The British government will not completely lift the lockdown measure put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 until a vaccine is found, health minister Nadine Dorries has said.
This statement comes as pressure mounts on the government to outline its plan for how and when stay-at-home orders might be lifted.
But officials have pushed back on these calls, saying it is too soon to discuss such moves while the death toll continues to climb.
And health minister Ms Dorries, who was the first MP to be diagnosed with Covid-19, has now hinted that the measures could remain in place until a vaccine is found.
She tweeted on Wednesday night: “There is only one way we can ‘exit’ full lockdown and that is when we have a vaccine.
“Until then, we need to find ways we can adapt society and strike a balance between the health of the nation and our economy.”
It is not clear when a Covid-19 vaccine could arrive, with some experts saying it could take as long as 12 to 18 months.
