Tag: UK Government

Large-scale coronavirus vaccine manufacturing begins in Scotland

  • Valneva begins large-scale vaccine manufacturing at its Livingston site in West Lothian
  • up to 60 million jabs due to be manufactured by the end of 2021 if the vaccine is approved
  • UK government investment will support 100 new jobs at the site, a doubling of the workforce

This follows a multi-million-pound joint investment in the facility by the UK government last year as part of an agreement in principle to secure early access to Valneva’s vaccine by the end of 2021. 60 million doses have already been secured for the UK, with an option to acquire a further 130 million if the vaccine is proven to be safe, effective and suitable.

This investment will now support 100 new highly-skilled jobs for scientists and technicians at the Livingston facility – doubling the workforce, putting Scotland at the forefront of the UK’s fight against COVID-19, and boosting the UK’s resilience in dealing with current and future pandemics by establishing a permanent vaccine manufacturing base.

Valneva’s coronavirus vaccine candidate is currently in phase I/II trials and will still need to meet the necessary safety and effectiveness standards and receive regulatory approval before it is rolled out at the end of the year. However, if it is approved, manufacturing at risk now will mean that the UK can roll the vaccine out across the country quicker.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Thanks to the UK Vaccine Taskforce, we have ordered up to 60 million jabs of Valneva’s promising vaccine if it proves to be safe, effective and suitable in its clinical trials this year.

“By starting manufacturing, we will have a running start at rolling these out as quickly as possible to protect the British public if it receives regulatory approval.

“This facility in Scotland, backed by millions from the Government, will help us beat coronavirus and boost our resilience against future pandemics.”

The new facility establishes a permanent UK capability to manufacture inactivated viral vaccines – one of the most proven, widely used types which is also used for flu, polio and rabies jabs.

If the vaccine proves successful and receives regulatory approval following a rigorous assessment of available data, the Livingston facility will have the capacity to produce up to 250 million doses annually for shipment across the UK and around the world.

Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack said: “It’s incredibly exciting that a potential new COVID-19 vaccine will be manufactured right here in Scotland, at the Valneva plant in Livingston.

This big step forward is a testament to the talent and hard work of all the Valneva staff who have worked so far to get to this stage.

The UK government has invested millions into developing the Valneva vaccine, which is also supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs in Scotland.

Chief Executive Officer of Valneva Thomas Lingelbach said: “We are extremely pleased to have achieved these 2 important milestones in such a short period of time. Our team in Scotland have done an amazing job to get manufacturing started so quickly.

“I would like to thank the UK Vaccines Taskforce and National Institute for Health Research who have played vital roles in the rapid recruitment and enrolment of the volunteers for the clinical study. We believe that our vaccine, assuming successful development, can make a major contribution in the UK and beyond.”

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We’ve already secured 60 million doses of the Valneva vaccine which, if approved, will be another vital tool in our fight against this virus.​> The start of manufacturing in West Lothian today puts Scottish expertise right at the heart of the UK vaccine programme.

“Set to deliver millions more jabs across all four nations, this is yet another fantastic example of the strength of our Union, as we work together as one United Kingdom to tackle the virus.”

Interim Chair of the UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix said: “I am thrilled that manufacturing has begun in Livingston as a result of the excellent work being done by Valneva in conjunction with the Vaccines Taskforce.

“If approved this new vaccine will be a crucial part of our efforts to tackle coronavirus – not just in the UK but around the world.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “This is excellent news that Valneva has started large-scale manufacturing of the Covid-19 vaccine, which the majority of us could be receiving.

“The Livingston site has the capacity to create hundreds of millions of vaccines that can be exported across the globe to help other countries in their fight to suppress Covid-19.

“UK government investment, doubling the workforce at the site, shows how Scotland is better prepared to overcome Covid-19 as part of the United Kingdom.”

Through the Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 367 million doses of seven of the most promising vaccines so far. To date, the UK government has invested over £230 million into manufacturing a successful vaccine.

The UK was the first country in the world to procure, authorise and then deploy both the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

Production of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine started last autumn where the bulk of the vaccine for the UK is being made in Oxfordshire and Staffordshire, with filling into vials taking place in North Wales.

In total, more than 7.1 million people across the UK have now had a least one dose of the vaccine.

Tougher border controls … but not tough enough, says First Minister

The UK government has announced further action for outbound and inbound passengers to minimise travel across international borders and reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission – but Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the measures just don’t go far enough.

While the focus is on protecting the UK’s world-leading vaccination programme, this action will reduce the risk of a new variant of the virus being transmitted from someone coming into the UK.

