Lifting curbs in UK may lead to a third wave: British scientists

Scientists issue warning as Britain is poised to partly ease the restrictions

British scientists have warned that the British government is risking a third wave of COVID-19 by easing the lockdown too soon, local media reported. “There are areas in West Yorkshire, the Black Country and other regions that still have high infection rates. However, many people there cannot afford to self-isolate. We need to tackle that issue urgently or the virus will come back again,” Leeds University medical school Associate Professor Stephen Griffin told the Observer on Sunday.

“It’s worrying. There are far too many virus hotspots and not enough attention being paid to controlling infections that might spread from them,” said Griffin, Xinhua news agency reported. Professor Lawrence Young of Warwick medical school said, “The test, trace and isolate system that is supposed to contain outbreaks has not worked well, and even when people test positive, they are not isolating. We need a properly funded system for quarantining infected people. We don’t have that and that raises the risk we could head back into trouble again quite quickly.”

The scientists made their remarks as Britain is poised to partly ease the current lockdown restrictions, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic in the country, on Monday. From Monday, non-essential shops will reopen and pubs and restaurants will reopen outdoors at a time when Britain moves to step two of the roadmap out of the COVID-19 lockdown. Meanwhile, hairdressers and barbers as well as gyms can reopen, along with zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centres.

‘No quarantine for travellers to Greece from EU nations’

Greek Vice-Minister of Tourism Sofia Zacharaki announced on Monday that holidaymakers from EU nations will be able to travel to Athens without having to quarantine from May 14 onwards. However, there will be preconditions, dpa news agency quoted the minister as saying. “Holidaymakers will either have to be vaccinated or show a (negative) PCR Coronavirus test,” she told the Greek news channel Skai.

B’desh govt announces fresh lockdown

Amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases, the Bangladeshi government on Monday issued a fresh set of directives for a nationwide “full lockdown” from Wednesday onwards. The Cabinet Division on Monday issued a circular with the directives to be effective from 6 am on Wednesday to the midnight of April 21, reports Xinhua news agency. In line with the directives, all government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices will be closed. But the ban will not be applicable to airports, land ports and maritime ports and their offices.

Ireland introduces 14-day quarantine for travellers

People arriving in Ireland from the United States and 15 other countries and regions will have to complete a 14-day mandatory quarantine at a government-designated facility starting from 4 am (Irish time) on April 15, according to a latest decision of the Irish government. The 16 countries and regions, which are deemed as high risk for COVID-19 transmission, include the United States, Canada and Bermuda in North America among others.

All in Australia may not get vaccines this year: PM Morrison

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded that all citizens of the country might not receive Coronavirus vaccines in 2021. Morrison said on Sunday afternoon that while he hoped the population would be vaccinated this year there were too many uncertainties to make guarantees, reports xinhua news agency. The government has abandoned Morrison’s previous promise that every Australian would be fully vaccinated by October.

6,75,707
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

13,61,74,000
Total no. of cases worldwide

29,38,740
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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