Health

Boris Johnson’s “plan B” social restrictions to address the surging omicron variant in England were yesterday approved in the Commons, with the prime minister surviving a major rebellion by his own Tory backbenchers to see them confirmed.Many Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were opposed to the new rules, particularly the NHS Covid Pass, considering it an infringement of civil liberties, while others seized on the vote as an opportunity to express their disdain for Mr Johnson’s increasingly troubled and discredited leadership.But, with the support of the Labour Party, who agreed that the new measures were in the national interest, the new Covid rules passed, with vaccine passports approved by 369 votes to 126 – meaning 97 Tories voted against their own leader in the biggest revolt so far of Mr Johnson’s premiership.The first new restrictions imposed on England since “Freedom Day” on 19 July make it mandatory to wear face masks in shops, cinemas, theatres and places of worship and on public transport (but not bars and restaurants), working from home is advised and the NHS Covid Pass, displayed via the NHS app on smartphones, is now required for entry to unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people in attendance and in unseated outdoor spaces with more than 4,000 people present – and in any venue with more than 10,000 such as sports stadia.“Plan A”, encouraging the takeup of vaccine booster jabs, is still in effect and has been expanded to gradually make a third shot available to all over-18s by the end of December as early testing indicates it could be crucial to preserving immunity against the latest strain of the virus.Instilling a new sense of urgency in that strategy has already seen the NHS website crash to cope with the heightened demand for appointments and queues forming around the block at walk-in vaccination centres and at pharmacies offering the jab.As it stands, abiding by these rules and getting the booster are the only requirements in England as we enter the final working days before Christmas.However, that could all change, with Mr Johnson and health secretary Sajid Javid repeatedly declining opportunities to rule out further restrictions or even a fourth national lockdown as the extent of the threat represented by omicron becomes clearer.Transport secretary Grant Shapps has meanwhile said that Parliament will be recalled over the festive season should tighter rules become necessary while expressing the hope that the present arrangements will “see us through to the New Year”.“We want people to be able to enjoy Christmas this year. We are certainly in a better position than we were this time last year. We want people to be sensible but to enjoy their Christmas,” he told Sky News.While it is true that the vaccines have kept coronavirus deaths and hospitalisations low, the UK’s daily infection rate is actually more than twice as high as it was in December 2020 when Mr Johnson was forced to abandon a Christmas amnesty and impose tough “tier 4” measures on much of the south east, with almost 60,000 cases recorded on Tuesday just prior to the Commons vote.Should those numbers begin to translate into hospitalisations and threaten to overwhelm the NHS, the rules could change again.A “Plan C” has reportedly already been drawn up behind the scenes at Whitehall in the event of a further downturn in fortunes of the sort the UK suffered in January and February this year, although it is still considered, at this juncture, a last resort. More

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged people in Scotland to limit their socialising to three households before and after Christmas in order to curb the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus.Announcing new measures on Tuesday 14 December, Ms Sturgeon insisted she was “not asking anyone to cancel Christmas”, but advised Scots to rein in their social commitments over the course of the festive season. She stressed it was not a legal requirement but instead strong advice to be considered.Setting out the new guidance north of the border, the Scottish National Party leader insisted that she was not asking Scots to change their plans for Christmas Day, Christmas Eve or Boxing Day. “And we are not proposing limits on the size of household gatherings,” she added.“My key request today is this: before and immediately after Christmas, please minimise your social mixing with other households as much as you can,” the first minister said, characterising the advice as “strong guidance” and warning citizens: “Please do not think of it as optional.”Care home visits are also being limited to two households, with all visitors asked to present a negative Covid test before entering to reduce the risk to vulnerable residents.Businesses are meanwhile being told to encourage their staff to work from home where possible and to implement “a return to the kind of protections in place at the start of the pandemic.This means Scottish shops enforcing social distancing and putting up protective screens and pubs, bars and restaurants all having to implement systems to prevent crowding and make sure customers’ details are taken for contact tracing.Vaccine booster appointments are being made available to all over-18s through online booking as of Wednesday, with the programme being given priority over the flu vaccine and “additional capacity” being made available, Ms Sturgeon assured Holyrood.“Just as vaccines started to win this race, the virus learned to run faster. That means we must deliver boosters even faster,” she told MSPs.