Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday made an oral statement to the House of Commons on the latest situation in Israel and Gaza
Mr Speaker, the attacks in Israel last weekend shocked the world. Over 1,400 people murdered, one by one. Over 3,500 wounded. Almost 200 taken hostage.
The elderly men, women, children, babies in arms – murdered, mutilated, burned alive. We should call it by its name: it was a pogrom.
Mr Speaker, the families of some of the missing are in the public gallery today.
We called for the immediate release of all hostages.
And I say to them. We stand with you. We stand with Israel.
The murdered and the missing come from over 30 countries – including the United Kingdom.
The terrible nature of these attacks means it is proving difficult to identify many of the deceased.
But with a heavy heart, I can inform the House that at least 6 British citizens were killed. A further 10 are missing, some of whom are feared to be among the dead.
We are working with Israel to establish the facts as quickly as possible, and we are supporting the families who are suffering unimaginable pain.
We are also helping British citizens who want to leave Israel.
We have organised 8 flights so far, bringing out over 500 people, with more flights leaving today.
We are working with neighbouring countries on land evacuations for our citizens in Gaza and the West Bank.
I have spoken specifically to President Sisi about supporting civilians to leave Gaza via the Rafah border crossing – which at present remains closed.
And we have a Border Force team in Egypt working with our Embassy to help citizens when they are able to cross.
I will come back to the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza for a moment.
But first, Mr Speaker I want to address the British Jewish community directly. As I said at Finchley United Synagogue last week and a Jewish school I visited this morning – we stand with you, now and always.
This atrocity was an existential strike at the very idea of Israel as a safe homeland of the Jewish people.
I understand why it has shaken you to your core.
And I am sickened that antisemitic incidents have increased since the attacks.
We are doing everything we can to protect you.
We are providing an additional £3 million for the Community Security Trust to protect schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community buildings.
And we are working with the police to ensure that hate crime and the glorification of terror is met with the full force of the law.
I know the whole house will support this – and join me in saying unequivocally: We stand with the Jewish community.
Mr Speaker, I also recognise that this is a moment of great anguish for British Muslim communities, who are also appalled by Hamas’ actions but fearful of the response.We must listen to these concerns with the same attentiveness.
Hamas is using innocent Palestinian people as human shields – with the tragic loss of more than 2,600 Palestinian lives, including many children.
We mourn the loss of every innocent life – civilians of every faith, every nationality who has been killed.
And so let’s say it plainly: we stand with British Muslim communities too.
Mr Speaker, Israel was founded not just as a homeland for the Jewish people, but as a guarantor of their security.
To ensure that what happened to the Jewish people in the Holocaust could never happen again.
Through its strength and resilience Israel gradually achieved some of that longed for security.
Despite the strategic threats on their borders, including Hezbollah in the north, with Iran at their back.
They normalised relations with the UAE and Bahrain through the Abraham Accords and moved towards normalising ties with Saudi Arabia.
Steps that not long ago were thought unthinkable.
One reason why this attack is so shocking is that it is a fundamental challenge to any idea of coexistence.
Which is an essential precursor to peace and stability in the region.
Mr Speaker, the question is: how should we respond?
I believe we must support, absolutely, Israel’s right to defend itself. To go after Hamas, take back the hostages, deter further incursions, and strengthen its security for the long term.
But this must be done in line with international humanitarian law but also recognising that they face a vicious enemy that embeds itself behind civilians.
As a friend, we will continue to call on Israel to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.
I repeat President Biden’s words – as democracies “we are stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law.” Humanity. Law. Decency. Respect for human life.That’s what sets us apart from the mindless violence of the terrorist.
Mr Speaker, there are three specific areas where the UK is helping to shape events.
First, we are working to prevent escalation and further threats against Israel.
On Friday, RAF surveillance aircraft began patrols to track threats to regional security.
I have deployed a Royal Navy task group to the eastern Mediterranean – including RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus, 3 Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines. Ready both to interdict arms and support the humanitarian response. And we are bolstering our forces in Cyprus and across the region.
Let me be clear, we are not engaging in fighting or an offensive in Gaza. But we are increasing our presence to prevent broader regional instability at this dangerous moment.
Second, Mr Speaker, I’m proud that we are a longstanding and significant provider of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. And I can announce today that we are increasing our aid by a third, with an additional £10 million of support.
An acute humanitarian crisis is unfolding, to which we must respond. We must support the Palestinian people – because they’re victims of Hamas too.
Like our allies, we believe that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity.
Hamas simply does not stand for the future that Palestinians want.
And they seek to put the Palestinian people in harm’s way.
So we must ensure humanitarian support urgently reaches civilians in Gaza. This requires Egypt and Israel to allow in the aid that is so badly needed.
We also need to keep the situation in the West Bank in the forefront of our minds at this moment of heightened sensitivity.
Earlier today, I spoke to Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, to express our support for his efforts to provide stability.
Third, we will use all the tools of British diplomacy to sustain the prospects of peace and stability in the region.
Ultimately, that requires security for Israelis and Palestinians and a two-state solution. So we’re increasing our regional engagement.
I have spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu twice in the last week, along with the United States, France, Germany, Italy and others.
