Johnson: Harsher restrictions possible in Britain in coming weeks

Tougher coronavirus measures could be implemented in coming weeks in view of the serious situation in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted in an interview on Sunday.
“It may be that we need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher in many parts of the country,’’ Johnson said on the BBC’s “Andrew Marr Show”.
He, however, didn’t specify what they could be.
“I’m not going to speculate now about what they would be, but … clearly, school closures, which we had to do in March is one of those things,’’ Johnson said.
The country’s tiered system based on infection levels is “probably about to get tougher even despite the roll-out of vaccines’’, added the premier.
Opposition leader, Keir Starmer, said Johnson could no longer wait before imposing a tougher nationwide lockdown.
“It’s not good enough for the prime minister to hint at further restrictions at unspecified times and then do nothing,’’ the Labour leader wrote on Twitter.
“He must put national restrictions in place within the next 24 hours,’’ Starmer said, adding that the virus was “out of control’’.
Britain registered a record number of new infections on Saturday, many of which are attributed to a possibly more contagious virus strain that is particularly rampant in the British capital, London.
Schools in London will remain closed for the time being after the Christmas holidays, though in other parts of the country, primary schools will open on Monday, followed in the weeks after by secondary schools.
“Schools are safe,’’ Johnson said again on Sunday.