The Prime Minister’s spokesman has said that the Government is keeping a close eye on the rising level of Covid cases but says that there are no plans as yet to roll out Plan B to control the virus over the winter
“Clearly we’re keeping a very close eye on rising case rates, the most important message for the public to understand is the vital importance of the booster programme and indeed for those children who are eligible to come forward and get our jab.”
However, the spokesman said Mr Johnson and his cabinet did not discuss rolling out Plan B of the plan to control the virus over the winter.
“No… it remains the case we would only look to use that if the pressure on the NHS was looking to become unsustainable.”
Later, speaking in the House of Commons the Health Secretary Sajid Javid said there is “huge pressure” on the NHS in England.
He told MPs: “We can all see this wherever we live, our constituents are seeing this.
“It is picking up over the winter and usually winters are tough for the NHS but this winter, I think, is going to be particularly tough and the government has set out the reasons why – the pandemic is still ongoing, this flu season will be particularly tough, I think, and that’s why we’re having, for example, the largest flu vaccination programme alongside the COVID programme this year.”
Earlier Professor Neil Ferguson warned that people must be “cautious” with their day-to-day interactions as Covid cases climb and immunity wanes,
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there is “a number of reasons” why the UK currently has higher infection levels than many other European countries.
But he warned that as they rise, the public need to remain cautious.
He said: “Nobody likes having their freedoms curtailed by measures but it’s prudent to be cautious in everyday interactions – certainly wearing masks helps that, it reminds people that we’re not completely out of the woods yet.”
