UK official warns of hard months ahead amid high COVID rates

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — England’s deputy chief medical officer says too many people believe the pandemic is over, and has warned that the U.K.’s very high coronavirus rates and rising deaths mean there are “hard months to come in the winter.” Jonathan Van-Tam also said Wednesday he was worried that increasing numbers of deaths showed infections were “now starting to penetrate into older age groups.” Van-Tam said that coronavirus rates in the U.K. are higher than in most of Europe and said: “We are running quite hot.” Britain’s government recorded 33,865 positive cases Tuesday and 293 deaths, the highest daily death figure since February.