UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shared his views on the possibility of a second national lockdown in the country.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Johnson compared the option of another shutdown to a "nuclear deterrent", but stressed that he does not think Britain "will be in that position again".
"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.
The prime minister further elaborated that experts were getting better at spotting the disease.
"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", Johnson stated.
According to the prime minister, there will be a "significant return to normality" by Christmas.
The statement comes after scientists suggested that in a worst-case scenario, a winter wave of the coronavirus could result in up to 251,000 fatalities, while the minimum amount of victims would be about 24,500.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country currently stands at over 294,000, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
