Lockdown needed until end of year: UK official

LONDON: Lockdown measures will be needed Britain until the end of the year to control coronavirus - until a drug or a vaccine is found, Chief Medical Officer for England, Chief Medical Adviser to the UK government Chris Whitty said on Wednesday.

Ministers will be looking at different scenarios for lifting the strict measures the UK in the coming weeks, but some rules will still be needed for a long time to come, foreign media reported on Wednesday.

The chief medical officer said that some form of the measures will have to be in place for a long period of time to make sure the transmission rate doesn't grow, as the virus could begin spreading again.

In a stark warning to the public of what is to come, he said it is "wholly unrealistic" to think a return to normal life is possible anytime soon, Whitty told the Downing Street press conference.

And it comes as scientists have warned that a second wave of coronavirus could come this winter.

There will be a "series of choices" and ministers will decide a mix of measures to try and ease some rules.

But whatever options they must not see the transmission rate go above one - as the cases could rocket again.

The only "exit" from lockdown will be a vaccine or drugs to treat coronavirus, he said.

And the chances of that happening in the next calendar year is "incredibly small", even as the first human vaccines start tomorrow.

Professor Whitty told the nation: "In the long run, the exit from this is going to one be one of two things... One of which is a highly effective vaccine.

"And/or highly effective drugs so that people stop dying of this disease even if they catch it, or which can prevent this disease in vulnerable people.

"I think we should be realistic about that.

"We are going to have to rely on other social measures, which are incredibly disruptive.

"It’s going to take a long time. We need to be aware of that." It could mean that older people may not be able to spend Christmas with their loved ones if the crisis carries on, another top UK doctor Hilary Dr Jones warned earlier. Presenter and writer on medical issues Dr Hilary said there was still a chance that Christmas could be “wonderful”, but that it was unlikely that the country would be back to normal.

Protecting the elderly would be likely to be the measure that is kept in place the longest.