Chris Whitty is right – as restrictions are eased, there remains an imperative need for caution

Editorial: It may not be the news we want but the prime minister and his colleagues must acknowledge the fact that springtime will be a subdued affair in Britain

The chief medical officer has warned of the risk of another surge (Getty)

Caution, thy name is Whitty. Not for the first time, the chief medical officer for England, no doubt speaking for all public health officials, has had to tell the nation to calm down and carry on with the precautions.

He has warned in the sternest terms that Covid infection rates are still high, and that even with the current restrictions and the welcome success of the vaccination programme, there could still be a further 30,000 deaths before the pandemic finally dies down. Even then, the idea of a “zero Covid” society is unrealistic.

Appearing before MPs, Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser, were time and again asked by impatient Conservative backbenchers to countenance a faster unlock because so many people were getting their jabs – almost 23 million.