Britain has recorded 82,886 Covid cases as Sajid Javid has refused to rule out another lockdown before Christmas and SAGE advisers told government officials that mixing of households should be banned ‘very soon’.
The increase in cases is 32,473, 64.4 Percent, over seven days. However, it is still lower than the 90,418 figure yesterday.
Today, 45 people died. This is a drop of 66 compared to last week’s 112 and an increase of 59.5 percent.
Omicron variant cases rose by 50 percent in 24 hours to 37101, as confirmed today by the UK Health Security Agency.
It comes after Sajid Javid today warned there are ‘no guarantees’ Christmas Day will go ahead without a lockdown as Boris Johnson desperately fends off alarming warnings from scientists.
Following a dire assessment by SAGE, which stated that infections could rise to two million in the next month, the Health Secretary acknowledged that “everything has been reviewed”. He also hinted at the possibility of tougher restrictions such as a ban on household mixing or the closing of any non-essential shops.
Medical and science chiefs Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance briefed the Cabinet yesterday that more measures are required to stop hospital admissions soaring above 3,000 per day in England. The peak may reach 10,000 according to models, while the daily death count could rise up to 6,006.
Ministers are resentful at the idea of locking millions more people in prison for Christmas, even though there’s no evidence to support it.
After a huge revolt against Plan B and Lord Frost’s shocking resignation overnight, questions have been raised as to whether Johnson has the political will or the ability to pass restrictions. This highlights the dangers of “coercive” policies.
Tonight’s fast-moving situation was highlighted by the fact that the number of confirmed cases increased nearly 50% to 37,000. Another 12,000 were identified within 24 hours. As many cases go undiagnosed, or are still being tested, it is believed there may be more.
This morning Mr. Javid seemed to suggest a shift in the air, stating that the SAGE analysis was’sobering’ but the government is prepared to do ‘what is necessary’.
Asked if it was possible to rule out a circuit breaker before Christmas Eve, Mr Javid stated that there were no guarantees.
“At this point, we simply have to review everything.”
His response to the scientists was: “It’s very sobering analysis. It is something we take very seriously.
“We must challenge the data and underpinning assumptions. I believe that’s appropriate and we should consider a wider range of facts.
Additionally, he stated that parliament would be recall if necessary.
In the Sunday Telegraph, Javid wrote that in his trade career, the most important decisions were made when the data was ‘early’ and ‘patchy’ but there was a trend. He said that once the trend is clear, it could be too late to act.
The SAGE papers from Thursday’s meeting warn that delaying curbs to 2022 will ‘greatly decrease the effectiveness of these interventions’ and lessen the likelihood that they would stop significant pressure on healthcare settings.
They suggested that measures be reintroduced “equivalently to those already in place in step 2 or the first step of the English roadmap”. In March, one-to-one mixing was prohibited outside of homes. Non-essential retail stores were still closed at the initial stage. In the next stage, bars and restaurants allowed customers to eat outside while households could not mix indoors.
Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay is to chair the Cobra meeting, which will be discussing the idea of a lockdown.
However, Mr Johnson seems to be skeptical of an immediate answer and would face opposition from his Cabinet.
According to one minister, the Sunday Times reported that “We cannot have a situation in which we lock down every winter while killing off the economy.” It is time to give up reading about South Africa’s current events. Comparing apples to pears is like that.
It is possible that, instead of the handbrake being pulled after December 25, there are claims that an announcement will be made on Boxing Day.
As:
- Sadiq Khan of London, the Mayor, said that new coronavirus precautions are ‘inevitable’ and called on people to reduce their New Year celebrations following a major incident in the capital.
- Rishi sunak, who returned from California to Britain from Omicron infected, is considering a reduction in the VAT and an increase of cash for restaurants and bars that are suffering.
- Labour declined to comment on whether or not it supports another lockdown in an effort to stop the rapid rise of infections.
- UK reports 12,133 more confirmed Omicron cases. This is nearly half the number reported in previous years.
- The Cobra meeting between the UK’s ministers is scheduled for today amid allegations that Nicola Sturgeon will recall Scotland’s parliament in order to announce further restrictions prior to the new year.
- As the rollout intensified, over 830,000 booster shots were delivered in England yesterday.
- Patients admitted to Omicron-related hospitals saw a 20 percent increase in their numbers, and the number of cases rose by 69% per day. Another 10,059 patients were also recorded.
