UK PM Johnson reluctant to impose nationwide lockdown as COVID-19 cases near 3 lakh

British PM Boris Johnson has reportedly said that he would not impose a second lockdown as his last resort against rising coronavirus cases. The UK, which has reported 295,632 cases and 45,358 fatalities till now, is under a threat of the second wave hitting the country during the winter months. However, the British Premier has repeatedly said that he was hopeful that the country would return to normal by Christmas.

Speaking to British Daily recently, he compared nationwide lockdown to a nuclear deterrent. In addition, he said that he was certain that he did not want to use it nor his country would be in a position to use it again. Johnson also insisted that health authorities were getting much better at spotting the disease and isolating it locally while also learning how it spreads.

Track and Trace application

England which started using a Track and Trace application in May took a major U-turn after people reported flaws in the app. Currently, the Britons are waiting for a revised version of the app developed by Apple and Google.  

Read: Russian Envoy Refutes UK Claims Of Helping Hackers Target COVID-19 Vaccine Research

Read: Britain Pauses Daily Update Of Death Toll From COVID-19 After Experts Warn Miscalculation

This comes a Johnson is now making a revised plan to open completely. On July 17, Johnson said that the workers would be allowed to return to offices from August 1 provided their workplaces were "COVID secure". Johnson also said from August 1, businesses such as bowling alleys, skating rinks, casinos, and beauty services could resume but nightclubs and soft play areas would need to remain closed. However, despite his optimistic approach, Country's chief Medical officer Chris Whitty has said that social distancing needs to be continued for a long period of time.

This comes as the country recently said that it was pausing its daily update of the COVID-19 death toll after experts asserted that the calculation of data might be exaggerated. Currently, the government has ordered a review of the calculations made by Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks in the UK.

Read: Johnson: Workers Can Return To Offices From 1 Aug

Read: UK PM Johnson Agrees To Hold 'independent Inquiry' Into Coronavirus Handling