Lockdown, Not Vaccines, Behind Drop In UK COVID Deaths, Boris Johnson Warns

The United Kingdom launched its inoculation drive in December and has already offered a first shot to all over-50s, the clinically vulnerable and health workers.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday that the rapid drop in COVID-19 deaths was largely down to a three-month lockdown, not the vaccination programme, and that cases would rise once again as restrictions ease. The United Kingdom launched its inoculation drive in December and has already offered a first shot to all over-50s, the clinically vulnerable and health workers. The country is behind only Israel in the proportion of its population to have received at least one dose. That rollout was however followed a month later by a third lockdown in early January to tackle surging infections driven by the "Kent" variant of the virus. Since February, daily infection numbers, hospitalisations and deaths have all dropped sharply. "The bulk of the work in reducing the disease has been done by the lockdown," Johnson said on Tuesday, adding there was no reason to change the roadmap for reopening the economy.