LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that his plan to end COVID-19 restrictions in England on July 19 did not mean people should get demob happy, and warned that a new vaccine-busting variant could mean new measures were needed in the future.

"I didn't want people to feel that this is, as it were the moment to get demob happy... it is very far from the end of dealing with this virus," Johnson said at a news conference.

"Obviously, if we do find another variant that doesn't respond to the to the vaccines... then clearly, we will have to take whatever steps we need to do to protect the public."