The UK has confidence that the vaccine works against the Indian strain of the coronavirus
Boris Johnson is calling for caution among Brits attending pubs and restaurants, especially as they are due to reopen indoors across England, and with cases for the Indian variant of Covid-19 on the rise.
The prime minister’s message comes following UK health secretary Matt Hancock’s advice that plans to remove lockdown restrictions in England on 21 June could be in doubt.
While the prime mister has allowed the continued reopening of the hospitality sector, he has called on the public to act with responsibility.
“We are keeping the spread of the variant first identified in India under close observation and taking swift action where infection rates are rising,” Johnson said.
As of Monday, people will be able to meet outside in groups of up to 30, while six people or two households are able to meet indoors.
While the increasing reach of vaccines are proving to combat the Indian strain, those who are unvaccinated could catch Covid-19 and spread it rapidly.
Mr Hancock said that it was “quite likely” that the variant would become the dominant strain in the UK.
He said: “What that reinforces is the importance of people coming forward for testing and being careful because this isn’t over yet.
“But the good news is because we have increasing confidence that the vaccine works against the variant, the strategy is on track – it’s just the virus has gained a bit of pace and we’ve therefore all got to be that bit more careful and cautious.”
According to numbers released by the government, more than 20m people have now had two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
From the market’s perspective, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said UK consumers are eager to spend their cash, although the Indian variant could change some people’s minds.
“A lot of consumers are in a strong position to spend big, having saved a lot of money during the pandemic, and many will be eager to splash the cash as they reclaim leisure experiences. Therefore, takings could be strong for at least the next few weeks, assuming consumers aren’t put off from the threat of the Indian variant spreading fast, particularly among those not yet vaccinated,”