The measures announced today include:

For those wishing to travel out of the UK

  • Declaring reason for travel: anyone who does not have a valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine. The reason for travel will be checked.
  • Increased police enforcement: there will be an increased police presence at ports and airports, fining those in breach of the stay at home regulations. Anyone without valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine.
  • Reviewing travel exemptions: the list of travel exemptions will be urgently reviewed so that only the most important and exceptional reasons are included.

For those seeking to enter the UK

  • Managed isolation in hotels: this will be for those arriving from countries where we have imposed international travel bans and who cannot be refused entry. They will be required to isolate for ten days without exception and more details will be provided in due course.
  • Police checks: police are carrying out more physical checks at addresses to make sure people are self-isolating.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “There are still too many people coming in and out of our country each day. The rules are clear – people should be staying at home unless they have a valid reason to leave. Going on holiday is not a valid reason.

“As we have done throughout this global health emergency, we will continue to take all steps necessary to protect the public and help prevent the spread of the virus.”

These new measures are on top of the restrictions already in place, all of which help reduce the risk of importing a new variant.

  • Refusing entry: we will continue to refuse entry to non-UK residents from red list countries which are already subject to a UK travel ban.
  • Entering the UK: passengers arriving in the UK need to provide evidence of a negative pre-departure Covid test. There is also the requirement for people arriving from abroad to self-isolate on arrival, and the requirement to complete a passenger locator form, with fines for those who fail to comply.
  • Detecting new variants: we will help other countries to access to the UK’s world-leading gene sequencing capabilities to help with early identification of any new and dangerous variants of the virus.

All measures will be kept under review and further action will be taken to protect the public if needed.

Pre-empting the Westminster announcement, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told yesterday’s media briefing that she feared the UK Government’s plans don’t go far enough and that Scotland may introduce tougher measures.

Miss Sturgeon said: “Now, the second point I want to cover today relates to travel, since there is a lot of speculation about a UK Government that will be made later on this today. So I want to reiterate some of the points the Deputy First Minister made to parliament yesterday that some of you may have heard.

“Travel restrictions will be very vitally important in the coming months. Travel restrictions will be a key way in which we help to stop new cases and in particular, new variants of this virus being imported into Scotland.

“As we found out to our cost over the summer, the virus travels when people travel – and there will be a need for restrictions even after vaccination is much more widespread.

“And indeed at a time when there is rightly a focus on lessons learned, that we should be learning from earlier stages of the pandemic, this is one that I would highlight that we should have perhaps done more of at an earlier stage to restrict travel across our borders.

“We have been in discussions with the UK Government for some time about improving border controls. In those discussions, we have raise the issue of Quarantine Hotels, where people who are returning to the UK can self-isolate.

“The Scottish Government believes that a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine is required for this next stage of the pandemic, to mitigate against the risk of new cases and new variants being imported into the country.

“I’ve just taken part in a 4 Nations call and I’ve been briefed on what the Prime Minister is likely to announce later on. I’m not going to preempt his announcement. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to do so but clearly there is speculation in newspapers.

“But I think I do have a duty at this point to say that I am concerned that the proposal does not go far enough and I’ve made that point very strongly in the 4 Nations discussions that we’ve just had today.

“So while the Scottish Government will initially emulate the UK Government’s steps on enhancing quarantine arrangements, we will be seeking urgently to persuade them to go much further and indeed to move to a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine.

“Given the obvious practical issues involved, we are very clear that our preference is to have consistent quarantine rules across the UK. But if there is no agreement to go further on a 4 Nations basis, we will be considering going further ourselves and we will set out any such additional measures next week.

“I know that talk of travel restrictions is tough to hear, for everybody, but particularly tough for many businesses and so we’re also asking the UK Government to work with us to provide additional support for the aviation sector, which is of course directly affected by further restrictions.   

“Fundamentally, though, we believe that tougher travel restrictions – however unwelcome they are for all of us – are essential to managing the risk posed by new variants, and to new cases coming into Scotland.

“And, as I said, I think that they will become increasingly important, as case levels in Scotland, we hope, continue to fall and that makes it all the more important that we do everything that we can to protect against the risks of reimportation.

 “As I said, we are likely to set out further steps next week but for now, let me reiterate that no one should be travelling overseas right now unless for absolutely essential purposes.“

Prime Minister: UK COVID variant ‘may be more deadly’

Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be more deadly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the nation last night.

The Prime Minister made the announcement in a televised statement from Downing Street:

Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have tried to update you as soon as possible about changes in the scientific data or the analysis.

So, I must tell you this afternoon that we have been informed today that, in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant – the variant that was first identified in London and the South East – may be associated with a higher degree of mortality, and I’m going to ask Patrick (Vallance) in a minute to say a bit more about that.

