Fears grow over second wave of coronavirus cases as lockdown restrictions are set to be eased tomorrow
THE public has been warned not to go beyond official guidance as lockdown restrictions ease further, with one expert claiming the UK could face a resurgence of coronavirus cases.
From Monday in England, friends and family can meet in parks and gardens in socially distanced groups of six.
For those who have been shielding, a slight reprieve will come in the form of being able to go outside with members of their household, while continuing to follow social distancing guidelines.
Those in this category who live alone can meet outside with one other person from another household.
But the new freedoms, which will come into effect officially after a hot weekend which has enticed people to beaches and beauty spots, must be treated with caution, England's deputy chief medical officer has insisted.
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said the government and public had a ‘dual responsibility’ to prevent a second wave of the virus, describing now as a ‘very dangerous moment’.
Addressing the public's responsibility in stark terms while he took part in the daily Downing Street briefing, he said: ‘Don't tear the pants out of it, and don't go further than the guidance actually says.’
And writing in The Sunday Telegraph, the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said ministers had to take ‘many other factors into consideration’ in making decisions, and that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) advice was ‘independent of politics’.
His comments followed earlier concern from government advisers about easing lockdown too soon.
Four members of Sage have spoke out to warn that ministers are taking risks.
And on Saturday evening professor Anthony Costello, a former World Health Organisation (WHO) director, sent a scathing tweet predicting a possible resurgence of the virus.
He said: ‘We have 8,000 cases daily, a private testing system set up without connection to primary care, call-centre tracing that appears a fiasco, and no digital app. After four months. Unless the population has hidden (T cell?) immunity, we're heading for resurgence.’
Prof Van-Tam said scientists will be watching ‘very closely’ how things go over the next few weeks.
The easing of restrictions for those shielding follows criticism that this group had been left feeling ‘forgotten’.
But Phil Anderson, head of policy at the MS Society, said people would want to hear the scientific evidence behind the decision, which he described as having ‘come out of the blue’.
‘People who are extremely vulnerable will rightly want to hear a lot more about the scientific evidence showing this will be safe for them,’ he said.