Boris Johnson has mentioned he’s ‘fairly to completely assured’ that this Christmas is ‘going to be higher’ than final yr’s throughout a Covid press convention on Saturday.
The prime minister’s remark got here as he refused to rule out one other lockdown over the festive interval whereas fielding questions from journalists following the invention of the brand new super-mutant Omicron variant in Britain.
The pressure – designated a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Well being Organisation on Friday – has been detected in Nottingham and Brentwood in Essex, in two individuals who had lately returned from southern Africa.
There are fears the ‘monster’ variant might plunge the nation into one other lockdown over considerations it might dodge the vaccine and be more practical at re-infecting individuals.
Showing inside Downing Road, Mr Johnson mentioned: ‘We proceed to be in a robust place largely because of the velocity of the vaccine rollout, one other booster rollout and I feel I’m going to stay with the system I’ve used earlier than, which is I’m fairly assured to completely assured this Christmas will likely be significantly higher than final Christmas.’
He later backed up his remark, saying: ‘I feel it is going to be significantly higher than final yr.’
Boris Johnson mentioned he’s ‘fairly to completely assured’ that this Christmas will likely be ‘significantly higher than final Christmas’ throughout a particular Covid briefing at Downing Road on Saturday
The prime minister’s remark got here as he refused to rule out one other lockdown over the festive interval as he fielded questions from journalists following the invention of the brand new super-mutant Omicron variant in Britain (Pictured: Boris throughout Covid briefing on Saturday)
Circumstances of Omicron have already been picked up within the UK, South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium. It isn’t but identified whether or not the variant arrived within the Netherlands yesterday however Dutch authorities are sequencing passengers’ assessments. There are additionally suspected particular person circumstances being sequenced in Germany, the Czech Republic and Australia
Britain has sequenced two circumstances of the Omicron variant in Nottingham and Chelmsford, Sajid Javid mentioned immediately
The Conservative chief appeared alongside Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
On the specter of one other lockdown, Sir Patrick mentioned the UK doesn’t have sufficient info to create modelling but.
The professional mentioned that to this point we all know that ‘there are pockets of quickly rising outbreaks’.
He added: ‘We are going to get extra info on transmissibility. We are going to get extra info on the vaccines’ capability to guard towards the virus. However that’s going to take a while.
‘We will’t actually get a lot additional than that.
‘But when it’s very transmissible and does trigger large [vaccine] escape then, then clearly that may be a main problem to resist however that isn’t what we all know for the time being.
‘We have to get that info.’
Mr Johnson urged individuals to get their booster jabs to make sure immunity stays as excessive as attainable among the many public.
He added: ‘It doesn’t matter what the consequences of this new variant, when you’re vaccinated and particularly you probably have a booster, your immunity is prone to be stronger.
‘So the most effective factor you are able to do is to get your booster.’
The UK Well being Safety Company confirmed the circumstances, that are each believed to be related and linked to journey to southern Africa, after genomic sequencing in a single day.
The people and their households had been ordered into self-isolation and focused testing was being carried out in areas the place they’re thought to have been infectious
Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola will face journey restrictions from Sunday, when they are going to be a part of South Africa and 5 different neighbouring nations on England’s crimson listing.
Mr Johnson mentioned: ‘We have to take focused and proportionate measures now as a precaution whereas we discover out extra.
One other 39,567 Covid circumstances and 131 deaths had been recorded within the UK immediately. Division of Well being officers posted almost 40,000 day by day infections – down 3.36 per cent from 40,941 final Saturday – after Sajid Javid introduced that two circumstances of the ‘monstrous’ new Covid variant had been detected. The quantity of people that have died 28 days after testing optimistic for Covid has additionally fallen by 12.7 per cent from 150 final week
‘First we have to decelerate the seeding of the variant on this nation, we have to purchase time for our scientists to know precisely what we’re coping with, and for us to get extra individuals vaccinated, and above all to get extra individuals boosted.’
However the Prime Minister mentioned border measures can ‘solely ever minimise and delay the arrival of a brand new variant quite than cease all of it collectively’, so all contacts with a suspected case of the brand new variant must isolate for 10 days, no matter their vaccination standing.
‘We may also go additional in asking all of you to assist include the unfold of this variant by tightening up the principles on face coverings in outlets and on public transport,’ Mr Johnson mentioned.
Whereas the effectiveness of vaccines towards Omicron is at present unclear, Mr Johnson mentioned there are ‘good causes for believing they are going to present a minimum of some measure of safety’.
He mentioned ‘we’re going to spice up the booster marketing campaign’ by asking the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to contemplate giving boosters to ‘as huge a bunch as attainable in addition to lowering the hole’ between second doses and the booster.
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