Because it is largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS is under such intense pressure, with another 40,261 positive cases since yesterday. We have 38,562 COVID patients now in hospital, that’s 78 per cent higher than the first peak in April and, tragically, there have been a further 1,401 deaths.

So, it is more important than ever that we all remain vigilant in following the rules and that we stay at home, protect the NHS and thereby save lives.

But I also want to answer a key question that I know will be uppermost in your minds: All current evidence continues to show that both the vaccines we are currently using remain effective both against the old variant and this new variant.

And so, you will also want to know that our immunisation programme continues at an unprecedented rate.

5.4 million people across the UK have now received their first dose of the vaccine and over the last 24 hours we can report a record 400,000 vaccinations.

In England one in ten of all adults have received their first dose, including 71 per cent of over-80s and two thirds of elderly care home residents.

Having secured orders for hundreds of millions of doses, the U.K. government has supplied vaccines to the Devolved Administrations, according to population size.

First doses have been administered now to 151,000 people in Northern Ireland, 358,000 in Scotland and 212,000 in Wales.

And I am glad that the whole of the U.K. is able to assist the Devolved Administrations in deploying the vaccine and I know everyone across the country is grateful for the logistical skill of the British Army.

There is much more to do, and the target remains very stretching indeed, but we remain on track to reach our goal of offering a first dose to everyone in the top four priority groups by the middle of February.

And I want to thank all the doctors and nurses, especially at the GP-led sites who are vaccinating at a phenomenal rate, as well as, as I say, all those in our armed forces, our local authorities, our pharmacies and volunteers, who are making this extraordinary national effort possible.

And I want to thank all of you who have come forward to get your jabs, because, by doing that, you are protecting yourselves, your communities and, of course, our NHS.

And I say to everyone, when that letter arrives, please don’t hesitate to book that appointment and get this life-saving protection, because this is the best and fastest way for us all to defeat this virus and get our lives back to normal.

Commenting on the new variant of COVID-19 in the UK the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said: “The new UK variant comprises a significant number of the our cases.

“It is spreading 30 to 70% more easily than the old variant. It doesn’t differ in terms of age distribution to the original variant.

“When we look at severity and mortality, data for patients who are in hospital with the virus suggest the outcomes for those with the original variant look the same as the new variant. However, when looking at the data for people who have tested positive, there is an indication that the rate for the new variant is higher.

“Although these data are currently uncertain, it does appear that this variant has increased mortality compared to the old virus, as well as increased transmission. For context, with the original variant, if you took a group of 1,000 infected men in their 60s roughly 10 would die. But with the new variant, roughly 13 or 14 of that group might be expected to die.

“There is increasing evidence from studies that vaccines will still work against the UK variant.”

A paper from the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) on the new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant B.1.1.7 explains this further.

Three pledges: Play Your Part!

  • Public urged to join the national effort by helping family and friends aged 80 and over to get their life-saving jabs
  • UK Government calls on the public to commit to 3 pledges to support the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines
  • Around 45% of people aged 80 and over have now been vaccinated and over one million have been offered a jab at an NHS vaccination centre

The NHS has vaccinated around 45% of those aged 80 and over in England and is encouraging people who have been offered a vaccine to book their appointments as soon as possible. Over one million people aged 80 and over have now been invited to book their jab at one of England’s NHS vaccination centres.

Helping vulnerable people to get their vaccinations is one of three pledges the government has asked the public to make to support the largest vaccination programme in British history.

The 3 pledges are:

  • Help out – help those aged 80 and over by supporting friends, family and loved ones with their appointments, as well as volunteering to help those in the community
  • Join up – sign up to clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments
  • Stay informed – keep up to date with accurate and trusted NHS advice and make sure to share facts with friends and family

By taking part in one or more of these pledges, members of the public can join the national effort and support the NHS as the vaccination programme continues to expand.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Throughout this pandemic, I have been in awe of how much the British public has contributed to the fight against the virus. I want to thank everyone for the time, effort and patience they have put in to keep themselves and others safe.

“We recognise that so many people want to support our NHS so health and care workers can continue to save lives, and now is your chance to get involved by helping the remaining people aged 80 and over get their jabs.

“I urge everyone, no matter who you are, what you do or where you’re from, to come forward and take on our three pledges. Everyone has a part to play in this national effort – to protect our NHS, our loved ones and other people’s loved ones too.

The 3 pledges are:

Help out

The NHS is working tirelessly to offer vaccinations to the most vulnerable as quickly as possible, and remains on track to reach the government’s target of vaccinating the top four cohorts – those over the age of 70, care home residents and staff, NHS workers and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals – by 15 February.

