Scientists are “very concerned” about easing restrictions
Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said it would be a “fatal mistake” to ease restrictions just months before “vaccines take effect.”
Boris Johnson said that in the first review of the measures in mid-December, he would move regions to a lower level where there is “strong evidence” that the coronavirus is in constant decline, and that this legislation will be “sunset on February 3.”
In response to a question about this, Professor Openshaw said that the virus must be controlled.
“We scientists are very concerned about loosening precautions at this point. The rates are still very high, there are a lot of cases coming into hospitals, and a lot of people are dying,” he told the Andrew Marshu program on the BBC.
“And if we remove the brakes at this point, only when the end is in sight, I think we will make a fatal mistake.
“We’ve all sacrificed a lot, everyone has sacrificed a lot to get the transmission rate down. With only a few months left for vaccines to start having an effect, I think it’d be just a fatal mistake.”
“I think we should keep this under control and act in a very reasonable manner. It’s very difficult to correct this and I don’t envy the politicians.”