“This is all the more important in light of early data telling us that the protection we have against omicron infection with just one or two doses is significantly lower than it is for delta – we need a booster jab to ensure a substantial level of protection against omicron.”Scotland had just recorded a further 110 confirmed omicron cases on the day Ms Sturgeon announced her restrictions, taking the total to 226. It has since more than doubled to 554.Deputy first minister John Swinney warned on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday that further coronavirus restrictions may “potentially” be needed before Christmas if the omicron situation worsens.“Potentially that could be the case, but we want to avoid that,” he said.“We hope we have done enough in the announcements that were made yesterday and we hope members of the public and businesses will work with us in a co-operative spirit to make sure we can take these provisions forward.”That came after Professor James Chalmers of Dundee University said the new measures put in place by Ms Sturgeon may slow the spread of omicron but they are not enough in themselves to reverse the rise in infections.“I think the government need to be ready next week, as we get more data on the vaccine protection against severe disease and other gaps that currently need to be filled in terms of our knowledge, to think about what other measures may be required,” Professor Chalmers said.“If this is as bad as we think it is going to be, there may still be other measures required over the Christmas and the new year period.“The modelling looks like in the worst case scenario we could have a really difficult winter, and we can’t allow the health service to be overwhelmed.“We need to be prepared and we need to prepare the public that we may require further restrictions.” More

The last phase of the UK government’s current “Plan B” social restrictions for England to tackle the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus is due to come into effect on Wednesday when NHS Covid passes become mandatory in certain settings. Following the return of mandatory mask-wearing in shops, cinemas, theatres and places of worship and on public transport and orders to work from home, members of the public will, from 15 December, be required to produce an NHS Covid Pass in exchange for entry to crowded venues.The pass, presenting proof of your vaccination status and/or proof of a negative test result, will be required in unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people in attendance and in unseated outdoor spaces with more than 4,000 people present – and in any venue with more than 10,000 such as sports stadia.It may also be required as a condition of foreign travel.“The NHS Covid pass can still be obtained with two doses but we will keep this under review as the boosters roll out,” the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said when he announced the further tightening of restrictions on 8 December.“And having taken clinical advice since the emergence of omicron, a negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient.“As we set out in Plan B, we will give businesses a week’s notice, so this will come into force in a week’s time, helping to keep these events and venues open at full capacity while giving everyone who attends them confidence that those around them have done the responsible thing to minimise risk to others.”The NHS Covid pass rules are by no means popular with all of Mr Johnson’s fellow Conservatives, some of whom consider them an infringement of civil liberties, a stance Tory MP Marcus Fysh took to extreme lengths this week when he compared their introduction to Nazi Germany.A backbench rebellion is expected when MPs vote on the Plan B restrictions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, also in part a protest against the prime minister’s increasingly frazzled and scandal-ridden leadership.The Liberal Democrats have likewise raised objections to the passes, accusing the government earlier this year of introducing ID cards “by stealth” when the app was updated and have since labelled them “illiberal and destructive”, warning they “represent a massive change in the relationship between everyday people and their government”.However, given that Sir Keir Starmer’s opposition Labour Party has signalled it will support the government’s position in the national interest, any such mutiny is not expected to hinder the measures’ adoption.To access your digital NHS Covid Pass, you need to have the free NHS app downloaded to your smartphone – and to be registered with a GP in England to be able to access it.By simply signing into the app, you will be able to show proof of your Covid-19 vaccination or negative test status upon request, the information presented along with a QR code for scanning.The code proving your vaccination is valid for 30 days from the moment you access it or download it as a PDF, after which you will need to refresh to obtain a new version.A Covid Pass secured via a negative test result will meanwhile only last for 48 hours before a new version is needed (obtained via the same simple means).If you are unable to use the app for any reason, you can also view your vaccination status on the NHS website or print a paper version at home before heading to your destination.Those unable to access online services can also call 119 to request a letter to serve as evidence of their vaccination status instead.Those unable to get vaccinated or tested for medical reasons can apply to the NHS for an exemption to stand in its place.You can find more information on the government’s website. More