My Right Honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary was the first to visit Israel after the attacks.
I met with His Majesty the King of Jordan yesterday – a long-time voice of reason and moderation.
I have spoken today with the leaders of Turkey and previously Egypt … and will speak to others in the coming days.
Our partners in the region have asked us to play a role in preventing further escalation. That is what we will do.
However hard it is, we need to ask the tough questions about how we can revive the long-term prospects for a two-state solution, for normalisation and regional stability.
Not least because that is precisely what Hamas has been trying to kill.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, unequivocally backing Israel’s right to defend itself.
Stepping forward with humanitarian support.
Working to protect civilians from harm. And straining every sinew to keep the flame of peace and stability alive. That is our objective.
It is the right approach for the region. It is the right approach for Britain.
Prime Minister confirms next steps for living with Covid-19
Vaccines will remain first line of defence against the virus with further boosters this spring for the most vulnerable
All remaining domestic covid regulations restricting public freedoms to end this week as part of the Living with Covid Plan
Vaccines will remain the first line of defence against Covid-19 as the Prime Minister sets out the Government’s plans to live with and manage the virus.
The UK was the first country in the world to authorise the use of the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, the first European country to vaccinate 50% of its population and has delivered the fastest booster programme in Europe.
Over 31 million boosters have been administered across England and almost 38 million UK wide helping break the link between infections and hospitalisations. In England, the number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to decline and are far below the levels of previous waves, with boosters offering strong protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.
Thanks to our hugely successful vaccination programme, the immunity built up in the population and our new antiviral and therapeutics tools, the UK is in the strongest possible position to learn how to live with Covid and end government regulation.
To save lives and protect the NHS, unprecedented measures were taken on a global scale that interfered with people’s lives and livelihoods. Billions of pounds were spent on supporting a locked down economy as the public stayed at home.
The Prime Minister has been clear that restrictions would not stay in place a day longer than necessary. The British public have made extraordinary sacrifices during the 2020 lockdowns, the Roadmap, and recent Plan B measures in response to the Omicron variant.
The Plan, published yesterday, sets out how vaccines and other pharmaceutical interventions will continue to form our first line of defence. The UK Government has accepted the JCVI recommendation to offer an additional booster to all adults aged over 75, all residents in care homes for older adults, and all over 12s who are immunosuppressed.
An autumn annual booster programme is under consideration, subject to further advice. Further detail on deployment on the spring booster programme will be set out in due course. The Government will continue to be guided by the JCVI on future vaccine programmes.
The plan covers four main pillars:
Removing domestic restrictions while encouraging safer behaviours through public health advice, in common with longstanding ways of managing other infectious illnesses
Protecting the vulnerable through pharmaceutical interventions and testing, in line with other viruses
Maintaining resilience against future variants, including through ongoing surveillance, contingency planning and the ability to reintroduce key capabilities such as mass vaccination and testing in an emergency
Securing innovations and opportunities from the COVID-19 response, including investment in life sciences
The public are encouraged to continue to follow public health advice, as with all infectious diseases such as the flu, to minimise the chance of catching Covid and help protect family and friends. This includes by letting fresh air in when meeting indoors, wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, and washing your hands.
The Prime Minister yesterday confirmed domestic legal restrictions (in England – Ed.) will end on 24 February as we begin to treat Covid as other infectious diseases such as flu. This means:
The remaining domestic restrictions in England will be removed. The legal requirement to self-isolate ends. Until 1 April, we still advise people who test positive to stay at home. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.
From April, the Government will update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to be careful and considerate of others, similar to advice on other infectious diseases. This will align with testing changes.
Self-isolation support payments, national funding for practical support and the medicine delivery service will no longer be available.
Routine contact tracing ends, including venue check-ins on the NHS COVID-19 app.
Fully vaccinated adults and those aged under 18 who are close contacts are no longer advised to test daily for seven days and the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate will be removed.
Our testing programme has been a crucial part of our response to the virus. Over 2 billion lateral flow tests have been provided across the UK since 2020 ensuring people could stay safe and meet family and friends knowing they were free of the virus.
As set out in the Autumn and Winter Plan, universal free provision of tests will end as our response to the virus changes.
From the start of April, the government will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups and we will set out further details on which groups will be eligible shortly. Free symptomatic testing will also remain available to social care staff. We are working with retailers to ensure that everyone who wants to can buy a test.
The Test & Trace programme cost £15.7 billion in 2021/22. With Omicron now the dominant variant and less severe, levels of high immunity across the country and a range of strategies in place including vaccines, treatments, and public health knowledge, the value for taxpayers’ money is now less clear. Free testing should rightly be focused on at-risk groups.
The Government remains ready to respond if a new variant emerges and places unsustainable pressure on the NHS, through surveillance systems and contingency measures such as increased testing capacity or vaccine programmes. Our world-leading ONS survey will allow us to continue to track the virus in granular detail to help us spot any surges in the virus.
Further changes being made include: * Today the guidance has been removed for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing. * On 24 February, removing additional local authority powers to tackle local COVID-19 outbreaks (No.3 regulations). Local Authorities will manage local outbreaks in high-risk settings as they do with other infectious diseases. * On 24 March, the Government will also remove the COVID-19 provisions within the Statutory Sick Pay and Employment and Support Allowance regulations.
