UK PM Johnson: Option of second lockdown 'is like a nuclear deterrent'

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Sunday Telegraph today that locking down the country a second time is a last resort, albeit an option that has to remain on the table.

"I can't abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent. But it is like a nuclear deterrent, I certainly don't want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again," he said.

Last week, Johnson announced that both local and central governments were being given expanded powers to declare localized lockdowns (closing stores, shutting outdoor public spaces, and canceling events). Today, Johnson expressed the hope that such measures would prove sufficient in managing the epidemic, saying: "We're genuinely able now to look at what's happening in much closer to real time, to isolate outbreaks and to address them on the spot, and to work with local authorities to contain the problem locally and regionally if we have to."

Meanwhile, a note of caution was sounded by the UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, who warned that, "Come winter, the challenges will be very much greater and of course there is a risk that this could also need national measures as well," the BBC reported.