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UK Covid live: Boris Johnson says he will not rule out ‘plan B’ of vaccine passports, masks and homeworking | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Prime minister sets out more details of government winter plans after announcement of ‘plan A’ booster jabs | |
Q: The Nighttime Industries Association says the government’s handling of the vaccine passport issue has been catastrophic. What is your response? | |
Johnson says he wants to keep nightclubs, and the nightime economy, open. This year they can keep it open, he says. But they have to be sensible. Plenty of venues have already been using Covid-status certificates, he says. | |
Q: What does the data show about the impact of a booster dose of vaccine? | |
Vallance says booster vaccines give a very big increase in antibody response. That should have a very big knock-on effect in terms of protection, he says. | |
And that’s it. The press conference is over. | |
I will post a summary soon. | |
Q: What is your response to Nicki Minaj tweets claiming vaccines are dangerous? | |
Whitty says he is worried that publicising remarks like this is counter-productive. | |
Johnson makes a joke about another Nikki. | |
There was also a question inviting Johnson to rule out a reshuffle, but Johnson ignores this. | |
Q: Will it be a new variant that changes the game here? | |
Whitty says variants are a concern. They happen all the time. The Delta variant is a very bad variant, he says. | |
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. | |
We are not at that point now, he says. | |
Q: Is it enough to tell people to consider wearing masks in crowded places? | |
Whitty says his previous suggestion to people remains his view; if you are in a crowded space, particularly indoors, wearing masks will protect people. And there will be places where wearing one will make other people more comfortable. | |
Q: Were you really planning to bring in vaccine passports in July when you announced the plan? Or was it just a ruse to increase vaccine uptake? | |
Johnson says he will defend them in principle. But at present he does not think they are necessary, he says. | |
Q: Deaths are five times what they were a year ago, and hospitalisations four times. Why not take some measure now? | |
Johnson says the government is continuing to advise people to be sensible and responsible. | |
Whitty says people are already taking measures to reduce the risk. They are meeting fewer people, and wearing masks in crowded spaces. | |
Q: How do you respond to the argument in the Lancet paper saying booster vaccines are unnecessary now, and that it would be better to send vaccines to developing countries? | |
Whitty says everyone wants to get vaccines to low-income countries. That is not contentious. | |
But is there some waning immunity that suggest a booster vaccine would be a good idea, Whitty asks. There is some evidence for this, he says. He says the UK is taking a middle approach. The JCVI has recommended boosters for some people, but not for everyone. | |
The case for the booster programme is science-based. | |
He says mRNA vaccines are being used. They have a short shelf-life, he says, meaning they would not be most appropriate for developing countries. | |
Vallance says there has been some waning of vaccine effectiveness, and this has been in the people most at risk. He says the JCVI recommendations are very sensible. | |
Q: What would be the trigger for plan B? | |
Johnson says the priority is to stop the NHS being overwhelmed. | |
The government will study all sorts of data, he says. | |
Plan B contains “a number of different shots in the locker”, he says. He says the government would not use them all at once. | |
Because so many people have some degree of immunity, smaller changes can have a bigger impact. | |
Sir Patrick Vallance says getting more people vaccinated would make a significant difference. | |
He says if the government had tried this six months ago, deaths and hospital cases would have gone “through the roof”. | |
He says hospital case numbers are an important measure. And anything that showed the vaccines having less effect would be important. | |
He says it is always important to act early. | |
Whitty says there are three key factors: the number of people going into hospital, the rate of change, and the state of the NHS. | |
Johnson starts with questions from the public. | Johnson starts with questions from the public. |
Q: Why is the PM not doing more to prevent unnecessary deaths? | 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. | 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? | 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. | 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.) | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | Whitty says deaths have been broadly flat, or gradually drifting up. |
And the number of people getting both doses of vaccine is going 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. | 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. | 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 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. | Johnson says the vaccine programme is being intensified. |
He says 12- to 15-year-olds are being vaccinated. | He says 12- to 15-year-olds are being vaccinated. |
And the government is “motoring ahead” with the booster programme. | And the government is “motoring ahead” with the booster programme. |
This will build even higher walls of vaccine protection, he says. | This will build even higher walls of vaccine protection, he says. |
Johnson says essentially the strategy is to “keep going”. | Johnson says essentially the strategy is to “keep going”. |
But he says the government is drawing up contingency plans. | But he says the government is drawing up contingency plans. |
It would not be sensible to rule out Covid passports, he says. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | Here is my colleague Heather Stewart’s story about the plan. |