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Sajid Javid has played down the need for more restrictions in the coming weeks, telling Sky News that England is “steady” in Plan A for now.
Speaking of Trevor Phillips on Sunday, the health secretary said ministers should “remain vigilant, not be content in any way” – but said he hoped people can “look forward to Christmas together”.
Mr Javid added that the government would take action if needed, as infection rates rise across other European countries, telling Sky News: “If we need to take more action with Plan B, we will, but we’re not at that point.”
Photo: Health Minister Sajid Javid has encouraged those who are eligible to accept the offer of the coronavirus booster vaccine
Earlier this week, the Austrian government announced a nationwide lockdown and said coronavirus vaccinations would become mandatory by law next year, blaming the high number of infections in the country on those who failed to get vaccinated.
The nationwide lockdown will start on Monday and will initially last for 10 days, before reassessment, and will last for a maximum of 20 days.
Javid said he believed England had the “right measures” in place to curb infection, but cautioned that the virus “could be very unpredictable” and ministers “need to be prepared” to act.
The Minister of Health told Sky News: “As we all look forward to Christmas, it is very sad to see the rise in cases – rising in parts of Europe. We have always known that this virus, it likes winter, like cold, darker” with winter coming And we have to make sure that we do everything we can to protect ourselves from that.
“What has made a real difference here in the UK is our booster programme – our hugely successful booster programme – nearly 15 million booster doses have already been administered, covering about a quarter of the population over the age of 12.
“That’s 400,000 a day across the UK, and that makes a difference and we know because just this week there was more data published in more studies showing the protection you get from the change in enhanced protection, it almost doubles – from 50% to more than 90%”.
Photo: Sajid Javid says he hopes everyone can enjoy Christmas together this year
He continued, “We all have a role to play in this and in the national immunization program. And if you qualify for shot one, shot two, shot three, please come forward, and let’s look forward to Christmas together.”
When asked if the government should dust off its Plan B and bring in vaccination passports and mandatory requirements for wearing face coverings, Mr. Javid added: “Well, the first thing I’d say if I could make a tough decision in the beginning of the summer.
“Other countries haven’t followed our path and we decided of course we want to start opening up, and if you’re going to do that, you better do it in the summer – it’s much safer to do it in the summer.
“Unfortunately, other countries in Europe have not. But looking into the future, as we look to the winter, we need to make sure that we remain vigilant, we are not complacent in any way.
“You’ve pointed out the importance of the booster program, but in terms of any other potential actions, we’ve said all along that we have Plan A and that is where we are steadily at the moment.”
Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed that there was “nothing in the data” to suggest the government should go ahead with Plan B.
1:51 Boris Johnson said that despite fears of an increase in infections in Europe, there is currently no need to impose further restrictions
The health secretary also confirmed that nearly 5.9 million people are on the NHS waiting list and that this number “will go up before it goes down”.
From Monday, people over 40 will be eligible to receive the booster, and Mr Javid urged those who could accept a third-strike offer to help keep their family and friends safe over the Christmas period.
Children aged 16-17 will also be able to book a second time from Monday.
Germany and Slovakia are among the countries that, along with Austria, have taken more drastic measures in the weeks leading up to Christmas, with debate raging over whether vaccines alone are enough to tackle the Corona virus.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced new restrictions on the public life of those who have not received a vaccine in areas where hospitals are filling dangerously fast with coronavirus patients.
Last week, Europe accounted for more than half of the seven-day average of infections globally and nearly half of the recent deaths, according to a tally by Reuters news agency.
2:40 Austria plans a mandatory vaccination campaign, as coronavirus cases rise unexpectedly.
Greece has also imposed more restrictions on unvaccinated people after the recent surge in cases – banning them from all indoor spaces, such as cinemas, museums and gyms.
On Saturday, the UK reported 40,941 new cases of Covid and 150 more deaths in the last 24 hours.
The number of cases was a slight decrease from Friday’s numbers, when 44,242 cases were registered.
The total number of COVID deaths in the UK since the start of the pandemic is now 143,866.
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Sources 2/ https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMimQFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jb3ZpZC0xOS1zYWppZC1qYXZpZC1zYXlzLWdvdmVybm1lbnQtYXJlLWZpcm1seS1rZWVwaW5nLXRvLXBsYW4tYS1hdC10aGUtbW9tZW50LWJ1dC13b3VsZC1pbmNyZWFzZS1tZWFzdXJlcy1pZi1uZWVkZWQtMTI0NzQ0MDTSAZ0BaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2NvdmlkLTE5LXNhamlkLWphdmlkLXNheXMtZ292ZXJubWVudC1hcmUtZmlybWx5LWtlZXBpbmctdG8tcGxhbi1hLWF0LXRoZS1tb21lbnQtYnV0LXdvdWxkLWluY3JlYXNlLW1lYXN1cmVzLWlmLW5lZWRlZC0xMjQ3NDQwNA?oc=5 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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