People eligible for vaccination will be contacted by letter or text, inviting them to their appointments, and the NHS has stood up vaccination sites in local communities across the country – from GP surgeries and hospitals, to pharmacies and large-scale vaccination centres. It has also worked to deliver vaccines to thousands of care homes.

The single most important thing everyone should do is stay at home and follow the current national restrictions – by doing this, people will help stop the spread, protect the NHS and, therefore, save lives.

The public can help with vaccination efforts by encouraging relatives, friends and neighbours aged 80 and over to book their vaccination appointments and helping them with forward planning. For those who live with people getting their vaccinations, they can also support with transport to and from the vaccination sites. It is essential strict social distancing is maintained at all times and people follow Hands, Face, Space.

There are also a number of opportunities to support at-risk people in the community and help ease pressures on local NHS services while it continues to rollout the programme.

This includes the NHS Volunteer Responder scheme, delivered by the Royal Voluntary Service in partnership with NHS England and GoodSAM. Through the scheme, people can undertake a range of tasks, including shopping and prescription collection, supportive ‘check in and chat calls’ and transport to and from vital medical appointments.

NHS Volunteer Responders will also be supporting the vaccination programme as Steward Volunteers. Volunteers who have already offered their support will be contacted when they are needed.

Case study

Liz Parry, an NHS Volunteer Responder, has so far completed 490 shopping and prescription collections for vulnerable people in her community.

She said: We all need to pull together to keep our communities safe and defeat this virus.

Volunteering is without a doubt the most rewarding thing I have ever done and it’s so humbling to be part of the team making a difference to people in need.

Join up

There are a number of ongoing clinical trials for both vaccines in development and promising treatments for COVID-19 which the government urges people to take part in to support the pandemic response.

Clinical trial volunteers have played a crucial part in the pandemic response so far, helping the NHS roll out both of its vaccines quickly and safely, as well as treatments already saving lives across the NHS – such as dexamethasone and tocilizumab.

Case study

Yusuf, a Transport for London worker, volunteered to take part in the Novavax vaccine study after losing a close colleague and a member of his family to the disease.

He said: “Once you know someone who’s been affected by COVID-19, it makes a difference. I didn’t have an opportunity to volunteer during the first lockdown, so this is my way to be a part of the efforts to help London and to help Britain get through this.

He called volunteering for the trial a ‘really positive experience’ and urged other people to ‘step up’, particularly those who are also from the Caribbean community who, evidence shows, are disproportionately impacted by the virus.

Stay informed

One of the most important things people can do to support the vaccine effort is to make sure they and the people around them are fully equipped with the latest NHS vaccine advice. People can keep up to date through the official NHS website and if a family member, close friend or acquaintance is offered their vaccine, encourage them to take it and make sure they have access to official advice.

The public should also watch out for COVID-19 vaccine email scams, reporting any suspect emails to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service. This is following reports of cyber criminals using the vaccine to lure people into sharing personal details.

Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, Catherine Johnstone CBE said: “We are incredibly thankful to all of the volunteers who have stepped forward so far to help us keep communities safe through the pandemic.

“With vulnerable people once again being asked to stay at home and shield, we have seen an increase in requests for support and now, more than ever need more volunteers to join us.

!We would like to urge anyone who can to please support your community with vital tasks such as shopping and prescription collection and medical transport so we can keep people safe and support the NHS.”

Links on how to get involved in the three pledges can be found below:

  • Help out
  • Join up
  • Stay informed
    • read the latest NHS vaccine advice
    • people can report suspect emails they’ve received but not acted upon to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS), by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk
    • those who have provided personal or financial details, or transferred any money as a result of a suspicious email, should report what has happened to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling 0300 123 2040 or through the Action Fraud website.

South America international border health measures

Concerns over new variant of coronavirus in Brazil

Following identification of a new variant of coronavirus in Brazil, the Scottish Government has imposed additional restrictions on all arrivals from South America, as well as several countries with strong travel links to affected countries.

In addition to the South American nations of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, this will also apply to Portugal, including Azores and Madeira, Panama and Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) and British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands.

These travel restrictions will replicate the measures that were put in place for Denmark and South Africa and came into force at 04:00am this morning (Friday 15 January).

Travellers who have been in any of these countries or territories in the 10 days prior to their arrival in Scotland must isolate, along with all members of their household. No exemptions from isolation will apply.

Qatar and the Caribbean islands of Aruba and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are also removed from the country exemption list at the same time.

The UK Government has confirmed that implementation of pre-departure testing for arrivals into England is delayed until Monday morning, to allow carriers and passengers additional time to prepare.

The Scottish Government intended to introduce this additional measure on Friday 15 January, but it is necessary to also delay implementation to allow for coordination between the UK Government’s regulations and the relevant Scottish regulations.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “It is important that everyone follows the regulations that mean any travel must be for an essential purpose.  Very few people should be travelling internationally, and then only for a genuinely essential reason.

