Daily Infection Cases and Deaths Due to COVID-19 Soar High, UK PM Boris Johnson Says Vaccination Remains Voluntary

Ilustrasi vaksinasi COVID-19. (Wikimedia Commons / Government Spokesperson)

JAKARTA - The UK has not made it mandatory for its citizens to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, amid high cases of infection and daily reports of deaths from the coronavirus.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday the COVID-19 vaccine would not be mandatory despite anti-vax campaigners preventing people from taking the shot.

PM Johnson said he wanted to persuade people who had doubts about a vaccine to get one, but the task was complicated by people spreading misinformation.

"I want a voluntary approach in this country, and we will maintain a voluntary approach. Other European countries will be coercive," PM Johnson said, citing Reuters January 7.

"But how tragic is it that we've got all this pressure on the NHS (National Health Service) and you have people out there spouting bullshit about vaccinations. And I think it's about time I, (and) the government, called them out about what they're doing. It is completely wrong. It is completely counterproductive," he explained.

Meanwhile, the UK reported 179.756 new cases of COVID-19 infection on Day, while the death toll from COVID-19 added to another 231 deaths in the 28 days after testing positive, official data showed.

For information, the day before the UK recorded 194.747 new cases of COVID-19 infection, with the reported death toll from COVID-19 reaching 334 deaths.