BORIS Johnson said he can’t rule out a Christmas lockdown today as he warned of Covid “storm clouds” gathering over Europe.
Speaking at a press conference inside No 10 the PM warned a new wave of the virus from the continent could “wash up on our shores”.
And he urged all eligible Brits to get their boosters as soon as possible to help prevent the need for new restrictions this winter.
Boris appeared in Downing St flanked by Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
Here’s everything he had to say on Covid…
State of the pandemic
The PM acknowledged that cases have been rising across Britain in recent days and said people “must remain vigilant”.
He expressed concern about the spike in cases across Europe and insisted “history shows we cannot afford to be complacent”.
But he said many of the countries suffering worst on the continent have low vaccination rates.
And he added: “This shows us once again that if we want to control the epidemic here in the UK, and if we want to avoid new restrictions on our daily lives, we must all get vaccinated as soon as we are eligible.”
Prof Whitty urged people not to read too much into daily fluctuations in case numbers and said infections have remained broadly flat for a long period.
New restrictions?
Boris said there’s still nothing in the data to suggest the country needs to move to Plan B measures.
These would include mandatory mask wearing, working from home, and the introduction of vaccine passports.
But pressed on whether there could be even harsher measures like a Christmas lockdown, the PM warned he “cannot rule anything out”.
Prof Whitty said Plan B isn’t needed at the moment because case rates are not rising like they are elsewhere in Europe.
He added: “Obviously if they did that would be a situation where we would have to look again at what the situation is at that stage.”
Jabs announcements
The PM announced the booster jabs programme is being extended to all over-40s in a bid to stave off a new wave this winter.
He praised the huge numbers of Brits coming forward for the top-up shot and said it’s “crucial” everyone gets the extra protection .
Some 12.6 million people have received theirs so far, including three quarters of everyone over 70.
The PM said: “It would be an utter tragedy if, after everything we have been through, people who had done the right thing by getting double vaccinated ended up becoming seriously ill or even losing their lives because they allowed their immunity to wane by not getting their booster.”
Boris also announced that teenagers aged 16 and 17 will now be able to get the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Full vaccination
Boris confirmed that in future Brits will require a booster jab to qualify as fully vaccinated for hassle free travel.
Fully vaccinated people can avoid quarantine and use cheaper tests when returning from holidays on the continent.
Ministers had already strongly suggested they were looking at changing the definition to include top-up shots.
The PM said: “It’s very clear getting your booster will become an important fact and it will make life easier for you in all sorts of ways.
“The two jabs sadly do start to wane, so we’ve got to be responsible and we’ve got to reflect that fact in the way we measure what constitutes full vaccination.”
Pressure on NHS
Prof Whitty said the NHS is facing a “difficult winter” as rising Covid cases combine with challenges from the annual flu season.
The chief medical officer for England admitted parts of the health service are already facing “significant pressures”.
He said areas including the ambulance system and A&E wards are facing the brunt of the impact.
The top scientist added: “I think we have got a difficult winter ahead of us. I think that is a widely accepted situation.
“Which is why all health staff would reiterate the point the PM has made about encouraging people to get vaccinated.”