“The emergence of concerning variants identified in Brazil, as well as South Africa and Denmark in recent months, means we must think carefully about restrictions on international travel.

“At this early stage of vaccine rollout, and with case rates at high levels across the UK, it is important we take the right steps to prevent importing new strains that can increase transmission or undermine the vaccine in Scotland. 

“We are in close discussion with other administrations about additional measures we can put in place, including the timing of the introduction of pre-departure testing.”

Five young entrepreneurs from Scotland win national award

Nina Birchard, Lucy Fisher, Elena Höge, Iona Mackenzie and Petra Baiba Olehno start the new year with a boost

Five of this year’s Young Innovator Award winners, announced today by Innovate UK and The Prince’s Trust, are from Scotland. The winners will receive a £5,000 grant, one-on-one business coaching and an allowance to cover living costs.

The Scottish innovators looking to make the world a better place are:

  • Nina Birchard, 24, Glasgow, who has designed the Newborn Rescue Towel, a low cost emergency medical device which provides thermal support and the correct positioning to aid resuscitation in newborns.
  • Lucy Fisher, 25, Aberdeen, who has taken a childhood passion for knitting and turned it into a business. Knit It aims to bring knitting into the 21st century via a new digital platform which enables knitters to have a choice in how they follow a pattern and guides them through creating their new designs.
  • Elena Höge, 28, Edinburgh, who is creating educational games like Wholesome, a mobile forest school experience that teaches children and adults about nature, including how to forage and cook with wild food.
  • Iona Mackenzie, 26, Edinburgh, whose Talk and Grow business aims to take the stress out of finding a therapist for those in need of support in Edinburgh with an online matching and booking platform to pair clients with a number of local counsellors.
  • Petra Baiba Olehno, 30, a Glasgow-based Latvian who wants to create REPAIREL, a one-stop-shop for buying ethical footwear online which allows people to compare information about shoes and brands.

The Young Innovators Awards recognise young people from across the UK with great business ideas who have the potential to become successful entrepreneurs and future leaders in innovation.

Following an unprecedented level of entries, with an 87% increase in applications year-on-year, 64 young people have started the New Year with a boost after getting the coveted award, double the number of award winners/recipients of previous years.

With recent research showing over a third of 18 to 34 year olds want to launch an independent enterprise in 2021, compared to 28% of 35 to 54 year olds, it’s even more important the support is available to those who want to venture into starting a business.

The winners from Scotland, are five of 64 inspiring young people who will receive Young Innovators Awards this year, each benefitting from a £5,000 grant, one-on-one business coaching and an allowance to cover living costs. The programme is set to continue awarding young people from diverse backgrounds until at least 2023. This year, 49% of the winners are female; nearly a third are Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority background; 17% have a disability and the projects cover all regions across the UK.

From a way to help stroke survivors on the road to rehabilitation to support for parents to protect their children online, all of this year’s Young Innovators have ideas that promise to address current challenges. Ideas this year span everything from technology to physical and mental health and from sustainability to fashion.

Commenting on her award and project, Nina Birchard said: “It is a simple, non-invasive positioning aid which ensures open airways while providing thermal support and an aide-mémoire to guide the user through the procedure. It is a novel, game-changing product which is simple to use and easy to produce.

“The Young Innovators Award seems like an amazing, supportive platform to learn, build and launch your business idea. I am so excited to get stuck in!”

Emily Nott, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Innovate UK says: “With 2020 proving to be an incredibly difficult year, maintaining our focus on Young Innovators was a priority for Innovate UK since finding the great entrepreneurial minds of the future is more important than ever.

“Working alongside this year’s winners, Innovate UK will help them grow and develop their business idea to make the world a better, and more innovative place. We can’t wait to see what they achieve this year.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “It’s fantastic to see young people so passionate about starting a business. The UK Government is committed to encouraging entrepreneurship and rewarding innovation and hard work.

“Investing in young people has never been more important as we bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic. We have seen truly exceptional ideas from some very worthy Scottish winners. I’m delighted to see their hard work pay off and I congratulate everyone involved.”

Details on all 64 Young Innovators can found here. If you’re an inspiring young innovator, check out how Innovate UK could support you here

Matt Hancock: ‘We are at the worst point of this pandemic’

Speech by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing, 11 January

Good afternoon and welcome back to Downing Street for today’s coronavirus briefing. I’m joined by Professor Steve Powis, the National Medical Director of NHS England.

Before I turn to our vaccine delivery plan, which we’ve published today, I wanted to go through the latest coronavirus data.

As we know, the new strain of this virus is highly contagious, and it is putting our NHS under very significant pressure.

