Matt Hancock the Health Secretary has warned on Sunday that the Black Lives Matter protests in London and across the UK will ‘undoubtedly’ lead to a “risk” of new virus cases.
On Saturday tens of thousands of protestors across the UK gathered defying the governments pleas to not gather in large groups.
Hancock told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, “I support very strongly the argument that is being made by those who are protesting for more equality and against discrimination, but the virus itself doesn’t discriminate.
“Gathering in large groups is temporarily against the rules precisely because it increases the risk of the spread of this virus.
“So I would urge people to make their argument, and I will support you in making that argument, but please don’t spread this virus which has already done so much damage and we are starting to get under control.”
Scientists are warning of a second more severe wave of the virus could hit the country by December. If the R number rises above 1, then there will be another lockdown to curb the virus spreading.
Professor Chris Bonell, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said to the BBC, “Our concern from the data at the moment is test-trace-isolate is not reaching the coverage we think is the minimum.
“There is clearly a risk of a second pandemic wave… I’m worried. The R [rate of virus spread]is a bit below one [the point at which the number of new cases starts to take off again], but the incidence is high so it’s precarious.”
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