From 1 April, the UK Government will:
Remove the current guidance on voluntary COVID-status certification in domestic settings and no longer recommend that certain venues use the NHS COVID Pass.
No longer provide free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
Remove the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their risk assessments.
PM statement on living with COVID
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement in the House of Commons on the government’s strategy for living with COVID.
And before I begin, I know the whole House will join me in sending our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen for a full and swift recovery.
It is a reminder that this virus has not gone away, but because of the efforts we have made as a country over the past two years we can now deal with it in a very different way, moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility.
So we protect ourselves without losing our liberties – and maintaining our contingency capabilities so we can respond rapidly to any new variant.
Mr Speaker, the UK was the first country in the world to administer an approved vaccine, and the first European nation to protect half our population with at least one dose.
And having made that decision to refocus our NHS this Winter on the campaign to Get Boosted Now, we were the first major European nation to boost half our population too.
And it is because of the extraordinary success of this vaccination programme, that we have been able to lift our restrictions earlier than other comparable countries, opening up last summer, while others remained closed, and keeping things open this winter, when others shut down again, making us one of the most open economies and societies in Europe, with the fastest growth anywhere in the G7 last year.
And while the pandemic is not over, we have now passed the peak of the Omicron wave, with cases falling, hospitalisations in England now fewer than 10,000 and still falling, and the link between infection and severe disease substantially weakened.
Over 71 per cent of all adults are now boosted in England, including 93 per cent of those 70 and over, and together with the treatments and scientific understanding of the virus we have built up, we now have sufficient levels of immunity to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments as our first line of defence.
As we have throughout the past two years, we will continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as they decide how to take forward their own plans, and today’s strategy shows how we will structure our approach in England around four principles.
First, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.
From this Thursday, 24 February, we will end the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test, and so we will also end self-isolation support payments, although Covid provisions for Statutory Sick Pay can still be claimed for a further month.
We will end routine contact tracing, and no longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those under 18 to test daily for seven days.
And we will remove the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate.
Until 1 April, we will still advise people who test positive to stay at home. But after that, we will encourage people with Covid-19 symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate to others.
Mr Speaker, it is only because levels of immunity are so high and deaths are now, if anything, below where you would normally expect for this time of year, that we can lift these restrictions.
And it is only because we know Omicron is less severe, that testing for Omicron on the colossal scale we have been doing is much less important, and much less valuable in preventing serious illness.
We should be proud that the UK established the biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world.
But this came at a vast cost.
The Testing, Tracing and Isolation budget in 2020-21 exceeded the entire budget of the Home Office.
It cost a further £15.7 billion in this financial year, and £2 billion in January alone at the height of the Omicron wave.
We must now scale this back.
From today, we are removing the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.
And from 1st April, when Winter is over and the virus will spread less easily, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
We will continue to provide free symptomatic tests to the oldest age groups and those most vulnerable to Covid.
And in line with the practice in many other countries, we are working with retailers to ensure that everyone who wants to can buy a test.
From April 1st, we will also no longer recommend the use of voluntary Covid-status certification, although the NHS app will continue to allow people to indicate their vaccination status for international travel.
And Mr Speaker, the government will also expire all temporary provisions of the Coronavirus Act.
Of the original 40, 20 have already expired, 16 will expire on 24 March, and the last 4 relating to innovations in public service will expire six months later, after we have made those improvements permanent via other means.
Second, we will continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccines and treatments.
The UK government has procured enough doses of vaccine to anticipate a wide range of possible JCVI recommendations. And today we are taking further action to guard against a possible resurgence of the virus, accepting JCVI advice for a new Spring booster offered to those aged 75 and over, older care home residents, and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.
The UK is also leading the way on antivirals and therapeutics, with our AntiVirals Task Force securing a supply of almost 5 million – more per head than any other country in Europe.
Third, SAGE advise there is considerable uncertainty about the future path of the pandemic, and there may of course be significant resurgences.
They are certain there will be new variants and it’s very possible those will be worse than Omicron.
So we will maintain our resilience to manage and respond to these risks, including our world-leading ONS survey, which will allow us to continue tracking the virus in granular detail, with regional and age breakdowns helping us spot surges as and where they happen, and our laboratory networks will help us understand the evolution of the virus and identify any changes in characteristics.
We will prepare and maintain our capabilities to ramp up testing.
We will continue to support other countries in developing their own surveillance capabilities, because a new variant can emerge anywhere.
And we will meet our commitment to donate 100 million vaccine doses by June, as our part of the agreement at the UK’s G7 summit to provide a billion doses to vaccinate the world over the next year.
In all circumstances, our aim will be to manage and respond to future risks through more routine public health interventions, with pharmaceutical interventions as the first line of defence.
Fourth, we will build on the innovation that has defined the best of our response to the pandemic.
The Vaccines Task Force will continue to ensure the UK has access to effective vaccines as they become available, already securing contracts with manufacturers trialling bi-valent vaccines, which would provide protection against Covid variants.
