Sir Keir Starmer announced that he supports the Government’s Covid crackdown, and the Government’s efforts to increase booster jab programmes. He also urged people not to ignore the rules to prevent Omicron from overburdening the NHS.

The Labour leader, in a prerecorded television address addressed to the nation tonight, accused Ministers for acting too slow in the face the rapidly-spreading strain. He said that the country needed ‘leadership they can trust’.

Sir Keir also insisted that people should ‘stick to the rules’ – in what is likely to be regarded as a thinly-veiled refence to allegations of rule-busting Christmas parties at Downing Street last year.

Yesterday the Prime Minister declared that every eligible adult in England will be given a third dose by the end the month.

Sir Keir, a BBC One presenter, urged viewers to obtain their top-up shots and said that Labour Party will support the government’s so-called “Plan B” measures. These include mandatory facemasks, orders to work at home and the controversial Covid passports to large venues. 

So, the Commons will see the restrictions through tomorrow, even though Tory murmurings that there was a revolt against the Covid crackdown.

Labour’s leader appealed to the people: “In times like these, we all have to put the national interests first and follow the rules.” Although I know it can be difficult to stick to the rules, I will continue to follow them.

“It would be very easy for the holidays we have all looked forward to to divert our attention from our national duties. Working from home, whether we’re able to do so without being harmed or wearing masks, will be a great way to prevent any infection.

He stated that while we may not know exactly how dangerous the situation is, it’s clear that many lives are in danger and our NHS is at serious risk. This will lead to more deaths. We must protect the NHS by doing everything we can.

Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is supporting the Government’s new Covid crackdown and efforts to ramp up the booster jab programme as he urged people to ‘stick to the rules’ to help prevent the NHS from being ‘overwhelmed’ by the Omicron variant

Sir Keir Sterner has stated that he will support the Government’s Covid crackdown as well as efforts to boost the booster jab program. Additionally, he encouraged people to “stick to the rules” to keep the NHS from becoming ‘overwhelmed by Omicron variants.

Sir Keir also insisted that people should ‘stick to the rules’ – in what is likely to be regarded as a thinly-veiled refence to allegations of rule-busting Christmas parties at Downing Street last year

Sir Keir also insisted that people should ‘stick to the rules’ – in what is likely to be regarded as a thinly-veiled refence to allegations of rule-busting Christmas parties at Downing Street last year

People queuing outside the Saint Thomas vaccination centre in Westminster as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces tougher Covid restrictions

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced tougher Covid restrictions, people waited outside Saint Thomas’ vaccination center in Westminster. 

NHS raises alert to HIGHEST level as UK Omicron cases jump 50% in 24 hours to almost 5,000 and Boris confirms first death with mutant strain — but overall daily Covid infections rise just 6% to 54,661 as booster drive descends into chaos on first day 

After the Omicron virus outbreak in the UK exploded by 50% within a single day, and the confirmation of the Omicron-mutant strain’s first confirmed death, the entire NHS England was placed on alert.

The alert has been raised to four by health service officials who believe that there is a risk of Covid patients causing the closing of vital services.

The move comes as the NHS was told to put non-urgent care on the backburner once again and lead the country’s mammoth Omicron-busting booster vaccine drive which aims to offer all 53million adults a third dose by the end of January — a goal that would require the programme doubling its current daily rate.

It came as officials confirmed another 1,576 cases of the highly-evolved Omicron variant over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 4,713 — however this is believed to be a vast underestimate with the true number several times greater because not all positive tests are analysed for variants.

Sajid Javid (Health Secretary) stated that the current best estimate is that there are 200,000 daily infections in the country. Omicron will be dominant in London tomorrow, and nationwide within days.

The Department of Health reported that 54,661 Covid cases were recorded in the 24 hour period. That is just 6 percentage points more than the week before. 

