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| UK Covid live: Boris Johnson gives briefing on winter plan after vaccine boosters announced | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Prime minister sets out more details of government plans after health secretary said compulsory masks and vaccine passports could return | |
| Johnson starts with questions from the public. | |
| Q: Why is the PM not doing more to prevent unnecessary deaths? | |
| Johnson does not accept that. He is taking measures to prevent deaths, he says. | |
| Q: When will travel rules ease for people who are fully vaccinated? | |
| Johnson says he appreciates why people are frustrated. But the rules are important and reasonable, he says. | |
| The government will be saying a lot more shortly about the traffic light system, and how the testing system can be made less onerous. (See 2.47pm.) | |
| Whitty is now showing charts comparing the risks of people who are vaccinated compared to people who are not vaccinated. | |
| He says someone in their 30s who is unvaccinated is running the same risk as someone in their 70s who is vaccinated. This is clear from the hospital rates, he says. | |
| And it is even more clear from the mortality rates, he says. | |
| Whitty ends with a chart comparing where we are now to where we were last year. | |
| This time last year wave two was starting to take off. | |
| We are entering the autumn with cases, hospital numbers and deaths at a higher level than this time last year. | |
| He says autumn and winter is when respiratory viruses are advantaged. | |
| If you have not had your vaccination, now is a very good time to get one, he says. | |
| Whitty says deaths have been broadly flat, or gradually drifting up. | |
| And the number of people getting both doses of vaccine is going up. | |
| Prof Chris Whitty shows the first slide, showing case rates. He says cases have stabilised recently, but people should not over-interpret that. | |
| With hospital cases there has been a gradual drifting up, he says. | |
| Johnson says Covid remains a risk. But he says he is confident they can turn “jabs, jabs, jabs” into “jobs, jobs, jobs”. | |
| Johnson says the vaccine programme is being intensified. | |
| He says 12- to 15-year-olds are being vaccinated. | |
| And the government is “motoring ahead” with the booster programme. | |
| This will build even higher walls of vaccine protection, he says. | |
| Johnson says essentially the strategy is to “keep going”. | |
| But he says the government is drawing up contingency plans. | |
| It would not be sensible to rule out Covid passports, he says. | |
| Boris Johnson starts by asking people to remember what it was like last September. In one respect, the situation is worse this September. Cases are higher, he says. | |
| But we are “incomparably better placed to fight the disease” because of the vaccine programme. | |
| He says the vaccine-induced falls in deaths have been extraordinary. And, depending on your age, you are up to nine times more likely to die if unvaccinated than if you have had both jabs. | |
| Boris Johnson is about to hold a press conference in Downing Street about the autumn and winter Covid plan. He will be with Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser. | |
| Here is my colleague Heather Stewart’s story about the plan. | |
| Nicola Sturgeon also told MSPs that face coverings in class for secondary pupils would remain mandatory until the October holidays. She accepted this was unpopular, and said she understood why. | Nicola Sturgeon also told MSPs that face coverings in class for secondary pupils would remain mandatory until the October holidays. She accepted this was unpopular, and said she understood why. |
| She said that letters sent to pupils who have had a low-risk contact with someone testing positive would be sent out more selectively, to “minimise undue anxiety”. | She said that letters sent to pupils who have had a low-risk contact with someone testing positive would be sent out more selectively, to “minimise undue anxiety”. |
| And she said that, as universities return, there would be no in-person lectures at first, with physical distancing on campus and face coverings required indoors. | And she said that, as universities return, there would be no in-person lectures at first, with physical distancing on campus and face coverings required indoors. |
| Sturgeon said the recent figures showed Scotland’s spike in cases slowing down, and that in the past week more than 70% of all cases have been in the under-45s. | Sturgeon said the recent figures showed Scotland’s spike in cases slowing down, and that in the past week more than 70% of all cases have been in the under-45s. |
| Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that Scotland will go ahead with vaccinated 12- to 15-year-olds. | Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that Scotland will go ahead with vaccinated 12- to 15-year-olds. |
| Addressing the Scottish parliament, the first minister said she welcomed and accepted the advice of the chief medical officers. | Addressing the Scottish parliament, the first minister said she welcomed and accepted the advice of the chief medical officers. |