- Neil Ferguson of ‘Professor Lockdown” said that Omicron infection in Britain is unlikely to cause serious illness for most people. This was because their immunity will protect them from any future vaccines.
The last Sunday before Christmas shopping, London’s Oxford Street & Regent Street are bustling
Boris Johnson, despite being urged by scientists to lock down the Christmas festivities in order to stop spread of Omicron’s mutant variant variant, has refused.
Today’s figures by UKHSA show that Omicron confirmed cases increased in England by 69% compared to the previous day. The numbers rose from 9,427 up to 23,168
Official data shows that covid hospital admissions in Britain’s Omicron hotspot London have increased by over a third within a week.
Today, Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary said that the government must use the data it has and that infections are rising rapidly.
This morning, despite Omicron spreading fears, there were many people at East London’s Sunday Columbia Road Flower Market.
SAGE has supported a drastic shutdown of all non-essential stores and a ban on homes mixing in order to prevent a flood of deaths and hospitalisations caused by Omicron running wild.
Minutes reveal that the key government advisory body agreed Thursday to hospitalisations of at least 3,000 per day in England without any’stringent measures.
The meeting considered grim modelling by the SPI-M-O team that suggests admissions could reach 10,000 per day with as many as 6,000 deaths daily.
According to the SAGE consensus, earlier interventions would have greater impact and may be for shorter durations. They will also be less effective when they are delayed beyond New Year.
This statement implies that the government will be removing its supposedly ‘irreversible roadmap’ from lockdown and returning to stage 1, 2 or 3, which would mean only retail openings for essential household needs.
SAGE stated that ‘illustrative scenarios from SPI-M-O suggest measures equivalent to those put in place following Step 2 or Step 1 in the Roadmap, England’, if taken early enough (medium certainty).
“It is important to choose the right time for such actions. Reducing the timeframe to 2022 will greatly decrease their effectiveness and increase pressure on healthcare systems.
“Slowing down the spread of infection would allow for more people to be given boosters to prevent them from being exposed to Omicron. It would also prevent some deaths and hospitalisations.
SAGE documents show that Omicron’s threat remains uncertain.
They also cite “high confidence” that the Delta version will spread faster and sweep the country.
Trevor Phillips was told by Mr Javid on Sunday, Sky News: “We have shown that as Government we can deal with the pandemic but it has to be supported up data.”
He stated that they are constantly reviewing the data and discussing them with their scientists and top advisors. We will be monitoring that closely. This will continue to be our monitoring.
According to him, there are many factors that affect our defenses such as vaccinations and antiviral medications.
If Parliament was asked whether it would recall it to allow for approval of new measures to pass, Mr Javid answered: ‘If and it is an if, it has been made clear by the Prime Minister to parliamentarians that we will recall Parliament if necessary and this would have to be a Parliament decision. It is right and appropriate.
Also, Mr. Javid launched an attack furiously on those who refuse to vaccinate. He said they should think about what they’re doing to society.
He warned that 10 per cent of the population – more than five million people – have still not received jabs, and around nine out of 10 of those needing the most care in hospital were unvaccinated.
He said, “I cannot emphasize enough the effect that they have on the rest of the society,”
‘They must really think about the damage they are doing to society by… they take up hospital beds that could have been used for someone with maybe a heart problem, or maybe someone who is waiting for elective surgery.
“But they chose not to get vaccinated, instead of protecting their community and themselves. You are having an extremely negative impact on the community. I cannot stress this enough. Please come forward to get your vaccines.
Johnson maintains that an urgent booster vaccination campaign could save the NHS time. It was revealed that 830,000 vaccines were given by the NHS in England over the course of 24 hours, giving the NHS a glimpse of optimism.
Senior leaders like Rishi Shahak and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps remain skeptical of any attempts to crack down on corruption.
SAGE consultants have told the government that it is important to ban mixing households’very quickly’ in order to stop Omicron from running wild and sending out hospitalisations around the Christmas peak.
Minutes indicate that SAGE, the government’s main advisory body, agreed to Thursday that England’s hospitalisations would not exceed 3,000 per day without taking’stringent steps’.
This statement implies that the government will be removing its supposedly ‘irreversible roadmap’ out of lockdown. It would also allow for a return to stage 1 and 2, where there is no retail opening.