Omicron is spreading at an alarming rate, and No10’s experts have predicted that it could grow to 1 million daily by the end. Another 926 hospital admissions per day were recorded by the DOH, an increase of 14% in one week and 38 deaths, a decrease of 7%.

Sir Keir stated that while delivering the booster jab program would present a challenge, he felt confident that the public will rise to the occasion.

“Time after time, the British people are rising to the challenge. So let’s all pull together and do the right things again,” he stated.

In order to defeat Omicron which causes around 200,000 infections per day worldwide, the NHS needs to administer 840,000 more booster jabs daily, according to the Health Minister.

Sajid Javid stated to MPs that all adults in England can expect to receive a “chance to get boosted” by December’s end, though he cautioned not everyone will get the chance to do so.

He added, “It’s asking a lot of our colleagues at the NHS. We all agree that it is possible to give adults the chance of getting boosted before the month ends. This does not necessarily mean that everyone can receive the booster. It requires that they come forward to accept this opportunity, along with everything else in this massive expansion plan.

This is because there’s confusion as to whether the Government promised everyone a vaccine by the deadline of December 31 or just offered a chance at a future one.

Boris Johnson had earlier announced the first UK Omicron death during a visit at a Paddington vaccination clinic.

“Sadly Omicron produces hospitalisations. Unfortunately, at least one Omicron patient has died,” said the Prime Minister. The idea that Omicron is somehow milder than the original virus I believe, but that we should not accept it as a fact. We need to recognize the rapid pace of which the disease progresses throughout the population. We can only do the best we can: get all our boosters.

Johnson refused to rule any further coronavirus restrictions out of hand before Christmas. However, he stressed that boosters are needed immediately.

“Throughout the pandemic, I have been very careful to emphasize to the public that it is important to monitor where the pandemic is heading and take all necessary steps to safeguard public health,” he said.

A booster can be obtained for anyone 18 years old or older in England starting this week, provided the last dose occurred at least three months prior. Online bookings for boosters are available to those over 30. This will also be possible starting Wednesday.

Johnson explained that any MP who wants to rebel against Plan B needs to recognize the fact there’s no place for complacency when dealing with Omicron.

The Prime Minister was asked by broadcasters about the support he received from his backbenchers for Tuesday’s election. He stated: ‘I think everybody should recognize that Omicron poses a very grave risk to public safety and is spreading rapidly, so there is no place to complacency.

But, even though we now have vaccines, the situation is still incomparably better this year.

“And I hope that people understand. Colleagues in Westminster around the nation will also realize that the measures are balanced and proportionate.  

The Tories oppose making NHS Covid passes (displaying vaccination status or a negative flow result) mandatory to gain entry into large venues like nightclubs. Although the measures should be approved by Labour with Labour’s support it would also be a blow to Johnson’s leadership as Johnson faces criticism for rule-breaking parties during Christmas 2013.

Three jabs for a Covid passport, warns Sajid: Health Secretary says booster jabs will be needed for Covid passes once Brits have had a ‘reasonable chance’ to get them – as new laws reveal £10,000 fine for faking proof to get into nightclubs or events 

Tonight Sajid javid advised that booster jabs would soon be considered a ‘full vaccination’.

According to the Health Secretary, the government will change the definition once all adult have received a reasonable chance to receive a booster.

This comment was made after Boris Johnson tried to speed up the rollout. It could lead into chaos with book booking sites crashing and long queues at walk in centres.

Javid was a victim of Tory fury over the new Plan B’ restrictions in place to deal with the Omicron variant at the Commons tonight. More than 70 MPs threaten to rebel tomorrow in crucial votes over the plans.

The new rules regarding Covid passed meant that people would need to pass a negative flow test starting Wednesday to be allowed to attend large events or nightclubs.

According to Mr Javid, double-jabbed people will be exempt. However, he added that once all adults have had an opportunity to receive their booster jabs, we plan to modify this exemption and require booster shots.

It was notable that the Cabinet minister refused to specify a timeline amid criticisms of the government’s inability to be specific about when all adult jabs will occur before January 1.