The last phase of the UK government’s current “Plan B” social restrictions for England to tackle the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus is due to come into effect on Wednesday when vaccine passports are introduced.Following the return of mandatory mask-wearing in shops, cinemas, theatres and places of worship and on public transport and orders to work from home, members of the public will, from 15 December, be required to produce an NHS Covid Pass in exchange for entry to crowded venues.The passport, presenting proof of your vaccination status and/or proof of a negative test result, will be required in unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people in attendance and in unseated outdoor spaces with more than 4,000 people present – and in any venue with more than 10,000 such as sports stadia.It may also be required as a condition of foreign travel.“The NHS Covid pass can still be obtained with two doses but we will keep this under review as the boosters roll out,” the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said when he announced the further tightening of restrictions on 8 December.“And having taken clinical advice since the emergence of omicron, a negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient.“As we set out in Plan B, we will give businesses a week’s notice, so this will come into force in a week’s time, helping to keep these events and venues open at full capacity while giving everyone who attends them confidence that those around them have done the responsible thing to minimise risk to others.”The vaccine passport is by no means popular with all of Mr Johnson’s fellow Conservatives, some of whom consider them an infringement of civil liberties, a stance Tory MP Marcus Fysh took to extreme lengths this week when he compared their introduction to Nazi Germany.A backbench rebellion is expected when MPs vote on the Plan B restrictions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, also in part a protest against the prime minister’s increasingly frazzled and scandal-ridden leadership.The Liberal Democrats have likewise raised objections to the passes, accusing the government earlier this year of introducing ID cards “by stealth” when the app was updated and have since labelled them “illiberal and destructive”, warning they “represent a massive change in the relationship between everyday people and their government”.However, given that Sir Keir Starmer’s opposition Labour Party has signalled it will support the government’s position in the national interest, any such mutiny is not expected to hinder the measures’ adoption.To access your digital NHS Covid Pass, you need to have the free NHS app downloaded to your smartphone – and to be registered with a GP in England to be able to access it.By simply signing into the app, you will be able to show proof of your Covid-19 vaccination or negative test status upon request, the information presented along with a QR code for scanning.The code proving your vaccination is valid for 30 days from the moment you access it or download it as a PDF, after which you will need to refresh to obtain a new version.A Covid Pass secured via a negative test result will meanwhile only last for 48 hours before a new version is needed (obtained via the same simple means).If you are unable to use the app for any reason, you can also view your vaccination status on the NHS website or print a paper version at home before heading to your destination.Those unable to access online services can also call 119 to request a letter to serve as evidence of their vaccination status instead.Those unable to get vaccinated or tested for medical reasons can apply to the NHS for an exemption to stand in its place.You can find more information on the government’s website. More

Omicron is spreading at a “phenomenal rate” and 10 people in England have now been hospitalised after getting infected with the Covid variant, health secretary Sajid Javid has said.Mr Javid said there had been no deaths yet confirmed in England, but revealed that omicron was probably behind around 40 per cent of infections in London and warned the NHS could be overwhelmed without a rapid expansion of the booster programme.“What we now know about omicron is that it’s spreading at a phenomenal rate, something that we’ve never seen before – it’s doubling every two to three days in infections,” the minister told Sky News.“In England, there’s about 10 people that are confirmed in England with omicron,” said Mr Javid, who said he did not know how seriously ill the omicron patients are in hospital.The health secretary added: “At this point in time I can’t confirm a death [from omicron] … There is always a lag between infection and then hospitalisation and then, sadly, death.”Encouraging people to come forward for their booster jab, Mr Javid added: “We’re facing a tidal wave of infection, we’re once again in a race between the vaccine and the virus.”Boris Johnson said on Sunday evening that the nation must “urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection” as he set the new deadline of getting everyone over 18 a booster by the end of December – which would mean jabbing almost a million people every day.The prime minister said scientists had discovered that two doses of a vaccine is “simply not enough” to prevent the spread of the new variant and that without a massive expansion booster campaign the NHS could be overwhelmed.The NHS booking system will be open for those over the age of 18 from Wednesday, though it is hoped many young adults will be able to use vaccination walk-in centres from today.The “emergency operation” will