The meeting considered grim modelling by the SPI-M-O team that suggests admissions could reach as high as 10,000 per day, with as many as 6,000 deaths daily
Yesterday, more than 830,000 booster shots were administered in England as part of a significant increase in the number of jabs.
Omicron Covid cases in South African ground zero ‘peaked on 6 December’ – three weeks after start of wave – but they are still rising in rest of the country
Omicron cases from South Africa have reached zero, according to experts, although they continue to rise in the rest.
Three weeks after the start of the wave, cases of the variant reached their highest level in Gauteng according to expert Louis Rossouw, which was first to feel the full force of the variant.
Experts are puzzled by the rapid increase and fall in Omicron cases at Gauteng. Covid cases elsewhere in South Africa have also been rising quickly.
Experts also point out data from South Africa that shows Omicron is used to treat milder symptoms.
The variant’s cases reached its highest point in Gauteng three weeks after it began. Gauteng was the first place to experience the full power of the variant. Louis Rossouw who wrote a research paper on Omicron variation in Gauteng, has confirmed this.
Pessimistic experts argue, however that the low hospitalisation rates could be due to South Africa’s immune system and youthful population.
A total of 68,181 tests were conducted in the last 24hrs, according to The National Institute For Communicable Diseases Of South Africa (NICD).
It said there were 20,713 new cases, representing a 30.4 per cent positivity rate and an increase of 20% on last week.
A chart showing the Omicron rate in South Africa shows that cases are declining in Gauteng and rising in other areas.
There were 20,713 new Covid cases in South Africa today, an increase of 20% on last week and with a a 30.4 per cent positivity rate
Louis Rossouw who wrote a scientific paper in support of Omicron, a variant found in this country, said that cases reached their highest point at 10,100 per hour on December 7, based on a seven day moving average.
South Africa has reported another 35 deaths related to Covid-19. This brings the number of fatalities up to 90.297.
Professor Sir Mark Walport admitted that this Christmas could have been a second disaster for many, however he believes new precautions are necessary as the spread of infections is fast.
He echoed advice from Professor Chris Whitty in England, who advised people to be prudent and have only those social connections that are truly important.
Sky was told by Sir Mark (a member of Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) that it is necessary to take action to ‘hold down the rate of hospitalizations’ and reduce pressure on the workforce. He also noted how many people have been left sick from infection.
He said, “Most importantly, allow people to get vaccinated. Give them the opportunity to be boosted and give time for these vaccinations to take effect.”
According to The Sun newspaper report, stricter measures may be taken after Boxing Day. The Sun reported that the contingency plan hadn’t been submitted to ministers.
Sadiq Khan of London, declared an incident in response to the “hugely concerning” surge in coronavirus cases in the Capital. He said that it was inevitable that new measures against the virus would be introduced.
Marr told him that there had to be an extensive package of support for culture, hospitality and retail.
In defense of their approach recently, Mr. Javid said that it wasn’t right to claim the Government isn’t doing anything.
Marr was told by he: “I understand completely businesses coming forward now to say, ‘I’m hurt’. They have every right to do that to Government.
“The Chancellor, his team and me are listening. I feel that the Chancellor has been a good leader in this effort to control this pandemic.
The official number of coronavirus cases has risen by 36,345, or 67 per cent, in seven days.
But there were already predictions that it could reach at least six figures.
Last week’s death toll fell five percentage points, from 132 last Saturday.
A ‘circuit-breaker’ ban on household mix would stop hospitals from overburdening the NHS and allow for booster jabs to be administered to all adult patients. This is what the government hopes to accomplish in January.
SAGE messages are criticised for ignoring data from South Africa that shows Omicron is used to treat milder symptoms.
The Omicron wave that occurred in Gauteng’s ‘ground zero’ region, where the variant was detected for the first time has also peaked faster than other waves. Gauteng cases have been falling after rising for the past three weeks.
SAGE advisors argue that South Africa’s low rates of hospitalisations could be due to its high immunity against infection.
Professor of Social Psychology at University of St Andrews, Stephen Reicher said that Plan B alone was not enough to stem the rising number of Omicron cases within the UK and that government must ‘act immediately’.
He stated that he could get it after Christmas but it would be too late. By then, it will likely have caused a major surge in infection and had an enormous impact on society.
