Coronavirus: Boris Johnson urges Britain to stick with restrictions as vaccine cleared for use next week

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Take vaccine or face longer restrictions, warns Van-Tam Prof Van-Tam said: “If we relax too soon, if we just, kind of, go ‘Oh, the vaccine’s here, let’s abandon caution’, all you are going to do is create a tidal wave of infections,” he warned. And that will make it harder.” Urging people to stick to the regional restrictions which have seen 99 per cent of England subjected to tough controls on socialising, Mr Johnson warned: “The worst things now would be to think that this is the moment that we can relax our guard and think that it’s ‘game over’ in the fight against Covid.” He said: “It would be a really fatal mistake now to respond to this good news by letting the virus run riot again, letting it get out of control by too much transmission over Christmas. “Low uptake will almost certainly make restrictions last longer.” The deputy chief medical officer said it was unlikely that Covid-19 would be entirely eradicated, predicting that it may become a seasonal problem on a similar scale to winter flu and that Britons may voluntarily continue the use of hand sanitisers and face coverings which have become second nature over the past nine months. And that may be a good thing if they do.” Apparently somewhat alarmed by the suggestion that crisis conditions may persist for years, Mr Johnson responded: “Maybe, on the other hand, we may want to get back to life pretty much close to normal.” Labour leader Keir Starmer offered the services of his frontbench team to help the government demonstrate cross-party consensus on the need to get the UK vaccinated.