The Therapeutics Task Force will continue to support seven national priority clinical trial platforms focused on prevention, novel treatments and treatment for long-Covid.
We are refreshing our biosecurity strategy to protect the UK against natural zoonosis and accidental laboratory leaks, as well as the potential for biological threats emanating from state and non-state actors.
And building on the Five Point Plan I set out at the United Nations and the agreements reached at the UK’s G7 last year, we are working with our international partners on future pandemic preparedness, including through a new pandemic treaty, an effective early warning system or Global Pandemic Radar, and a mission to make safe and effective diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines available within the first 100 days of a future pandemic threat being identified.
And we will be hosting a global pandemic preparedness summit next month.
And Mr Speaker, Covid will not suddenly disappear.
So those who would wait for a total end to this war before lifting the remaining regulations, would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.
This government does not believe that is right or necessary.
Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental wellbeing, and the life chances of our children.
And we do not need to pay that cost any longer.
We have a population that is protected by the biggest vaccination programme in our history.
We have the antivirals, the treatments, and the scientific understanding of this virus, and we have the capabilities to respond rapidly to any resurgence or new variant.
And Mr Speaker it is time to get our confidence back.
We don’t need laws to compel people to be considerate of others.
We can rely on that sense of responsibility towards one another, providing practical advice in the knowledge that people will follow it to avoid infecting loved ones and others.
So let us learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves without restricting our freedoms.
And in that spirit, I commend this Statement to the House.
PM statement at Covid press conference
The Prime Minister gave a press conference on the plan to live with COVID-19
Good evening, when the pandemic began, we had little knowledge of this virus and none about the vaccines and treatments we have today.
So there was no option but to use government regulations to protect our NHS and save lives.
But those restrictions on our liberties have brought grave costs to our economy, our society, and the chances of our children.
So from the outset, we were clear that we must chart a course back towards normality as rapidly as possible, by developing the vaccines and treatments that could gradually replace those restrictions.
And as a result of possibly the greatest national effort in our peacetime history, that is exactly what we have done.
Thanks to our brilliant scientists.
Thanks to the extraordinary men and women of our NHS and to every one of you who has come forwards to get jabbed and get boosted – the United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to administer an approved vaccine, and the fastest major European nation to roll out both the vaccines and the booster to half our population.
We have emerged from the teeth of the pandemic before many others, retaining one of the most open economies and societies in Europe and the fastest growth in the G7 last year.
And while the pandemic is not over, we have passed the peak of the Omicron wave, with cases falling, and hospitalisations in England now fewer than 10,000 and still falling, and so now we have the chance to complete that transition back towards normality, while maintaining the contingencies to respond to a resurgence or a new variant.
As we have done throughout the past two years, we will continue to work with the Devolved Administrations as they decide how to take forwards their own plans.
In England, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.
From this Thursday, it will no longer be law to self-isolate if you test positive, and so we will also end the provision of self-isolation support payments, although Statutory Sick Pay can still be claimed for a further month.
If you’re a fully vaccinated close contact or under 18 you will no longer be asked to test daily for seven days.
And if you are close contact who is not fully vaccinated you will no longer be required to self-isolate.
Until 1 April, we will still advise you to stay at home if you test positive.
But after that, we will encourage people with Covid symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate towards others.
It is only because levels of immunity are so high and deaths are now, if anything, below where you would normally expect for this time of year that we can lift these restrictions.
And it is only because we know Omicron is less severe, that testing for Omicron on the colossal scale we have been doing is now much less valuable in preventing serious illness.
We should be proud that the UK established the biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world.
But its budget in the last financial year was bigger than the Home Office – and it cost – the testing programme cost – £2 billion just last month alone.
So we must scale back and prioritise our resources for the most vulnerable.
From today, staff and students in most education and childcare settings will no longer be asked to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.
And from 1st April, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
But we will continue providing free symptomatic tests to those at the highest risk from Covid.
And in line with the practice of many other countries, we are working with retailers to ensure you will always be able to buy a test.
We should be clear the pandemic is not over and there may be significant resurgences.
Our scientists are certain there will be new variants and it’s very possible that those will be worse than Omicron.
So we will continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccinations and treatments and we have bought enough doses of vaccine to anticipate a wide range of possible JCVI recommendations.
Today this includes a new Spring booster, which will be offered to those aged 75 and over, older care home residents, and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.
We will also retain disease surveillance systems and contingency measures which can ensure our resilience in the face of future waves or new variants.
And we will build on the innovations that defined the very best of our response to the pandemic, including continuing the work of the Vaccines Task Force, which has already secured contracts with manufacturers trialling new vaccines which could provide protection against new variants.
Today is not the day we can declare victory over Covid, because this virus is not going away.
But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enabled us to protect ourselves while restoring our liberties in full.
And after two of the darkest grimmest years in our peacetime history, I do believe this is a moment of pride for our nation and a source of hope for all that we can achieve in the years to come.
Thank you very much.