Westminster was under surveillance for resignations of ministerial assistants. Up to 10 private secretaries in Parliament were reported to have been preparing to quit the government to protest the plans.

The Prime Minister spoke to media during a visit at a Paddington vaccination clinic in west London. He stated: “It is very dangerous to the public’s health and it is rapidly spreading. There is no place for complacency.”

He stated that vaccines have made the country a ‘comparably stronger’ country than it was last year.

Johnson claimed that vaccines have created an open economy and society which are more accessible than almost any European nation.

He continued, “I will present my case to my friend, to the public to every one – the driving factor behind me is concern for public healthcare. Everybody who has studied the data will see that if we get boosted and protect ourselves immediately, we have a greater chance of having an NHS protected going into the next year.

Plan B also prohibits the wearing of masks indoors at most public locations. There is guidance on how to work remotely.

For indoor venues of more than 500 persons, for unseated outdoor venues having more than 4,000, or any other venue that has more than 10,000, a NHS Covid pass showing proof of full vaccination will be necessary.

Johnson’s win in 2019 general elections was a landslide success, which left him with about an 80 MP Commons majority.

Around 75 Tories that have voted in opposition to the measures would vote against them, rather than voting for them. This is a bigger rebellion than the 55 Tories who voted against coronavirus restrictions last December.

Downing Street stated that there are likely to be “a lot of votes” on different regulations.

Marcus Fysh, a Conservative MP, was accused of comparing the plans and the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi regime.

We aren’t a society of ‘papers please.’ He said that this isn’t Nazi Germany. It’s the end of an authoritarian wedge. We will not accept it.

Marie van der Zyl was president of British Jews’ Board of Deputies. She said: “It’s completely unacceptable that you compare the proposed vaccine passports to Nazi Germany.

“We ask people in high-ranking positions to be careful about making inappropriate comparisons.”

Official spokesperson of the Prime Minister stated that there was a “tidal wave” of Omicron. Plan B measures were essential to buying time and allowing us to get booster doses and protection for both life and property.

“On the subject of certification, I stated that it required proof of negative testing unless you have been double-vaccinated. It allows us to leave some settings open for guests, which is crucial because otherwise, we might be forced to close them. Which nobody wants to see.

This comes just as Omicron is reported to have caused the UK’s first Omicron-related death. Ten Omicron patients are currently being treated in the hospital. These 10 individuals have all received 2 vaccines. Their ages range from 18 to 85. However, there’s no indication of underlying conditions.

The Commons were informed by Mr Javid that the UK had delivered over 840,000 jabs in one day. This is a challenge that we must not only match, but also beat every day. We can do it and have a plan.

 

 

NHS England was put on the highest level of alert for the first time since March. Level four means health bosses believe there is a real threat that an expected influx of Covid patients could start to force the closure of other vital services

For the first time since March, NHS England has been placed on high alert. The fourth level indicates that health officials believe that the expected increase in Covid patients poses a threat to other vital services.

SAGE estimates that 2 Covid jabs can still be used to reduce Omicron related deaths or hospitalizations by 84%. 

Official estimates show that two Covid jabs can still reduce the Omicron risk by as much as 84 percent. However, a booster should prevent someone falling ill twice.

The weekend’s SAGE modeling assumed that Pfizer two doses provide 83.7 percent protection against death and hospitalisation from this highly-evolved strain.

A 2-dose AstraZeneca vaccine course was shown to decrease the Omicron severe disease risk by 77.1 percent. Both vaccine brands are expected to decrease in effectiveness within the next three to six month.

The Government’s scientists advise that protection from AstraZeneca jabs may be reduced to 61.3 percent for Pfizer and 66.7 per cent for Pfizer.

A booster dose of Pfizer’s vaccine was estimated to top-up immunity to over 93 per cent, regardless of which jab someone was originally given — providing a similar level of protection as two doses did against Delta.

