COVID is still here and still deadly, warns WHO on second anniversary of lockdown

People must continue to have “easy access” to testing with “still an awful lot of people getting sick and dying” from coronavirus, the World Health Organisation has told Sky News.

Speaking on the second anniversary of the first national lockdown, Dr David Nabarro, the WHO’s special envoy on the virus, appealed for people to remember it is “still nasty” – and that without mass testing it is difficult to monitor “where the virus is”.

From 1 April lateral flow tests will no longer be freely available, the government has said.

Dr Nabarro said: “The virus is the problem. People are the solution. You can’t solve the problem and live with COVID if you don’t know where the virus is.

“So if there’s one thing I would like to ask all governments to try to maintain – that is easy access to testing.

“We always say that if the proportion of people who test positive in a country rises above about 10 per cent, then there’s not enough testing being done.”

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He said: “We still are in the middle of quite an unpleasant pandemic – other things have dominated the news recently – but my quick summary is the virus is continuing to move.

“There are still an awful lot of people getting sick and dying each week and we cannot be complacent.”

Virus is ‘causing a lot of problems’

He also appealed to the public to still wear masks in crowded places and to maintain “physical distancing”.

“If you are vulnerable, and that means if you’ve got other diseases, do please shield yourselves and the most important way to do that is get vaccinated,” he said.

“We are living with the virus and it is still causing a lot of problems.”

When it was pointed out many people in England were not appearing to adhere to safety recommendations over COVID, Dr Nabarro said he had been in France where “people are being remarkably careful”.

He added: “My only advice to everybody is just don’t forget. Remember, this has killed so many people and that it’s still nasty. I don’t want to get COVID and I don’t think anybody else should.”

According to data published on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics, a total of 188,078 deaths have occurred in the UK where COVID was mentioned on the death certificate.

‘Thankful and proud’ of health and care staff

The UK held a minute’s silence at midday to remember those who have died during the crisis as part of a series of events organised by the end-of-life charity Marie Curie.

Ruth May, NHS England’s chief nursing officer, said she is “eternally thankful and proud” of everything health and care staff have achieved.

Boris Johnson said those who died over the past two years “will never be out of our hearts and minds”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his thoughts are with those who lost loved ones and “the profound impact it has had on us all”.

Marie Curie chief nurse Julie Pearce said: “Let’s take time to connect, and show support for the millions of people who are grieving, and remember the family, friends, neighbours and colleagues we’ve lost over the last two years.”

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