Graham Medley, professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a member of Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the country could emerge from the lockdown in mid-February.
Speaking in a personal capacity, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it’s possible, I mean that’s obviously a Government decision what they decided to do at what point. But it really depends upon what happens over the next five weeks in terms of the infection rates, it’s much like in March and April.
“We know more now but nonetheless we’re still looking at the the epidemic increasing and looking for that peak and hoping it happens soon.”
– Almost all Covid deaths can be reduced by vaccinating, minister insists
Almost all Covid-19 deaths (99%) can be reduced by vaccinating people in the nine categories listed by the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), according to the Covid vaccine deployment minister.
Nadhim Zahawi told Times Radio that “the average age of a person dying from Covid is about 83 in hospital”, but “there are still people between the ages of 50 and 65 who are needing hospitalisation for two or three days for additional oxygen support before they can overcome this terrible virus”.
He added: “99% of mortality is reduced by protecting those nine categories, the most vulnerable.”
When asked how long it would take to give jabs to those groups, Mr Zahawi said: “I’m very hopeful that by the spring we will get through the nine categories.”
