.
"Just as the flu virus changes every year – so I would expect this virus to change over time. I do not think zero-Covid is possible ... nothing suggests this virus is going to go away soon."
The UK reported another 65 deaths from Covid-19 on Monday – the lowest daily death toll since early October. A further 4,712 Covid-19 cases were recorded.
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The five pillars of Islam
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
