Tough COVID-19 restrictions imposed before England’s second lockdown were not strong enough, the health secretary has told MPs.
Matt Hancock said the beefed-up coronavirus tiers unveiled by Boris Johnson are “better-calibrated” than what was in place before the shutdown.
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He told a joint session of the health and social care and science and technology committees that the original Tier 3 measures in place in September and October were not “strong enough to get the R below one, and therefore cases falling”.
“Therefore, we need a slightly tougher third tier so we can have confidence that we can bring cases down under the tiered system,” the health secretary said.
Speaking about the hoped-for rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine in the months to come, Mr Hancock told MPs: “After Easter, we think we will be getting back to normal.”
And he said he does not expect there to be another national lockdown.
“I very much hope not to by having a tiered system which is calibrated to be able to bring the virus under control, where that’s necessary,” the health secretary said.
