Boris Johnson has stressed the importance of keeping the vaccine rollout at its current pace due to the risk that the ‘third wave’ of Covid infections across Europe will hit the UK as well. Sky News has the story.
Boris Johnson has been “reassured” EU leaders “don’t want to see blockades” on the export of Covid vaccines – as he warned a third wave of infections in Europe would likely hit the UK as well.
Amid a dispute over a possible block on exports of coronavirus jabs to the UK, the Prime Minister said he had been “reassured by talking to EU partners over the last few months that they don’t want to see blockades”.
He stressed the UK was “on course” to vaccinate the top nine priority groups – including all over-50s – by April 15th, while the Government would “bash on” with its roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions.
Mr Johnson said he had talked to EU leaders “repeatedly over the period”, adding: “We’re all facing the same pandemic, we all have the same problems.
“I think one thing worth stressing is that on the continent right now, you can see sadly there is a third wave under way.
“And people in this country should be under no illusions that previous experience has taught us that when a wave hits our friends, I’m afraid it washes up on our shores as well.”
That last sentence is poorly constructed. If a person is “under no illusions” that “previous experience has taught” them a particular lesson, that implies “previous experience” hasn’t taught them that lesson, when Boris clearly means the opposite. Tsk, tsk.
The Prime Minister’s garbled statement follows recent warnings that an increase in Covid cases on the Continent could prevent Brits from holidaying abroad this summer.
Worth reading in full.
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