UK lowers Covid-19 alert level to ‘epidemic’ from ‘exponential’

The chief medical officers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, said it does not mean that the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

The United Kingdom’s chief medical officers have agreed that the Covid-19 threat level should be lowered one notch to “epidemic is in general circulation” from “transmission is high or rising exponentially”.

Pedestrians pass retail outlets on Lower Goat Lane in Norwich, UK on June 9, 2020. (Bloomberg File Photo)

The Joint Biosecurity Centre recommended the Covid-19 alert level should move from Level 4 (A Covid-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially) to Level 3 (A Covid-19 epidemic is in general circulation).

“There has been a steady decrease in cases we have seen in all four nations, and this continues,” the chief medical officers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland said.

“It does not mean that the pandemic is over. The virus is still in general circulation, and localised outbreaks are likely to occur.”