UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that measures to block COVID-19 “are likely to be tougher” as the country must be “realistic” about the alarming spread of a new strain of coronavirus more contagious.
Johnson said there are “obviously a number of tougher measures we should consider,” as each region remains under a different level of blockade.
“What we’re doing now is using the level system, which is a very tough system … and unfortunately it’s probably going to be harder to keep things under control,” Johnson told the BBC. The Andrew Marr Show “.
Currently, most of the country is at the highest level of level 4, which requires the closure of shops and non-essential places such as gyms and recreation centers.
Johnson said he would not “speculate” on what new rules could be applied to stop the spread of the virus, but suggested there are curfews and school closures for areas with worsening outbreaks.
“It’s not something we necessarily want to do,” Johnson said of possible school closures.
But Johnson said there is likely to be a “difficult period ahead,” as a new strain of the virus continues to spread rapidly across the nation.
“We need to be realistic about the pace at which the new variant is spreading,” Johnson told the news program.
“We need to be realistic about the impact it is having on [United Kingdom National Health Service]. And we must be humiliated by this virus. “