Don’t ‘reignite the spark’ by speeding up lockdown roadmap, former chief scientific adviser warns

‘The truth is that the virus has not gone away’ Mark Walport tells those pushing for faster timetable

Demands to speed up the lifting of lockdown restrictions risk “reigniting the spark” of the pandemic, a former chief scientific adviser is warning.

A dramatic fall in Covid-19 infections – to their lowest level since early September – has triggered calls for the full opening of hospitality venues to be brought forward.

But Mark Walpole warned that could be disastrous, saying: “The truth is that the virus has not gone away.”

Pointing to only 40 per cent of adults having received two vaccinations, he said: “The mistake that has been made repeatedly is relaxing just slightly too early.

“What we need to do is to get the numbers right down. It’s important that we don’t act as an incubator for new variant cases that might be able to resist immunity.”

The next scheduled date for lifting curbs – 17 May – is “frankly not far away”, Sir Mark said, adding: “There is the potential for that spark to reignite.”

The comments come after hopes rose with the latest Office for National Statistics infection survey, showing a 40 per cent drop in the number of people with coronavirus, the largest ever fall.

There were 54,200 people living with Covid in the week ending 17 April – about one in 1,010 people – while 22 million people live in areas that have not reported a single death for a month.

Boris Johnson has said that he does not see “any reason” why the next phase of easing restrictions should not go ahead, in just over a fortnight’s time.

It would mean that family and friends will be allowed to hug each other, for the first time in more than a year, as the guidelines against physical contact are removed.

People would, however, still be advised to maintain social distancing with strangers, on public transport and at work, for example.

The ban on overseas holidays is also set to end on May 17, in the first step to reviving foreign travel for the peak summer season.

A traffic light system to be introduced, with only a handful of countries expected to be on the ‘green list’ initially, avoiding the need to self-isolate when they return.

Almost all European countries are expected to be on the ‘amber list’, which will mean quarantine as well as lab-based Covid tests – even those who have been vaccinated.

The Commons transport committee has criticised the government for “missing its deadline” for grading countries under the new traffic light system, by 1 May.

Instead, the Department for Transport has only said the lists will be made public in “early May”.

“Uncertainty has been prolonged. This uncertainty could cost people their jobs,” said Huw Merriman, the Conservative chair of the committee.

“How can it be right that countries with slower vaccination roll-outs are safely reopening to international travellers while the UK stays static?

“The government is in danger of squandering the opportunity to take advantage of the UK’s world-leading vaccine dividend as countries across the globe begin to open up for international travel.”