Yesterday 46,169 positive cases of coronavirus were recorded across the whole of the UK.

As the slide shows, 32,294 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus – that’s across the UK and as you can see that is up sharply, it’s up 22% from this time last week.

The average number of deaths reported each day over the past week is 926.

And our hearts go out to the family and the loved ones of each and every person who has died of coronavirus.

As the Chief Medical Officer said earlier today, we are at the worst point of this pandemic, and you can see that from this slide and from the increase in the number of people in hospital.

So the NHS, more than ever before, needs everybody to be doing something right now and that something is to follow the rules.

Now, I know there’s been speculation about more restrictions. And we don’t rule out taking further action if it’s needed. But it’s your actions now that can make a difference. Stay at home. And please reduce all social contact that is not absolutely strictly necessary.

That’s what’s needed. Act like you have the virus.

And it’s all the more important to do this because the vaccine rollout is now proceeding at pace and we all know that this is the way out of the pandemic.

I am determined, as I have been for almost a year now, to drive this vaccination programme as fast as is safely possible.

I’m determined to ensure every adult in this country has the chance to be vaccinated. And that as many as possible take up that chance to be vaccinated.

Vaccines are important and I care about vaccines because I want our country to get back to normal as fast as possible.

I want us to have that great British summer.

And my team and I are working hard to deliver this as fast as possible, both to save lives and to make people safe and to protect the NHS and reduce the very significant pressures it’s under right now.

Vaccines delivery plan

I wanted to bring you up to speed with the very latest statistics on vaccination.

So far, across the UK we’ve given 2.6 million doses to 2.3 million people.

And we’ve protected more people through vaccinations than all other countries in Europe put together.

Today I’d like to take you through the details of our UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan that we’ve just published.

It sets out how we will build on this work that’s been done so far, and put in place the biggest vaccination programme in British history.

There are 4 parts to the plan.

The first is supply.

I’ve always believed in British science, and that it can find the solutions to get us out of this.

For a year now we have been working to develop and buy vaccines for everyone in the UK.

Thanks to our investment in Ebola and MERS vaccines several years ago, the Jenner Institute at Oxford University was able to repurpose existing work, and move so fast to develop a successful vaccine.

But our search has been global throughout, so while we’ve backed the scientists who’ve been working on this here at home, we’ve also worked with international partners like Pfizer and BioNTech, to ensure that we were the first country in the world to authorise, and use the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

And of course the Moderna vaccine has now been authorised and is ready to bring on stream.

I want to thank all those involved, but this work is not yet done.

The supply of the vaccine is currently the rate limiting step.

And we will bring forward as much vaccine as becomes available.

And we must ensure that we have the vaccine development and manufacturing capabilities in this country for the future too.

The next part of the plan is prioritisation, this has been much discussed.

The plan sets out how we prioritise the vaccine so that we can protect those at greatest clinical risk. And one simple statistic explains why this is important.

The top 4 priority groups account for 88% of the deaths from COVID.

This stark fact explains why we must prioritise according to clinical need – to save lives – and because that is the fastest route to safely lifting restrictions.

We are on track to deliver on our pledge to offer a first vaccine to everyone in the top 4 cohorts by the 15th of February.

I want to give you an update on progress.

Two-fifths of over 80s have now received their first dose.

Care home residents are of course in the very top priority group.

In the last few days, since the Oxford vaccine was approved for use in primary care on Thursday morning, we have significantly accelerated the care home vaccination rollout.

Almost a quarter of older care home residents have now received their first dose of the vaccine.

We are committed to reaching every care home resident this month.

And I want to see as much of that as possible as soon as possible.

I’m incredibly grateful to everybody working in social care.

Whether in care homes, or domiciliary care, for everything they are doing to keep the people who are the most vulnerable to COVID, to keep them safe right now.

This is not easy, but it is vital. And it is vital too that when the vaccine reaches your care home, everyone, everyone, residents and staff alike steps forward and gets that jab.

Each of these jabs helps save lives. And we’re making this happen as fast as we can.

The plan sets out how we will continue through the clinically prioritised groups, and beyond.

So all adults can be offered a vaccine by the autumn.

The third part of the plan is expanding where you can be vaccinated.

As of Friday, 96% of the population in England lived within 10 miles of a vaccination site and we’re expanding the number of vaccination sites further, right across the whole of the UK, with the devolved NHS responsible for delivery in each of the 3 devolved nations, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This expansion will include community pharmacy and roving vaccination centres, on top of the hospitals, GP practices, and the 7 mass vaccination centres, that we have opened, including the one I visited today at Epsom.

This huge expansion means that by the end of January everyone will live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre, either fixed or roving in England. And this will help us make sure that everyone can get access to the vaccine that’s so important.