REACTION:
Responding to the statement from the Prime Minster on the Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ strategy, which includes the removal of free Covid-19 tests for the public from 1 April in England, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “Today’s announcement fails to protect those at highest risk of harm from Covid-19, and neglects some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“We recognise the need, after two years of the pandemic, to begin thinking about how we adjust our lives to manage living alongside Covid-19, but as the BMA has persistently said the decision to bring forward the removal of all protective measures while cases, deaths and the number of people seriously ill remain so high is premature.
“Living with Covid-19 must not mean ignoring the virus all together – which in many respects the Government’s plan in England seems to do.
“On the one hand the Government says it will keep monitoring the spread of the virus, and asks individuals to take greater responsibility for their own decisions, but by removing free testing for the vast majority of the population on the other, ministers are taking away the central tool to allow both of these to happen.
“Far from giving people more freedom, today’s announcement is likely to cause more uncertainty and anxiety.
“Crucially, it will create a two-tier system, where those who can afford to pay for testing – and indeed to self-isolate – will do so, while others will be forced to gamble on the health of themselves and others.
“Covid-19 has already disproportionately impacted those on lower incomes, in insecure employment and from ethnic minorities. This move threatens to exacerbate these health inequalities.
“People will want to do the right thing, and not knowingly put others at risk if they are infected, but how can they make such a judgement if they have no way of knowing if they’re carrying the virus or not? This is especially important for those who come into contact with people who are at much greater risk of becoming ill with Covid-19, such as elderly relatives or those who are clinically vulnerable.
“Providing free tests to clinically vulnerable people – and only once they develop symptoms and are potentially very unwell – but not providing any free tests to friends or family who come into contact with them is completely illogical, as the priority should be protecting them from infection in the first place. The same goes for care home staff, who will only be tested if they have symptoms, by which time they could have passed on the virus to vulnerable residents.
“There must also be urgent clarity around testing provision for NHS workers. People visit hospitals and surgeries to get better, and not to be exposed to deadly viruses, and the continuation of testing for healthcare workers is invaluable in protecting both staff and patients.
“That plans are underway for a new booster programme is sensible but we must not – as we have continued to state – rely solely on vaccination to protect the nation. The necessity for further boosters underlines that Covid-19 will continue to present a challenge for healthcare services and wider society for potentially many years to come. And while the Prime Minister talks about Omicron resulting in a mild illness for most, others will still become very unwell with Covid-19, and an estimated more than one million people continue to live with long-Covid – themselves needing ongoing care.
“As part of ‘learning to live with Covid’, protections must be maintained for the most vulnerable, including the provision of enhanced face masks, and clear guidance for both patients and clinicians.
“Meanwhile, all people must be financially supported to do the right thing, and the removal of self-isolation payments, and then access to statutory sick pay in a months’ time, is incredibly concerning, as it will mean people cannot afford to stay at home if they are unwell. In healthcare settings, enhanced infection prevention measures – including mask-wearing for patients and enhanced PPE for staff – must remain, while in the longer-term premises are in desperate need of improvements, such as higher standards of ventilation, to limit the spread of infections.
“And with such a planned scale back of free testing, it is imperative that the Government keeps its commitment to continue other surveillance methods, including the ONS infection survey1, and to not hesitate to act on worrying surges of infections or new dangerous variants.”
Responding to today’s ending of Covid restrictions, Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing at older people’s charity Independent Age, said: “We know that many people aged 65 and over are worried about the upcoming relaxation of Covid restrictions, particularly the ending of self-isolation.
“We are concerned that this sudden change in direction of public safety is likely to increase anxiety among older people, and even cause some to shield themselves and limit daily activities.
“Our research revealed that the challenges faced by those in later life due to the pandemic have worsened many people’s mental health with many people we spoke to expressing fear at catching the virus in public settings. If the requirement to isolate is removed at the same time free lateral flow tests for most age groups stop, this fear is likely to increase as is the likelihood of coming into contact with someone who has Covid.
“Recent polling showed that a majority (56%) of older people thought isolating should always be a requirement for somebody who has tested positive for Covid, and a further 27% said it should at least be a requirement for the next few months.
“It’s essential that older people are able to live their daily lives safely. Now the government has announced the relaxation, it must clarify how it plans to protect those in later life from the virus.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will lay out Scotland’s response when she addresses the Holyrood parliament this afternoon.
So Boris Johson urges ‘personal responsibility’? Yes, Boris ‘Partygate’ Johnson – the great leader who would not even follow the rules he wrote himself? Oh, the irony! It really would be funny it it wasn’t quite so serious.#covid #gieyetheboak
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to the Scottish Parliament Edinburgh on 29 December 2021
Thank you very much Presiding Officer.
I will give our latest assessment today on the spread of Omicron and, in light of that, I can confirm no immediate changes to the protections currently in force or the advice we are giving the public.
However, I will also talk about the data we will be monitoring closely in the days ahead as we assess the likely impact of this wave of infection and the continued necessity and proportionality of our response.
I will also briefly summarise the protective measures which took effect earlier this week to help slow spread, and provide some further detail of the support available to businesses.
Finally, I will report on the delivery of booster vaccinations.
First, though, today’s statistics. 15,849 positive cases were reported yesterday – 28.9% of all tests carried out.
Now it’s worth noting that the much higher test positivity experienced over recent days may be partially explained by people being more selective about when to go for a test over the Christmas period.
