Dr Hilary Jones expects restrictions to remain after June 21: ‘Coronavirus is here to stay’

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Dr Hilary Jones has pointed out that coronavirus isn’t going anywhere and has insisted social distancing measures should stay beyond lockdown lifting on June 21.

Just one day after the television doctor warned that the pandemic is far from over, he told Good Morning Britain viewers that he still expects some measures of restrictions to be in place.

‘Coronavirus is here to stay,’ Dr Hilary said. ‘It’s going to change, it’s going to mutate.

‘What we don’t want is a variation that is resistant to vaccination because it would negate everything that we’ve already done as far as we have. That’s the real risk, we need to get a handle on this and get as much of the world vaccinated as we can.’

Dr Hilary added that the public will have to remain responsible, even after June 21 when all lockdown rules are expected to be lifted. This includes washing hands, wearing masks, and social distancing.

‘That’s still going to be very important, social distancing,’ he continued.

‘A quarter of our population has not yet been vaccinated at all, that’s millions of people still vulnerable to the virus.’

Downing Street has indicated that Boris Johnson sees no need to delay ending all legal lockdown restrictions on June 21.

Asked about the Prime Minister’s plans amid warnings over the spread of the Delta variant, a No 10 spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions that we haven’t seen anything in the data but we will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence as we move through June towards June 21.’

Following the recording of zero Covid deaths on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said ‘vaccines are clearly working’ – a sentiment echoed by the Education Secretary during the morning broadcast round the following day.

It was also confirmed on Wednesday that 75% of UK adults across the UK had now had their first coronavirus jab, and 50% of adults in England had received both doses.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.

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