Normal life will return after the novel coronavirus pandemic but it is some way away and will depend on people sticking to lockdown rules and the mass rollout of the vaccines, Reuters reports the British government’s chief medical adviser said.

Chris Whitty told the BBC that the United Kingdom was currently at the worst point in the pandemic and that the death toll of 81,431 was “absolutely appalling”. Asked if life would ever return to normal, Whitty said: “I am confident we will go back to life as it was before at some point, that’s not in doubt, that’s the life we all want to lead.”

Once vaccines are rolled out, he said, “people will be able to have the restrictions lifted. It won’t happen in one go, and at a certain point, hopefully you’ll get back to a life that is basically exactly the same as it was before.”