Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today detailed his strategy to combat Covid-19 throughout the winter months, which will focus heavily on booster jabs and people behaving ‘sensibly and responsibly.’
In a Downing Street conference this afternoon, Johnson announced that booster jabs and testing will take priority over the once-proposed ‘Covid passports’ and any possible future lockdowns throughout the winter months.
The booster jabs will be offered to those who remain the most vulnerable to the virus, including those with weakened immune systems.
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Johnson reminded viewers that Covid still exists but, with 90% of the adult population now having Covid antibodies and the vaccines clearly working, there is no need for the return of any major restrictions.
He also stressed that he is eager to keep all nightclubs and bars firmly open over Christmas but, in order to do so, people need to be sensible, with plenty of venues having already been using Covid-status certificates.
The Prime Minister said that the return of restrictions, or ‘plan B’, as he called it, will only happen if the NHS is to come back under strain. If the restrictions are brought back, they wouldn’t be implemented all in one go.
Prof. Chris Whitty added that there are three key factors to implementing Covid restrictions: the number of people going into hospital, the rate of change, and the state of the NHS.
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Whitty also stressed that any new variants remain the biggest concern as the winter months approach, with him labelling the Delta variant as a ‘very bad’ variant.
He said: “We have not had a winter with the Delta one, so it is possible that the combination of Delta plus winter conditions could persuade the government to trigger plan B.”
Plans for the scrapping of the controversial ‘traffic light’ system currently in place for travel abroad will be outlined later this week.