A UK government scientific adviser has said there must be a “significant reduction” in people entering the country to fight South Africa’s coronavirus strain, but border closures were completely inconvenient. .
Professor Calum Semple, who sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), was speaking after Downing Street denied that Boris Johnson had been told by scientists Sage two weeks ago stopped travel or mandatory hotel quarantines from all countries to stop. new variables.
After health secretary Matt Hancock announced that various South African cases had been found across England, Labor said he supported the argument for closing UK borders or introducing quarantine house- hotel for all new entrants.
Semple, a professor of child health and medicine at Liverpool University, said it was “extremely important” to carve out “South African snoring” but there were limits to what could be done. to do.
Coronavirus UK cases
“It’s a lot easier if you’re in a small island like the Isle of Man to close the borders,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
“Britain is a complex country in transition and it is a much more difficult decision to make there. But, in general, I support restricting movement, especially people in this time. You can not do it completely when you find a country that is dependent on imports for food and other essential processes, it is not just practical, but yes, a significant reduction in the movement of people is very important right now. “
Semple would not be drawn to whether he would support mandatory hotel quarantines when he came abroad. The government announced last week that UK nationals and residents coming from places on the UK travel ban list must quarantine hotels for 10 days. There are 33 countries on the “red list” but work says travelers from all countries should be forced to quarantine.
A report in the Times said such an approach, or in exchange for a total travel ban, was suggested by scientists two weeks ago but a major government source has denied it.
Door-to-door trials will begin on Tuesday in eight areas of England at the start of a “two-week sprint” to halt the spread of the South African variable. The Hanwell districts are in west London, Tottenham, north London, Mitcham, south London, Walsall, west Midland, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, Maidstone, in Kent, Woking, in Surrey, and Southport, in Merseyside.
Semple said: “We don’t really know” the dangers of snoring, saying: “But it ‘s very important to take every opportunity … the so – called African variable. -Take it right, hold it down, hold it down and allow the vaccination schedule to recover. “
Professor Robin Shattock, head of mucosal disease and immunology within the medicine department at Imperial College London, said he had been working on a vaccine that would target the opposite. He told the program today that a new vaccine could be made in the laboratory in about three weeks and then made in two or three months.