British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was “absolutely vital” for people in the UK not to “delude ourselves into thinking we are out of the woods or that this somehow all over” as Europe feels the initial ripples of a second coronavirus wave.
Speaking during a visit to North Yorkshire in England on Thursday, Johnson said the way to avoid a “damaging second wave” was to adhere to social distancing guidelines, practice regular hand-washing, and wear face masks on public transport and in shops.
Johnson said that despite the fact that death numbers in the UK “are well down,” his message to Britons remained “don’t lose focus, don’t lose discipline, continue to follow those guidelines, and if you have symptoms get a test.”
The Prime Minister said he was monitoring the “resurgence of the virus in some other European countries” and the rising case numbers in the United States.
He said consequently it was “absolutely vital” that Britons “don’t delude ourselves into thinking we are out of the woods or that this is somehow all over.”
Johnson also strongly encouraged Britons experiencing any coronavirus symptoms to get a test. This comes after an announcement from the chief medical officers of the four UK nations Monday, stipulating that anyone experiencing Covid-19 symptoms must now self-isolate for ten days rather than the previously advised seven.
Addressing recent flare ups of the virus in areas such as Oldham, Johnson said he knew it was “tough” for residents but that “the best way to deal with this is if we have tough local lockdowns.”
He paid tribute to the “the efforts of local people in many, many places across the country from Kirklees to Ashford” working to get the virus under control.