However, this is by some margin the highest overall daily case number reported in the pandemic to date.
679 people are currently in hospital with Covid – which is 80 more than yesterday.
And 36 people are in intensive care – 1 fewer than yesterday.
I will say more shortly about the numbers of people with Covid in hospital and why this is an important indicator as we judge the most proportionate response going forward.
Sadly though, a further 3 deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths under this daily definition to 9,836.
And once again, I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
Presiding Officer
It is clear from these figures that the wave of Omicron that has been predicted is now rapidly developing.
Omicron now counts for around 80% of all cases and over the past week the number of reported cases overall has increased by 47%.
We should also bear in mind that any transmission over recent days will not yet be fully evident in the reported figures.
So it is reasonable to assume that we will continue to see steep increases in cases in the days and indeed possibly in the weeks ahead.
That said, it is also important to remember that our individual and collective behavior will influence how fast or otherwise the virus spreads.
The current surge would almost certainly be even higher, but for so many people following advice to cut down on social interactions in the run up to Christmas.
And given the speed and extent of the transmission we are experiencing now, it is really vital that we all continue to take sensible precautions and limit social interactions for a further period, as we learn more about the likely impact of this wave of infection and as we complete the booster vaccination programme.
Presiding Officer
Obviously one of the factors we are looking at most closely is the proportion of Omicron cases that require hospital treatment. This will tell us more about the severity of Omicron for individuals and also about the overall impact that it is likely to have on the NHS. This will therefore inform our ongoing response.
Before I say more about that, though, it is worth emphasising that there are other reasons to do all we can at this stage to slow down the spread.
Firstly, whatever the overall impact of Omicron turns out to be, we know that this virus will cause serious illness and death for some. We also know that for others, long Covid will cause ongoing suffering.
Secondly, we know that high levels of infection and therefore sickness absence, will be disruptive to the economy and the delivery of critical services – and I will say more later about how we are seeking to mitigate this.
However, as things stand, none of us should be complacent about getting Covid. We should take steps to avoid it if we can.
There is no doubt however, that the data we are looking at most closely just now is the conversion of cases into hospital admissions.
And there are here some grounds for optimism.
Over the past week, published studies have suggested that the risk of hospitalization from Omicron is lower – possibly significantly lower – than for other strains of the virus.
What is not yet fully understood is why this might be the case – whether it is because Omicron is inherently less severe, or because of its greater ability to infect those who have had prior infection or been vaccinated which means that more of those who get it carry a level of immunity that protects them from more serious illness.
We don’t yet know the answer to that but, either way, if it is the case that a much lower proportion of people with Omicron need hospital care compared to other strains of the virus, that is really good news – especially as Omicron is now the dominant strain and good news both in terms of individual health and overall impact.
And of course it would inform how we respond in the weeks ahead.
However – and this remains key – for at least the next couple of weeks, we do need to show continued caution as we assess in real time the impact that these higher case numbers will have on the NHS.
It is encouraging that, at least until now, the rise in cases experienced over the past few weeks has not translated into a corresponding rise in hospital admissions or occupancy.
On the contrary, the number of people in hospital with Covid has so far remained broadly stable.
However, again, we do need to exercise caution.
The numbers in hospital with Covid in England is now rising quite sharply – which may be a sign of things to come here.
And indeed today’s reported increase in hospital occupancy of 80 is the biggest we have seen for some time.
And we know that there is a time lag between rising cases and rising hospital admissions.
And, of course, in terms of sheer numbers, the benefits of a lower rate of hospitalization could be quickly cancelled out by the much higher case numbers resulting from significantly increased transmissibility.
So we will be monitoring all of this data very carefully in the days to come.
As well as looking at the headline numbers, we will also be interrogating the detail – for example, the breakdown between those in hospital because of Covid, and those in hospital who have Covid but who were admitted for different reasons; and also whether the average length of stay in hospital for those with Omicron is different to other variants.
All in all, I would expect that within the next couple of weeks, we will have a clearer picture and that this will then help us reach informed judgments about the most proportionate response going forward.
In the meantime, however, while we better understand the impacts and while more and more of us get the added protection of booster vaccinations – which will of course help reduce the impacts of Omicron – we must try to avoid the sheer volume of cases overwhelming us.
That is why it is prudent, indeed I would say it is essential, that we do act to slow transmission at this stage as much as possible.
Indeed that is why additional protections were announced last week and are now in force and I will summarise these shortly.
And it is also why, over Hogmanay and New Year’s day, and for at least the first week of January, we are advising everyone to stay at home more than normal, to reduce contacts with people outside our own households, and to limit the size of any indoor social gatherings that do take place so that they don’t include people from any more than 3 households. Also try to ventilate indoor spaces as much as possible.
And it remains our advice – our strong advice – that lateral flow tests should be taken just before meeting up with anyone from another household.
And if that shows a positive result, it is vital to immediately isolate and book a PCR test.
You should also isolate and book a PCR test if you have symptoms that might be Covid.
Following this advice is difficult and frustrating at the best of times I know. But it is even harder at this time of year.
