“We don’t know enough about the science of this virus, it hasn’t been in our population for long enough for us to know what it does in immunological terms.”
Johnson, who has faced criticism for his country’s light-touch approach to tackling the outbreak, is expected to introduce emergency legislation next week with the ban coming into force from next weekend, government sources told British media.
But a senior health official has estimated that the number of infected people is more likely to be between 5,000 and 10,000. The government has said the ultimate hope is that the country develops “herd immunity” to the virus, but World Health Organisation spokeswoman Margaret Harris on Saturday warned that not enough was known about the COVID-19 to justify such an approach.
However, health officials advising the government argue that taking drastic measures too early would have only limited benefit and would risk tiring a population before the peak of the crisis.But many events such as Premier League football matches, the London Marathon and the May local elections have already been suspended or postponed.
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