LONDON (CU)_The British government is being urged to start relaxing stringent lockdown measures in the country, after more than 15 million people across the UK received their first dose of a Covid vaccine. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the “significant milestone” on Sunday (Feb 14), just over two months after the vaccination programme delivered its first jab.
United Kingdom’s vaccination progress is among the fastest in the world, and is seen as one of few successes in the government’s handling of a pandemic that has left the country with a higher death toll and worse economic damage than most other nations.
“Today we have reached a significant milestone,” PM Johnson said. “No one is resting on their laurels… We’ve still got a long way to go and there will undoubtedly be bumps in the road, but after all we’ve achieved, I know we can go forward with great confidence.”
The British government had plans to reach 15 million people in priority categories – frontline health and care workers, care home residents and staff, those aged 70 or over and those who are clinically vulnerable – by February 15.
While Wales said it had met the target on Saturday, the PM Johnson on Sunday noted that all those groups had been reached in England, although he did not speak for Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The success in the vaccine programme has led to calls for the government to ease lockdown measures, which have ordered citizens to stay at home, shut non-essential shops and closed schools.
63 lawmakers from the ruling Conservative Party issued a letter demanding that the restrictions must be lifted by the end of April, which is when the government hopes to have given first vaccinations to those categories which have so far accounted for 99% of all deaths. The letter noted that once all priority groups have been vaccinated by the end of April, there is “no justification for any legislative restrictions to remain”.
However, foreign minister Dominic Raab says that it is too soon to discuss the possibility of easing the restrictions.
“We share all of the ambition and the desire to get out of this lockdown, we want to do it responsibly and safely and therefore it’s got to be based on the evidence,” he said.
Meanwhile, PM Johnson is set to announce on February 22, the government’s plans to end the lockdown. The Prime Minister has said he hopes to be able to reopen schools on March 8. According to reports, the reopening of schools will be followed by the reopening of shops and non-essential retail a month later, while the reopening of pubs will take place in the third and final stage.