The surging statistics came as Professor Neil Ferguson — whose projections have spooked No10 into lockdowns before — called for curbs to be tightened by New Year on the back of his latest modelling of the mutant strain.
According to him, hospitalizations may be overtaken by Christmas because Omicron case numbers will rise during the week and there is a “very large epidemic” underway. He stated that although there is no perfect protection, the large number of cases may result in a large amount of hospitalisations.
The Sage meeting was held on Thursday. Experts voted in favor of a ban on hospitality and indoor social contact. Britons are likely to regret hosting New Year’s parties in the future, so they demand that new measures be taken before January 1st.
The BBC obtained leaked minutes of Sage that revealed scientists told ministers they needed to introduce tougher measures’very soon.
According to the minutes, “The timing of these measures is important.” “Delaying such measures until 2022 will greatly decrease their effectiveness and increase the likelihood that they would not prevent significant pressure on healthcare and other care systems.”
This weekend’s emergency Cobra meeting will examine whether a coordinated response is required across the UK to Omicron variant threats. The meeting will raise fears that more curbs could be imposed before Christmas – despite the opposition of Tory MPs and Downing Street’s apparent determination to get through without them.
The number of Omicron-related confirmed cases in England has risen to 23,168. This is an increase of 9,427 from Saturday’s total. There was an increase of 514 cases in Northern Ireland, which rose to 827.
Scotland’s cases have reached 792, an increase of 96, and in Wales there are 181, up 22 on the previous day.
This means that there was a 67% increase in the number of cases within 24 hours, as 24,968 total figures were reported by the UKHSA.
From the one-year mark, there have been seven deaths of Omicron patients in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
From 65, the number of Omicron-positive people admitted to hospitals in England rose from 65 to 85.
Yesterday, Britain recorded its highest number of daily infections since the pandemic began, with a total of 93,045 people testing positive for Covid in the past 24 hours, up 60 per cent in a week.
Experts in the industry feared that the government’s alarmist messages surrounding Omicron mutant strain were affecting customers confidence during what should have been a peak time for bars, restaurants and pubs.
Festive takings will fall up to 40% in December. These are crippling venues which survived previous lockdowns but did not receive financial support.
Prof Reicher spoke to Times Radio personally and said that it was time for the NHS to be protected from the new version.
The announcement comes amid reports that officials were working out draft plans for a 2-week lockdown of circuit-breakers after Christmas.
According to the Financial Times, Boris Johnson received a variety of options under Plan C on Friday. These included’mild guidance’ to “nudge people” and ‘lockdown”.
According to sources, the PM’s allies claimed Johnson would still prefer to follow the guidance route but that Johnson had to face reality about Omicron.
According to The Times, draft regulations are being developed that could prohibit indoor meeting except for work and limit outdoor dining at pubs and restaurants for two weeks following Christmas.
Yesterday, Professor Ferguson said to the BBC that Omicron does not appear to have a greater severity than Alpha and Delta variants.
“The severity aspect of the illness is most difficult to define because we have seen very few hospitalisations,” he said. The number of cases is low. The severity of the cases is not significantly different from Delta.
“That doesn’t mean it will look exactly like the Alpha wave that we experienced a year back, but we expect everyone with immunity to have milder diseases.
“But Omicron is not fundamentally different from Delta. We are still in uncertainty, so it will be a while before we know more. The numbers of hospitalizations and cases are increasing quickly.
On the last Saturday of December, shoppers are seen in York at The Shames. This is despite concerns about the Omicron variant’s rapid rise.
Britons have’very limited’ protection against the virus, but will be protected from serious illness by having two or more vaccinations.
“From a public health standpoint, it means that we expect the immunity people have built over the past 12 months to be more protected against serious disease than infection. Omicron is not recommended for people who have been previously infected or received only two doses.
“But protection from severe diseases should be strong. Perhaps 85-90 percent protection. With a large-scale epidemic, the challenge is that even this level of protection isn’t perfect. Large numbers could still lead to very high hospitalisations.
According to him, the UK is at high risk of overtaking the NHS. With increasing data flows, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the demands of our healthcare system. This is an alarming sign that we are moving into something which could affect the behavior of the health system. Changes in behavior are occurring, and it will impact the health service’s behaviour. It is difficult to tell if enough.
Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of India has been photographed arriving at Heathrow Airport to meet furious bosses in hospitality who are struggling with the drop in demand because Omicron is a mutant strain.