Boris: Let's Be Sensible... Delay Will Save Lives

Now is time to ease off the accelerator

- Macer Hall

Thousands of lives may be saved by Boris Johnson’s four-week delay in ending Covid curbs.

The extra month of restrictions gives a “crucial” chance to deliver millions more jabs to combat the Delta variant.

The Prime Minister said last night: “It is sensible to wait just a little longer.”

Revealing a revised Freedom Day of July 19 when rules will be lifted, Mr Johnson added: “Now is the time to ease off the accelerator.”

The gap between first and second injections for the over-40s will be cut by a third, from 12 to eight weeks, to help hit the new target.

The time gained from scrapping the planned relaxation on June 21 is aimed at ensuring two thirds of Britons have been offered the double dose defence by the altered roadmap’s finish date. While everyone aged 18 and over should have been offered at least one jab by then.

The PM said in a televised address: “Now is the time to ease off the accelerator. By being cautious now we have the chance – in the next four weeks – to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more people.

“We can give the NHS a few more crucial weeks to get those remaining jabs into the arms of those who need them.

“And since today I cannot say that we have met all our four tests for proceeding with Step 4 on June 21, I think it is sensible to wait just a little longer.”