But it really does help and it will be helping already not withstanding these very high case numbers. So please do stick with it for now.
In addition to this general advice to the public, the new protective measures relating to hospitality, public indoor places, and live events that I set out last week are now in force. We will review these on an ongoing basis but, at this stage, our expectation is that they will be in force until 17 January.
That means, for now, limits on the size of live public events – though private life events such as weddings are exempt.
For indoor standing events the limit is 100; for indoor seated events 200; and for outdoor events it is 500 seated or standing.
I know some question the rationale for this – so let me set it out again.
Firstly, the higher transmissibility of Omicron means that large gatherings have a much greater potential to become rapid super-spreader events.
Second, there are transmission risks associated with travel to and from such events.
And, thirdly, they do place significant demands on emergency services – such as the police and ambulance service. At a time when emergency services are already dealing with high levels of staff absence due to the virus, not having large scale public events allows these services to focus on the delivery of core services to the public.
As well as limits on large events, some further protections are now in force for hospitality settings and other indoor public places.
A requirement for table service has been reintroduced for venues that serve alcohol for consumption on the premises.
And guidance has been issued to the effect that indoor hospitality and leisure venues should ensure 1m distance between different groups of customers. So one group – whether it is made up of one, two or three households – should be physically distanced from other such groups in the same venue.
Finally, unfortunately, nightclubs are now closed until 17 January, unless they have decided to remain open, without dancing, as hospitality premises – in which case they will follow the same rules and guidance as other hospitality venues.
All of these protections are important to help us deal with and reduce the impact of the public health challenge that Covid represents.
However, they also have a very significant impact on businesses.
Two weeks ago, I announced £100 million to support businesses affected by the advice to minimize contacts over the festive period. We have already detailed the allocation of that.
However, last week, I announced a further £275 million of support and I can give further detail today of how the first £100 million of that additional support is being allocated.
£16 million will be made available to support public transport providers through existing Covid support schemes.
£27 million will go to the culture sector, and a further £17 million to the events sector.
A further £32 million will be allocated to hospitality and leisure businesses, with an additional £10 million for those parts of the hospitality industry most severely impacted by the requirement for table service.
And up to £5 million will be allocated to nightclubs required to close.
We are also working closely with the sport sector. Sporting events are obviously affected by the limit on spectators, and also by cancellations due to Covid absences – however we also know that some of this impact will be alleviated by the rescheduling of events. So we want to make sure that the support we provide is effectively targeted and we will be confirming further details soon.
In total, we have now reached decisions on the allocation of £207 million of the £375 million being made available for business support.
And councils are now working to get that money into bank accounts as fast as possible.
Decisions on the allocation of the remaining funds will be confirmed following consultation with affected sectors on how it can best be targeted.
Presiding Officer
I know how difficult all of this for businesses.
And I wish it wasn’t necessary and I hope it isn’t necessary for long.
But there simply isn’t an easy tradeoff between protecting health and protecting the economy.
If Covid continues to spread rapidly, the economic impact in the form of staff absences and diminished consumer confidence will be severe and we’re already seeing those impacts.
So doing nothing won’t help business.
We must protect public health and the economy together – by slowing the speed at which Covid is spreading, while we complete the booster programme.
Presiding Officer
There are two further issues I want to touch on this afternoon.
I mentioned earlier the need to mitigate the impact of staff absences on the economy and critical services.
Now, obviously, the best way of doing this is by stemming transmission.
But we must also ensure the requirements for isolation are proportionate.
I indicated last week that we were weighing the risks and benefits of shortening the isolation period for index cases, and also potentially easing the requirement for all household contacts to isolate following a positive case.
These are finely balanced judgments and we are considering the current trends in infection carefully. However, I can confirm that we do hope to reach decisions in the next week with any changes taking effect from 5 January.
And we will keep Parliament updated.
In the meantime we have introduced a sectoral exemption scheme, subject to appropriate protections.
And I can confirm today a further change that will help ensure the exemption scheme – which is dependent on speedy turnaround of PCR tests – is effective.
The current surge in cases means testing capacity – sampling and processing capacity – is under pressure.
So we are now prioritising some slots for essential workers – such as NHS and transport staff – as well as for those who are clinically vulnerable or eligible for new Covid treatments.
And this ensures that essential workers get the test results they need to qualify for an exemption promptly.
This is a sensible step to take at this stage.
However, notwithstanding this priority for essential workers, let me stress that testing remains available for anyone who needs it.
If you try to book a test, and can’t find a slot available in a location you can get to, do try again later. Additional PCR test slots are released throughout the day.
Test & Protect is also, for now, focusing its telephone tracing on high risk settings, such as care homes.
The majority of us, if we test positive, will be contacted by text or e-mail, rather than by phone.
So if you are contacted by Test & Protect – either as a positive case or a close contact – please do respond and complete the online form, and make sure you follow all advice given.
The final point and the vital point indeed that I want to update on today is the progress of the vaccination programme.
Before I do so though, let me address this point. I’ve heard people ask in recent days what the purpose of booster vaccination is if we still have to restrict our activities for a period.
And I understand that question. But it is the answer that it is vital for all of us to understand.