be assisted by deploying 42 military planning teams across every region and setting up additional vaccine sites and mobile units, and the clinics will be open seven days a week.Prof Robert Read, a member of the Joint Committee for Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI), told LBC radio that scientists already knew omicron was “highly infectious, transmissible, and it will get through the UK population pretty quickly.”He said the severity of illness was not yet known but people were vulnerable, especially the unvaccinated, warning: “We need to get those third doses in to as many adults as we possibly can, just in case this virus turns out to be a raging bull just rather than a pussy cat.”It comes as the boss of the organisation which represents NHS trusts said pressure on the health service is “not sustainable” as the UK faces a wave of omicron Covid infections.Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, told Sky News: “It’s a worrying time, but as you’d expect everybody on the NHS frontline is doing absolutely the best they can to provide the best possible care.”He added yesterday’s request from the prime minister for “extraordinary effort” comes as staff are “very, very tired”, adding: “I think staff are worried, to be frank, that this level of pressure is going to become normalised and it’s not sustainable.”The NHS will have to postpone some planned appointments in order to meet the target of giving every adult in England a booster jab by the end of the year.Mr Javid said it “should not be the case” that people die because they can’t get treatment on the NHS during the Covid booster drive.The health secretary said some appointments and some surgical procedures may be “pushed into the start of the new year” while vaccinations are ramped up, bust said there will still be a focus on “urgent need”.Asked about people who fear they might have cancer, who are normally seen within two weeks, Mr Javid told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “That will be completely unaffected. That is an urgent appointment.” More

The omicron variant could cause a new wave of the pandemic worse than that seen last winter without a new lockdown, modelling by top UK scientists advising the government has found.Scientists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) found that the variant could potentially cause higher levels of cases and hospitalisations than was seen in January 2021 if no action was taken – with as many as deaths 75,000 before April under the worst scenarioThe researchers, who sit on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) or the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), say there is still a “a lot of uncertainty” about omicron’s characteristics and that their research is yet to be peer-reviewed.But Dr Rosanna Barnard from LSHTM’s Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, who co-led the study, said: “In our most optimistic scenario, the impact of omicron in the early part of 2022 would be reduced with mild control measures such as working from home. “However, our most pessimistic scenario suggests that we may have to endure more stringent restrictions to ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed. Mask-wearing, social distancing and booster jabs are vital, but may not be enough.”She added: “Nobody wants to endure another lockdown, but last-resort measures may be required to protect health services if omicron has a significant level of immune escape or otherwise increased transmissibility compared to Delta. It is crucial for decision makers to consider the wider societal impact of these measures, not just the epidemiology.”The team of researchers estimated that omicron was evading vaccines “by a substantial degree”, and is likely to be anywhere between 10 per cent less transmissible or up to 35 more transmissible than than the existing Delta variant.Under the most pessimistic scenario in the study they estimate there could be anywhere between 25,000 to 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months without any additional control measures. They say that omicron is expected to become the dominant variant in England before the end of this month.The scientists say they have taken into account additional protection afforded by booster doses but that the picture could be improved if “a very high uptake of booster vaccines is achieved”.The researchers’ findings agree with other studies that boosters, and the scale and speed of the booster programme, will have a “large impact” on the results.Dr Nick Davies from CMMID, who co-led the research, said: “These are early estimates, but they do suggest that overall omicron is outcompeting Delta rapidly by evading vaccines to a substantial degree. If current trends continue then omicron may represent half of UK cases by the end of December. “Further analysis suggests that the booster programme is vital, with a counterfactual scenario with no boosters showing a peak in hospitalisations that could be as much as five times as high as the scenario with boosters.”He told reporters that there was “pretty good evidence of exponential growth” of the variant in the data they analysed.Dr Davies also said the latest data showed “a very fast rate of increase” and painted a picture that was “quite concerning”.But he said that “the case for further control measures is really not for us to decide”.