Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

British PM Warns Of "Rough Winter" As Covid Cases Remain High

British PM Warns Of "Rough Winter" As Covid Cases Remain High

Boris Johnson's warning came as the UK registered a further 9,284 daily COVID-19 infections on Sunday, a day before the government had planned to ease all lockdown measures until the Delta variant forced a month-long delay into July.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday warned of a "rough winter" ahead even though things may be "looking good" for July 19 to be the so-called "terminus point" marking an end to all lockdown restrictions in the country.

His warning came as the UK registered a further 9,284 daily COVID-19 infections on Sunday, a day before the government had planned to ease all lockdown measures until the Delta variant forced a month-long delay into July.

"You can never exclude that there will be some new disease, some new horror that we simply haven't budgeted for or accounted for," said Johnson, when asked about further lockdowns in future.

"But looking at where we are, at the efficacy of the vaccines against all variants that we can currently see, I think it's looking good for 19 July to be that terminus point," he told reporters.

He indicated that the cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19, first identified in India, are rising at a rate of about 30 per cent a week, with hospitalisations and intensive care admissions "roughly the same".

"I think what the scientists are saying is that things like flu will come back this winter, we may have a rough winter for all sorts of reasons, and obviously there are big pressures on the NHS. All the more reason to reduce the number of Covid cases now, give the NHS the breathing space it needs to get on with dealing with all those other pressures, and we are certainly going to be putting in the investment to make sure that they can, he added.

Johnson was addressing reporters during a visit to the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, part of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, to announce his aim to increase research spending from nearly 15 billion pounds a year to 22 billion pounds by 2025 as part of plans unveiled earlier by Downing Street to build the UK into a global science superpower.

"We want to use the public investment to trigger the waves of private investment that we need," he said.

Meanwhile, latest National Health Service (NHS) figures revealed that more than 1 million COVID-19 vaccines were booked in two days following the invitation on Friday for all adults in England to come forward for vaccination.

People rushed to book 1,008,472 appointments in just two days an average of more than 21,000 every hour, or six every second on Friday and Saturday, the NHS said.

"The NHS Covid vaccination programme is gathering momentum the finishing line comes into sight, said Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive.

"It is fantastic to see so many young people coming forward to do their bit in the battle against the virus, protecting themselves, their friends and their family over 3.5 million people under the age of 30 have already had a first dose, he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×