Ministers will do “what it takes” to ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed this winter, Sajid Javid has said as he warned that the number of new infections across the UK could hit a record 100,000 a day.
The health secretary said the government would not heed the call from the NHS Confederation to implement “plan B” measures such as mandatory mask-wearing “at this time”. But he underlined the fact that ministers would be, “staying vigilant, preparing for all eventualities”.
The government has come under mounting pressure to take action to contain the virus. The latest data shows 49,139 new infections recorded in the last 24 hours, and 179 deaths.
Lawrence Young, a professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick has added:
We are at a tipping point with increased levels of infection against a backdrop of waning vaccine-induced immunity and the easing of all restrictions. We must do everything to encourage those eligible to get their booster jabs and to vaccinate healthy 12 to 15-year-olds.
But we can’t rely on vaccination alone to protect us all over the winter and to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed. With the rising number of hospitalisations, ‘plan B’ measures (home orders, vaccine passports, social distancing and legally-enforced mask-wearing indoors) are looking increasingly likely.
Stopping the spread of the Covid-19 virus will not only protect individuals from getting sick but will also curb the generation of new virus variants that could be more infectiousness and more able to evade vaccine-induced immunity.
Carol Popplestone, the council chair of the Royal College of Nursing, has said:
New treatments are welcome and show how responsively the scientific community is working, but the emphasis must be on preventing infections in first place.
Nursing staff are bracing themselves for a winter of unprecedented pressure. Vaccines will boost immunity, but the public’s personal decisions and behaviours can boost the national effort.
There is already a shortage of nursing staff and their ability to deliver patient care is increasingly at risk.
Respectful mask-wearing, social distancing and being mindful of social contact with more vulnerable groups will be vital to our collective wellbeing as we head into this winter.
Javid closes with a tacit criticism of his cabinet colleague Kwasi Kwarteng, as well as backbenchers from his own party.
He is asked about the business secretary’s insistence this morning that he plans on “having a Christmas party as usual” and Tory MPs’ refusal to wear masks in the Commons chamber – and whether each is undermining the government’s message that efforts to control the virus, such as face coverings and social distancing, need to be redoubled. He says:
That is a very fair point. We’ve all got our role to play in this. We play our public roles ... we also have a role to play to set an example as private individuals.
Responding to this evening’s press conference, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, has said:
No one wants another national lockdown, for NHS services to be disrupted this winter, or for people to get ill with coronavirus when there are measures at the government’s disposal that are not heavy-handed and could reduce the likelihood of all of these scenarios.
The NHS is already gearing up for a busy winter and so, the secretary of state’s warning that daily confirmed cases of coronavirus could reach 100,000 a day and hospital admissions with Covid are approaching 1,000 a day will be of no comfort. Despite the success of the vaccination programme, more cases and hospitalisations will eventually lead to more deaths.
The message from health leaders is clear: it is better to act now, rather than regret it later.
We’ve heard the secretary of state’s decision not to enact ‘plan B’ of the government’s winter strategy and while we do not agree with him, we encourage him to keep reviewing the data and engaging with health leaders.
Alongside that, there are measures the public can take to support frontline services this winter. This includes getting vaccinated against flu and coronavirus when invited, using frontline services responsibly, and volunteering to support, join or return to the workforce, if eligible.
Javid is asked if the country is more likely to see restrictions in the near future if the public does not get booster jabs and make other behavioural changes.
He says the summer provides “less attractive conditions” to the virus, so it was expected that it would be “more challenging as we head into winter”. He stresses that, yes, he is saying the onus is on the public to take action in order to avoid shifting to “plan B”.
He says everyone knows the what is needed because the country has already been taking the necessary action for the past 18 months or so.
Dr Harries adds that small changes applied across the whole population, such as mask-wearing, could turn the tide if allied to a strong vaccine uptake.
Javid lauds the progress the UK has made as a result of all of the measures the public have implemented since the start of the pandemic. Prof Powis adds:
The public has responded magnificently.
But Javid warns that we could lose that progress if the public do not continue in the same spirit and continue to get vaccinated.
Asked how bad things would need to get before he shifts to “plan B”, Javid insists: “We are concerned.” But he says the vaccines are working and that means the country does not yet need to go that far.
He asks people to speak to their friends and relatives to convince them to get jabbed, as well as speaking to anyone they know who has developed “weird ideas” by reading conspiracy theories online.
The health secretary adds that there is “not just one number we are looking at” when deciding whether or not to introduce stricter measures.
Javid is asked whether he is ignoring the principal lesson from last year – that waiting to take measures means having to take harsher ones later.
He says the government can play a part but insists that people need to take action themselves, such as getting jabs, taking tests and isolating when necessary. This is “plan A”, he says. We’re not at that point yet, he adds, referring to the stricter measures associated with “plan B”.
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