Yes, they did. And it was… weirdly boring. The Department of Health and Social Care released a statement on Monday that read like a microwave manual. They said, and I quote: “There are no current plans to impose any form of national lockdown in 2026.” Full stop.
But here’s the kicker — they added a tiny clause. “However, the government always prepares contingency plans for a range of winter pressures and public health threats.” Sound familiar? It’s the classic ‘we’re not doing it, but we wrote it down just in case’ dance. My inner cynic did a little jig.
Downing Street’s press secretary, when grilled, gave the most passive-aggressive smile and said: “The Prime Minister has no intention of locking down peacetime Britain again.” Notice the word “peacetime”? That word is doing a lot of heavy lifting, my friend. What if it isn’t peacetime? Just sayin’.
Health Secretary’s “Cautious” Comment
Then the Health Secretary jumped in. During a radio interview, he used the phrase: “We’re in a different phase now, but we must remain vigilant.” Vigilant. That word is code for “we have a binder full of restrictions.” I think we’ve all got a bit of PTSD from that vocabulary, haven’t we?
Covid-19: One year of lockdowns across the UK
Another official told the Guardian that the “2026 rumour is pure fiction.” But they also admitted the government is “monitoring BA.87,” a new variant. Oh, great. So we’re back to naming variants like they’re punk rock bands? BA.87 sounds like a dystopian album, not a virus.
