UK's COVID-19 lockdown may be extended till March: Minister

Almost a few hours after the Uk entered another nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, a cabinet office minister has revealed that the lockdown may not be lifted very soon, and may continue till March, or later.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown and stated new regulations and measures,which include closure of the primary and secondary schools, in addition to the existing bans on gatherings.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

While the locals were not happy with the decision, a further blow was delivered by theCabinet Office minister Michael Gove during an interview with a national TV channel. Gove, when asked how long will the lockdown continue for, said he could not give a precise answer but later said it could be more than the announced six weeks.

"I think it is right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all," he said. Gove also added that the lockdown will be reviewed on February 15, but the Johnson-led government cannot"predict with certainty" as to when will the lockdown be lifted.

Gove's statement attracted concern and criticism from the locals of the country who have already been worried about the numerous lockdowns.

The lockdown was initiated due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, especially after identification of the new variant of the novel coronavirus in the UK. With a rise in cases, the local hospitals have also been struggling to provide beds and care to COVID patients.

"With most of the country already under extreme measures, it's clear that we need to do more, together, to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out,"the PM had announced on Tuesday morning. "In England, we must therefore go into a national lockdown."

WATCH|

The lockdown has come at a time when the UK has already vaccinatedover one million people. Various local supermarkets, such as Morrisons, have now offered their parking spaces to the government to carry out vaccination drives. On Monday,58,784 people tested positive for the deadly virus.

Along with this statement, an official announcement was also made to notify that the PM has postponed his plans to travel to India in January.