The final part of this plan is about the people who will make it happen.

Over the past few months, we have recruited and trained an 80,000 strong vaccination workforce. I am incredibly grateful to all who have stepped forward.

Including people from all parts of the NHS:

  • retired clinicians
  • pharmacists
  • airline cabin crew
  • the armed services
  • St John’s Ambulance
  • The Royal Voluntary Service

And so many volunteers who have come forward for their country.

Thank you for your service.

And I’m very grateful to the many offers of support we’re receiving right now, and for all those who are in training as this vaccination rollout expands.

So that is the vaccine delivery plan. It is an incredibly important piece of work.

But while this crucial work takes place, each and every one of us must keep pushing back against this virus

By following the rules that are in place.

Please do your bit and help keep the NHS strong

While we roll up our sleeves and make this ambitious plan a reality.

So please, stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

‘Act Like You’ve Got It’

The UK Government has launched a major new public campaign urging people to act like they have the virus

  • A new TV ad fronted by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty urges people to stay at home in the face of rapidly rising rate of coronavirus infections and pressures facing the NHS.
  • Massive public information campaign is now running across TV, radio, out of home and on social media

Everyone in England is being urged to stay at home and “act like you’ve got it” as part of a major advertising campaign encouraging the public to control the spread of the virus and protect the NHS and save lives.

Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms and can pass it on without realising, which is why it’s essential everyone stays at home and remembers Hands, Face, Space.

‘Stay at home, save lives’ will run across TV, radio, out of home advertising and on social media, and will include a new advert fronted by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty which will be aired for the first time on ITV at 7.15pm on Friday 8 January 2021.

The campaign recognises the overwhelming pressure facing the NHS and urges people to stay at home. It comes as current data shows COVID-19 cases and deaths are at an all-time high and NHS hospitals and staff are under huge pressure, with some hospitals in the South East at extreme capacity.

On 1 September, there were under 500 COVID-19 inpatients in hospitals in England. On 1 November this increased to approximately 9,000. On Christmas Day, it was just below the last peak at 17,701 and on 7 January there were 28,246 – that is an increase of more than 11,000 in under two weeks.

The latest stark data shows the UK recorded 68,053 new coronavirus cases – the highest daily total of the pandemic so far, as well as the highest ever daily COVID-19 deaths with 1,325 fatalities.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates across the entire country continue to soar at an alarming rate.

“The vaccine has given us renewed hope in our fight against the virus but we must not be complacent. The NHS is under severe strain and we must take action to protect it, both so our doctors and nurses can continue to save lives and so they can vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as we can.

“I know the last year has taken its toll – but your compliance is now more vital than ever. So once again, I must urge everyone to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: Our NHS is facing a huge challenge – it is under immense pressure and it’s imperative now more than ever we all play our part.

“I know how much we have all sacrificed already, but the new variant has significantly changed the current landscape and we absolutely cannot let up now.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel – the vaccine will provide a way out of this and over 1.5 million people across the UK have now been vaccinated.

“Every day we are closer to beating this virus, but right now, we need to pull together for one final push and I’m urging you to continue to do your bit by staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said: “Covid-19, especially the new variant, is spreading quickly across the country. This puts many people at risk of serious disease and is placing a lot of pressure on our NHS.

“Once more, we must all stay at home. If it’s essential to go out, remember: wash your hands, cover your face indoors and keep your distance from others.

“Vaccines give clear hope for the future, but for now we must all stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.”

The adverts remind the public the new Covid-19 variant is spreading fast. Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms, but can still pass it on, putting people at risk and a renewed pressure on our NHS.

It reiterates everyone must stay at home. If it’s essential to go out, it reminds people to wash their hands, cover their face and make space.

In the meantime, NHS Test and Trace is successfully reaching more people than ever before, with 96.8% of contacts reached within 24 hours and more than five million people being reached in total. As of 30 December, more than 54 million tests have been processed in the UK in total since testing began – more than any other comparable European country.

Over 1.5 million people across the UK have now been vaccinated – more than the whole of Europe. But the Government is urging people to continue to do their bit and further prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Moderna vaccine approved on UK pandemic’s darkest day

US biotech company Moderna, Inc. has announced that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved its mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 for use under Regulation 174.

The temporary authorization permits the supply of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna in Great Britain and is based upon the advice of the UK Commission on Human Medicines.

“We appreciate the confidence shown by the UK MHRA in COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna with this decision, which marks an important step forward in the global fight against COVID-19,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna.

“I want to thank the MHRA and the Commission on Human Medicines’ reviewers for their tireless efforts. The authorization of a product developed by Moderna is a significant milestone on the Company’s 10-year journey, and I would like to thank all our colleagues that have helped us get to this point.”