| Setting out what she described as “a very significant and very welcome extension of the vaccine programme”, she announced drop-in clinics open from next Monday “for any 12- to 15-year-old who has read the information and - in discussion with parents and carers - decided they wish to be vaccinated”. | Setting out what she described as “a very significant and very welcome extension of the vaccine programme”, she announced drop-in clinics open from next Monday “for any 12- to 15-year-old who has read the information and - in discussion with parents and carers - decided they wish to be vaccinated”. |
| The Monday after that, in the week beginning 27 September, letters will be sent to all 12- to 15-year-olds inviting them to an appointment at a drop-in centre or vaccination clinic and finally, after the scheduled community settings, there will be a vaccination programme in schools. | The Monday after that, in the week beginning 27 September, letters will be sent to all 12- to 15-year-olds inviting them to an appointment at a drop-in centre or vaccination clinic and finally, after the scheduled community settings, there will be a vaccination programme in schools. |
| Sturgeon said that the Covid booster programme “will run alongside our biggest ever flu vaccination programme”, and that wherever possible, eligible people will be offered Covid-19 and flu vaccines together. | Sturgeon said that the Covid booster programme “will run alongside our biggest ever flu vaccination programme”, and that wherever possible, eligible people will be offered Covid-19 and flu vaccines together. |
| In the Commons Sajid Javid also said that no decision has yet been taken as to whether pupils in England will have to continue undergoing regular testing. He was responding to a question from his fellow Conservative Mark Harper, chair of the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group, who said children without symptoms should not be subject to regular testing. | In the Commons Sajid Javid also said that no decision has yet been taken as to whether pupils in England will have to continue undergoing regular testing. He was responding to a question from his fellow Conservative Mark Harper, chair of the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group, who said children without symptoms should not be subject to regular testing. |
| In the Commons earlier Sajid Javid, the health secretary, implied that PCR tests for fully vaccinated travellers will be replaced with lateral flow tests. | In the Commons earlier Sajid Javid, the health secretary, implied that PCR tests for fully vaccinated travellers will be replaced with lateral flow tests. |
| The Conservative MP Huw Merriman asked him: | The Conservative MP Huw Merriman asked him: |
| Referring to a statement that Grant Shapps is due to make soon about changes to the Covid travel rules, Javid replied: | Referring to a statement that Grant Shapps is due to make soon about changes to the Covid travel rules, Javid replied: |
| In his opening statement to MPs, Sajid Javid said: “Whilst we’re not going ahead with mandatory vaccine-only Covid-status certification [aka vaccine passports] now, we will be holding that power in reserve.” | In his opening statement to MPs, Sajid Javid said: “Whilst we’re not going ahead with mandatory vaccine-only Covid-status certification [aka vaccine passports] now, we will be holding that power in reserve.” |
| But the autumn and winter plan (pdf) suggests that vaccine passports may be more probable than Javid’s words implied. While stressing that they are just a plan B contingency at this point, it suggests that businesses that might be affected should started making plans for their possible introduction. It says: | But the autumn and winter plan (pdf) suggests that vaccine passports may be more probable than Javid’s words implied. While stressing that they are just a plan B contingency at this point, it suggests that businesses that might be affected should started making plans for their possible introduction. It says: |
| The document includes a full half page citing evidence to support the case for Covid passports (on page 24). | The document includes a full half page citing evidence to support the case for Covid passports (on page 24). |
| The plan reveals that if the government does adopt this scheme, the NHS Covid pass, a feature on the NHS app, will effectively become the Covid passport. At the moment the NHS Covid pass allows people to either show either that they have been fully vaccinated, or that they have had a recent negative test. Under plan B the Covid pass would only show proof of vaccination. | The plan reveals that if the government does adopt this scheme, the NHS Covid pass, a feature on the NHS app, will effectively become the Covid passport. At the moment the NHS Covid pass allows people to either show either that they have been fully vaccinated, or that they have had a recent negative test. Under plan B the Covid pass would only show proof of vaccination. |
