Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned Britons that freedoms could be at risk over winter unless everyone "plays their part". Photo / AP
Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned Britons that freedoms could be at risk over winter unless everyone "plays their part". Photo / AP
Under pressure from rising infections and alarmed health experts, the British government today (NZT) urged millions of people to get booster vaccine shots but resisted calls to reimpose coronavirus restrictions such as mandatory mask-wearing.
The UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid called on Britons to get their booster vaccines or risk their freedoms amid a rise in Covid cases and waning immunity.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference,Javid warned that daily Covid cases were now at their highest since July and could hit 100,000 a day this winter amid a spread of a new sub-variant.
A member of the public writes a dedication on the National Covid Memorial Wall on the South Bank of the River Thames on October 15. Photo / Getty
"We need to sustain the progress we've made. We could lose it, we really could lose it, if people don't take up their vaccination offers," he said.
"If we want to secure these freedoms for the long term then the best thing we can do is come forward once again when that moment comes."
The Health Secretary warned that a new mutation of the Delta variant is now spreading across Britain, and stressed that the "race between vaccine and variant" is narrowing.
While Javid confirmed that the Government does not intend to implement Plan B measures for further Covid restrictions, he stressed that life isn't back to normal and that the Government has "contingency measures ready".
Britain is relying heavily on vaccines to keep the virus at bay. Almost 80 per cent of people 12 and over in the UK have received two vaccine doses and millions are being offered a booster shot, including everyone over 50.
But critics say the booster campaign is moving more slowly than the virus. The UK recorded almost 50,000 new infections in a single day this week, and cases are averaging more than 44,000 a day, up 16 per cent from a week earlier.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the health care group the NHS Confederation, said Britain's health system risked being overwhelmed unless more measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 are introduced now.
"It is time for the government to enact Plan B of its strategy without delay because without preemptive action, we risk stumbling into a winter crisis," he said.
The government lifted domestic coronavirus restrictions in July, including mandatory face coverings and social distancing. Nightclubs and other crowded venues were allowed to open at full capacity, and people were no longer advised to work from home.
People out and about at the busy Bull Ring shopping district in Birmingham on October 15. Mask wearing in crowded places is recommend by not enforced. Photo / Getty
Last week, the Office for National Statistics estimated that one in 60 people in England had the virus, one of the highest levels yet seen in Britain.
Hospitalisations and deaths are gradually rising, with deaths averaging 130 a day over the past week. Britain has recorded more than 138,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest total in Europe after Russia.
Against that backdrop, some feel Britons have been too quick to return to pre-pandemic behaviour. Masks and social distancing have all but vanished in most settings in England, including schools, although Scotland and other parts of the UK remain a bit more strict. Even in shops, where masks are recommended, and on the London transit network, where they are mandatory, adherence is patchy.
A plan to require proof of vaccination to attend nightclubs, concerts and other mass events in England was dropped by the government amid opposition from lawmakers, though Scotland introduced a vaccine pass programme this month.
Critics say the vaccination programme — among the world's speediest earlier this year — is moving too slowly, with about 180,000 booster doses being given a day. More than half of the people eligible for a booster dose haven't yet received one.
A Covid-19 announcement informing supporters at Swansea stadiumthat they have to show a valid NHS vaccination certificate or proof of a negative test on October 17. Photo / Getty
The UK also waited longer than the US and many European nations to vaccinate children from 12-15, and only about 15 per cent in that age group in England have had a shot since they became eligible last month.
The government says it will act to boost vaccination rates, with a new ad campaign and an increased number of sites where kids can receive their shots.
It also renewed calls today for people to use caution, though critics say such calls are bound to be ineffective unless they are backed by law.
"Covid-19 cases are rising and winter is drawing closer," said England's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty. "Ventilation, masks in crowded indoor spaces and hand-washing remain important."
"If you have not been vaccinated, now is the time," he said. "If you are offered a booster, please take up the offer."
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the government was keeping a close eye on the figures, but did not think "that it's the time for Plan B right now."
"At the moment, we think that the course that we're plotting is the right one," he said.