“We really need to leave that to the decision makers who will be weighing up a huge number of factors,” he said.Other countries in Europe such as Austria and the Netherlands have moved towards new lockdown or partial lockdown measures. The UK government has not floated the idea, however, and is instead reintroducing mask mandates and recommending people work from home.Reacting to the study’s findings, Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said the new modelling called on the government to take urgent action to prevent health services from being overwhelmed.“With both Ambulance and A&E services already stretched to breaking point, we cannot afford another huge surge in hospitalisations,” she said. “The Government must act quickly and set out its emergency plans to Parliament in the next 72 hours. It must urgently ramp up the booster programme, give frontline NHS staff the additional resources they need, guarantee financial protections for small businesses, particularly in hospitality, and ensure that everyone who needs it can access mental health support during these difficult times.”Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine at University of East Anglia, said the LHSTM study was “well-designed and clearly presented”, but should be treated with caution because of the preliminary nature of the data.”I suspect these models overstate risk of hospitalisation and deaths and the ‘worst case’ scenarios are unlikely to be seen,” he said. “As better data becomes available in coming weeks we can expect these models to be refined.”Meanwhile Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton said that “as things stand right now, the numbers highlighted by the LSHTM modelling group are alarming”.Dr Head said it had been a mistake to lift all Covid restrictions before the vaccine rollout had been completed. He also blamed a global failure not to share enough vaccines with poorer countries.”We don’t know how often this coronavirus can change its clothes and emerge with a new look. Vaccinating the world is a huge demand, and we’ve seen that the world is not up to the task. That is a mistake – increasing equity in the global rollout is in everybody’s interests,” he said. “The coronavirus has not finished with us. A tactics of ‘turning the lights off and pretending we are not in’ is a failed policy.” More

The expansion of the Covid booster jab rollout to include adults under the age of 40 will begin no later than 13 December, NHS England has said.Boris Johnson’s government has pushed for all adults to be made eligible for boosters, and has promised all adults in England will be offered a booster jab by the end of January.The top scientists Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have said the time between a second dose and booster should be reduced from six months to three months.But the booking service for the booster jabs is yet to be updated – with under-40s and over-40s who have not yet waited six months since their second dose still unable to make an appointment.In a letter from the health service released on Friday, it was revealed the booking system would be updated to reflect the reduction of the time between doses “as soon as possible and no later than 13 December”.NHS England also said the jabs would be delivered “in descending age groups – with priority given to the vaccination of older adults and those in a Covid-19 at-risk group first”.It is understood the rollout to the older age groups set to become eligible could begin earlier than 13 December, as soon as the UK Health Security Agency updates its guidance.Healthcare leaders have raised concerns over whether they will be able to meet Mr Johnson’s end-of-January deadline, which will mean going from 2.5 million jabs a week to 3.5 million, and still maintain routine NHS care.GP surgeries have been given permission to defer routine health checks for those aged 75 and over to free up capacity to deliver the vaccines, while the army and “clinical students” could also be called on to help deliver the jabs.And while it was recognised that the health service was already under pressure, the letter stressed there was a “new national mission” after ministers set the challenge for the NHS to offer boosters to all adults in just 62 days.The health authorities have confirmed that there were “no supply challenges” with either Moderna or Pfizer booster stocks.The new rollout details come as the first case of the omicron variant in Wales was confirmed. The case is in the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area and is linked to international travel, the Welsh Government said.While figures showed Covid infections have increased in all four UK nations and remain close to record levels, though the latest rise is not linked to the arrival of the omicron variant.Around one in 60 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to 27 November, up from one in 65 the previous week, according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).However, No 10 ruled out making vaccines compulsory, as has been seen in Austria and is being considered in Germany.A spokesman for the prime minister told reporters: “It’s not something that we would look to introduce. You’re aware of the changes we made in terms of social care settings and for NHS workers … But there’s no plans above and beyond that.”Meanwhile, partygoers were urged to “keep calm and carry on” with their Christmas festivities despite scientists raising the alarm about the risks associated with gathering for social events.Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden said his party had no intention of cancelling its own Christmas drinks, and others should continue with their celebrations.No 10 said any staff parties held at Downing Street in the run-up to Christmas would be “private events” that would not be publicly announced. More