| And it sets out the venues that might be covered by a Covid passport: not just nightclubs (as originally proposed by Boris Johnson in July), but indoor venues with more than 500 people in close proximity, outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people in close proximity and any setting with more than 10,000 people. (These are almost exactly the same criteria as apply in Scotland, where Covid passports have already been announced, although the Scots are also mandating them for sexual entertainment venues too.) | And it sets out the venues that might be covered by a Covid passport: not just nightclubs (as originally proposed by Boris Johnson in July), but indoor venues with more than 500 people in close proximity, outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people in close proximity and any setting with more than 10,000 people. (These are almost exactly the same criteria as apply in Scotland, where Covid passports have already been announced, although the Scots are also mandating them for sexual entertainment venues too.) |
| At the No 10 lobby briefing the prime minister’s spokesman said there was no specific metric for triggering when so-called plan B measures in the winter plan. | At the No 10 lobby briefing the prime minister’s spokesman said there was no specific metric for triggering when so-called plan B measures in the winter plan. |
| Asked whether a new variant, or a certain number of cases per week, would make the government revert to plan B, the spokesman said: | Asked whether a new variant, or a certain number of cases per week, would make the government revert to plan B, the spokesman said: |
| Downing Street has sent journalists its readout from this morning’s cabinet meeting. This is what is says about what Boris Johnson told his ministers about Covid. | Downing Street has sent journalists its readout from this morning’s cabinet meeting. This is what is says about what Boris Johnson told his ministers about Covid. |
| The readout also shows that concerns about supply shortages were discussed at cabinet today. Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, gave an update on the problem, and Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, gave details of how driving tests for HGV drivers are being simplified to enable more to be carried out every year. | The readout also shows that concerns about supply shortages were discussed at cabinet today. Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, gave an update on the problem, and Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, gave details of how driving tests for HGV drivers are being simplified to enable more to be carried out every year. |
| Brexit is widely seen as contributing to the problem in the UK, but ministers insist that leaving the EU is not to blame and that the shortage of lorry drivers in the UK is part of a Europe-wide problem caused by Covid. The No 10 readout just refers to “HGV driver shortages which have been exacerbated by the pandemic”. | Brexit is widely seen as contributing to the problem in the UK, but ministers insist that leaving the EU is not to blame and that the shortage of lorry drivers in the UK is part of a Europe-wide problem caused by Covid. The No 10 readout just refers to “HGV driver shortages which have been exacerbated by the pandemic”. |
| The government’s autumn and winter Covid plan (pdf) says there is “significant uncertainty” about what will happen later this year and says there is a “plausible” risk of cases rising to an extent that would place the NHS under “unsustainable pressure”. Here is an extract. | The government’s autumn and winter Covid plan (pdf) says there is “significant uncertainty” about what will happen later this year and says there is a “plausible” risk of cases rising to an extent that would place the NHS under “unsustainable pressure”. Here is an extract. |
| The government has released a series of documents from its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) relating to today’s announcement, including minutes (pdf) from a Sage meeting last Thursday. Sage said the pandemic was entering “a period of uncertainty” and it stressed the importance “acting early” if cases rise, to stop the epidemic growing. It said: | The government has released a series of documents from its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) relating to today’s announcement, including minutes (pdf) from a Sage meeting last Thursday. Sage said the pandemic was entering “a period of uncertainty” and it stressed the importance “acting early” if cases rise, to stop the epidemic growing. It said: |
| Sage also says in the minutes that there is “evidence from real-world data in England of waning of vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease from approximately 10 weeks after second dose”, although it stresses that protection against hospitalisation and death remains high for at least 20 weeks. | Sage also says in the minutes that there is “evidence from real-world data in England of waning of vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease from approximately 10 weeks after second dose”, although it stresses that protection against hospitalisation and death remains high for at least 20 weeks. |