Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Nothing In Data To Prevent Easing Lockdown In The UK: PM Boris Johnson

Nothing In Data To Prevent Easing Lockdown In The UK: PM Boris Johnson

"I can see nothing in the data at the moment that means we can't go ahead with step four of the opening on 21 June," said Boris Johnson.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday raised the prospect of the UK proceeding with its planned roadmap to end lockdown restrictions from June 21 as he said that there is nothing in data to suggest that a delay would be necessary.

Speaking at 10 Downing Street, he struck a note of caution as there are clear signs the there is a rise in infection rates from the so-called Delta variant of COVID-19 a highly transmissible mutation first identified in India and behind what some scientists fear may be the early signs of a third wave of the pandemic in the UK.

"I can see nothing in the data at the moment that means we can't go ahead with step four of the opening on 21 June," said Johnson.

But we've got to be so cautious because there's no question the ONS [Office for National Statistics] data of infection rates is showing an increase. We always knew that was going to happen. Don't forget we always said the unlocking steps that we've taken would lead to increases in infection, he said.

His comments came as the National Health Service (NHS) released latest vaccination figures, which show that half of all adults in England are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and three-quarters have received a first dose.

What we need to work out is to what extent the vaccination programme has protected enough of us particularly the elderly and vulnerable against a new surge. There, I'm afraid, the data is just still ambiguous and so every day we're having long sessions where we're interrogating all the data, we're looking at all the various models, said Johnson.

"And the best the scientists can say at the moment, in their guidance to us, is that we just need to give it a little bit longer," he added.

In recent days, the UK Prime Minister has faced growing calls from different sections of experts and scientists to delay a complete end to lockdown restrictions due to the continuing spread of the Delta variant.

On Tuesday, the UK recorded zero deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since last year and triggered calls from members of Johnson's own Conservative Party to not derail the lockdown roadmap.

June 21 will mark the fourth and final stage of the government's roadmap for easing coronavirus rules dubbed "freedom day" as all legal limits on social contact are scheduled to be lifted.

Johnson acknowledged the wait for a clear answer would be "frustrating" for people ahead of stage four of his roadmap, a deadline hospitality venues have been eagerly looking forward to.

On Wednesday, the UK recorded a further 4,330 infections and another 12 coronavirus deaths.

Sir John Bell, professor of medicine at University of Oxford and part of the government's vaccine taskforce, told the BBC that the UK's "numbers don't look too intimidating" and he was "encouraged" by what he saw. However, he said the government was taking "a wise approach" in being cautious ahead of making its decision.

"I do think we need to keep our eye on hospitalisations, serious disease and deaths which is really what we are trying to manage," he said.

"If we scamper down a rabbit hole every time we see a new variant we are going to spend a long time huddled away so we do need to keep a bit of balance to the discussion and keep our eyes on the serious disease that we are trying to prevent," he added.

A final decision on whether restrictions will be relaxed will be reached on June 14.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×