These estimates were made by modelling students at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They are based upon laboratory studies that look at antibodies. Modelers warned Omicron, a vaccine-resistant variant of Omicron could lead to higher hospitalisations than England’s second wave in January last year. This was when approximately 4,000 patients with the Omicron virus were admitted daily to NHS facilities.

Since the Omicron strain was discovered, scientists have raced to find out how well existing vaccines work on it. It was feared that the spike protein, which contains 30 mutations, would make it difficult to recognize.

“We are opening new vaccination centers, including mobile and pop-up sites. They will be open seven days per week. We’re training thousands of more volunteers to become vaccinators. We’re also asking pharmacies and GPs for more help. In addition, 42 military planning teams are being drafted in every part of the country.

Javid stated that he recognizes the ‘difficult trade-offs involved in our national mission’. This means some of Mr Javid’s non-urgent surgeries and appointments may have to be cancelled.

He said, “These are steps no Health Secretary would want to take except they were absolutely essential. But I’m convinced that if the booster is not prioritised now, the health implications will be much more severe in the months ahead.”

According to Mr Javid, there have been 4,713 Omicron cases in Britain. He also stated that the UK Health Security Agency has estimated that around 200,000 Omicron infections per day are currently occurring.

He said that Omicron is a significant component of over 20% of all cases in England. However, it has already risen to more than 44% in London. We expect Omicron to be the most dominant Covid 19 variant within the next 48 hours.

Javid advised that boosters be used to protect children.

Robert Halfon was the Conservative Chairman of Education Select Committee. He asked Mr. Javid to ensure that schools remain open in January.

Javid stated that he believes it is important to prioritise children when taking the steps we have taken, particularly in expanding the booster program.

Downing Street stated that schools would be open until there was an “absolute health emergency” and cautioned local authorities not to shut down early Christmas.

The official spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that there were no plans to restrict schooling. He also stated, “We know how important education is and how harmful the pandemic has proven to be towards young children and people who have, in many instances, borne the brunt,”

After the government website stated that there were no further home testing available Monday, people trying to purchase lateral flow kits said they had. The prime minister responded by saying that there is a ready supply of these tests.

An earlier statement by the UK Health Security Agency stated that “due to extraordinarily high demand, ordering flow tests via gov.uk was temporarily suspended in order to fulfill existing orders”.

“Everyone can obtain a lateralflow test kit at any local pharmacy or other community site, and also in schools and colleges.”

Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow minister for health, described Covid Testing as a “shambles”.

He stated to MPs, “Pharmacys all across the nation are out of stock” and that “even here in Parliament there is no home-testing kit available from Portcullis House.”

He claimed that an increase of demand must have been anticipated, and said that this was a grave problem.

It comes as Wales’ First Minister announced urgent plans to offer the booster vaccine to all eligible adults by the end of the year during a televised address.

Mark Drakeford stated that the Welsh Government has increased the speed of its booster program because new evidence shows two doses (Covid-19) are insufficient to protect against Omicron.

According to Mr Drakeford, Omicron will be the predominant form of the virus by December 31, he confirmed. This would lead to a ‘new wave of illnesses and infections’, Drakeford stated. In the United States, Omicron has been confirmed in 30 cases.

A message was broadcast on BBC Wales’ 6.30pm at social media and at 7pm on BBC Wales. He stated that Omicron case numbers will increase rapidly and steeply just like in other areas of the UK. This new coronavirus is still being discovered. The information that we have so far indicates that we face a grave situation.

Omicron will become the dominant virus form in Wales within the next month. It could bring a new round of illness and infections. The NHS could be under severe pressure and this could lead to a lot of patients needing treatment in hospitals.

He said: “We have taken steps to improve protections in Wales, and we might need to take further steps to ensure safety for Wales.”

Drakeford stated that the goal was to give all adult boosters by the end the year.  Scotland also pledged to deliver booster jabs by the end the year to all people over 18.