Firstly, getting a booster doesn’t mean we won’t get Covid – though it will reduce the chances of that. But what it does do is significantly enhance our protection against serious illness. Getting boosted could quite literally save your life.
Because it doesn’t completely stop us getting or passing on the virus, those not fully vaccinated are still at significant risk. We won’t get the full benefit of the booster programme as a country until the maximum number of us are fully vaccinated. Which does mean that anyone choosing not to be vaccinated without good reason is acting irresponsibly. But the key point is this, until the programme is completed, and we are getting closer to that every day, we still need to slow down the spread.
In recent weeks there has been a huge increase in booster appointments and I want to put on record again my thanks to everyone involved in the delivery of the programme and to everyone coming forward to be boosted.
75% of those eligible for a booster or a third dose have now received one.
That represents excellent progress, but to deliver maximum benefits we need as many people as possible to get boosted as quickly as possible.
We want to get to – or close as possible to – the target of having 80% of eligible adults boosted by the bells.
Getting there depends on both capacity and demand.
Let me make it clear, we definitely have enough capacity now to meet that target.
What we need between now and the end of the week is high demand – eligible people who aren’t yet boosted to come forward now and get the jag.
High numbers of positive cases are making things more difficult – because if you get the virus, you can’t get the vaccine for a period afterwards.
So cancellation and do not attend rates have been creeping up this week as case numbers have risen.
But to everyone out there who isn’t yet boosted but could be – please book an appointment now or go to a drop in clinic.
If you have an appointment booked for January, please reschedule it for this week. There are plenty of slots available.
Please, please don’t delay. Every single booster jag administered now is a step on the road back to normality.
And remember if you haven’t had your first or second jag yet, it’s never too late for that either. Please make sure you get those now.
Presiding Officer, To draw my remarks to a conclusion, it’s an understatement to say that the situation we face now is not what any of us want.
And, I have to be clear, that the period immediately ahead will not be an easy one. That said I do hope that the clearer picture we will have in the next couple of weeks will also prove to be a much more positive picture.
And we can all help make it so.
So please, do get fully vaccinated.
Do it this week. The more of us who are boosted, the less severe the impact of Omicron will be and the sooner we will all return to normality.
Secondly, please test regularly.
The advice, if you are meeting other people, is to test before you go, every single time.
And take your test as close as possible, to the time you will be seeing other people. This is really important if you are planning to meet people from other households over Hogmanay. Although I would encourage you to please minimise that.
And finally, take all the other precautions which can help make a difference.
Work from home whenever possible.
Stay at home right now more than normal and reduce your contacts as much as possible – as I said even over Hogmanay.
If you do visit indoor public places, limit the number of households in your group to 3 at most.
Wear a face covering on public transport, in shops, and when moving around in hospitality. And make sure the covering fully covers your mouth and nose.
Keep windows open if you are meeting indoors. And follow all advice on hygiene.
Sticking to this is really hard.
But it does keep us safer and gives us the ability to slow down the spread of the virus as we complete the all-important booster programme.
Presiding Officer
This has – and this is another understatement – been another really difficult year. But despite these renewed challenges that we face now I do firmly believe – largely because of vaccination – that 2022 will be a better year. Let me conclude by thanking everyone again for all of the sacrifices made over this year and by wishing everyone a very happy new year when it comes.
Thank you Presiding Officer.
Daily reported Covid cases in the UK jumped to a record 183,037 on Wednesday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs on the battle to contain the Omicron variant when she addresses Holyrood this afternoon. Despite a huge push to get more people ‘boosted before the Bells’ and the introduction of tighter restrictions, COVID case numbers continue to rise.
Provisional data for 28 December indicates a continued high level of cases of COVID-19 being recorded. The daily totals for each of the 25, 26, 27 and 28 December are the highest recorded in Scotland since the start of the pandemic.
Given that not everyone with symptoms books a test, and that some people can be infected and not have symptoms, the true number of infections is likely to be higher still.
The figures are:
25 December 2021: 8,252 cases
26 December 2021: 11,030 cases
27 December 2021: 10,562 cases
28 December 2021: 9,360 cases
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “While these figures remain provisional, the significantly increased transmissibility of Omicron is reflected in the steep increase in cases now materialising, and we would expect to see case numbers rise further in the days to come.
“I am grateful for the continued efforts of the public in complying with the guidance issued in the run up to Christmas. Without this, it is likely that the figures would have been even higher.
“These figures serve to underline the importance of people continuing to get ‘boosted by the Bells’ and following the guidance to help slow the spread of COVID while we complete the accelerated booster programme.
“I know it is hard, but it is really important people continue to comply with the guidance over the New Year period. We must not underestimate the impact of Omicron.
“Even if the rate of hospitalisation associated with it is lower than past strains of the virus, case numbers this high will still put an inevitable further strain on the NHS, and create significant levels of disruption due to sickness absence across the economy and critical services.
“In addition to observing good hand hygiene and wearing face coverings, please limit your contacts as much as possible, keep any essential indoor gatherings to a maximum of three households, and get boosted by the Bells.”
Ms Sturgeon with address members of the Scottish Parliament at 2pm this afternoon. Those looking for stronger action are likely to be disappointed, however …