The United Kingdom government has also exercised its option to purchase an additional 10 million doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna, bringing its confirmed order commitment to 17 million doses. The first deliveries of the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna to the UK from Moderna’s dedicated non-U.S. supply chain are expected to commence early in 2021.

The UK is the fifth jurisdiction to authorize COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna, following the United States on December 18, 2020, Canada on December 23, 2020, Israel on January 4, 2021 and the European Union on January 6, 2021.

Additional authorizations are currently under review in a number of countries including Singapore and Switzerland.

The vaccine will be available for free and the government is working with the devolved administrations to ensure it is deployed fairly across the UK.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This is fantastic news and another weapon in our arsenal to tame this awful disease.

“Through our vaccine delivery plan we have already vaccinated nearly 1.5 million people across the UK. The Moderna vaccine will boost our vaccination programme even further once doses become available from the spring.

“While we immunise those most at risk from COVID, I urge everyone to continue following the rules to keep cases low to protect our loved ones.”

Nearly 1.5 million people in the UK have already been vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines, with more than 1,000 vaccination sites live by the end of the week across the UK to rapidly scale up the vaccination programme.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will submit updated advice on which groups to prioritise for vaccination before doses become available.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “Vaccines are the key to releasing us all from the grip of this pandemic, and today’s news is yet another important step towards ending lockdown and returning to normal life.

“The UK was one of the first countries in Europe to sign a deal with Moderna, and I’m delighted our Vaccine Taskforce has secured an additional 10 million doses of their highly effective vaccine to protect the British public and save lives.

“From the scientists and trial volunteers to our world-class regulators and clinicians, we are enormously grateful to everyone who has played their part in this national effort to defeat the virus and get our country back on its feet.”

The NHS has decades of experience in rolling out successful widespread vaccination programmes and is putting into place extensive preparations for the roll-out of the Moderna vaccine ahead of the spring.

The Moderna vaccine will be deployed through similar methods:

  • hospital hubs for NHS and care staff and older patients to get vaccinated
  • local community services with local teams and GPs already signing up to take part in the programme
  • vaccination centres across the country, ensuring people can access a vaccine regardless of where they live

Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “The NHS is pulling out all the stops to vaccinate those most at risk as quickly as possible, with over 1,000 vaccination sites live across the UK by the end of the week to provide easy access to everyone, regardless of where they live.

The Moderna vaccine will be a vital boost to these efforts and will help us return to normal faster.

Through the Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 367 million doses of 7 of the most promising vaccines so far. To date, the government has invested over £230 million into manufacturing a successful vaccine. In the Chancellor’s Spending Review, published on 25 November, it was announced that the government has made more than £6 billion available to develop and procure successful vaccines.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said: The highly effective Moderna vaccine is another impressive success for science and is another testament to the hard work of researchers and selfless clinical trial volunteers.

This vaccine will save lives once doses become available, but it is crucial we all continue to follow the rules to protect each other until enough people have been protected.

Interim Chair of the government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix said: This is another important milestone in our efforts to end this pandemic, and I would like to thank those in the government’s Vaccine Taskforce who have worked so hard to negotiate agreements with vaccine developers.

“A key objective for the Vaccine Taskforce is to ensure we have a range of vaccines to deliver to the UK population. The addition of the Moderna vaccine to the UK’s portfolio is important to reach that goal.”

Yesterday’s announcement was a glimmer of bright light on Covid’s darkest day. Thursday saw the worst figures since the virus hit the UK last year. A record 68,053 cases were recorded – and there were 1325 deaths, another unwanted record. Scotland also saw it’s worst figures – 93 deaths were registered on Thursday and 1530 people were in hospital with the virus.

Health professionals have said that the worst is yet to come. Vaccination really cannot come fast enough.

Travel: Pre-departure coronavirus testing to be introduced

Passengers travelling to Scotland from abroad will be required to have proof of a negative test taken a maximum of 72 hours before travel.

The new public health requirement, to be introduced as soon as practically possible, aims to strengthen current safeguards against imported cases and in particular protect against new strains of coronavirus such as those identified in Denmark and South Africa.

People arriving into Scotland will have to take the pre-departure test (PDT) up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in. Those coming from countries not on the quarantine exemption list will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival.

Non-essential travel to or from Scotland is currently illegal and will not immediately change with the introduction of pre-departure testing.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Travel into or out of Scotland is currently illegal and that will remain the case while we work to suppress the new strain of COVID-19.

“The Scottish Government has been consistently clear about the risks associated with international travel and the importance of public health measures in helping to stop the spread of coronavirus. That is why we have been in regular dialogue with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations about what further measures can be put in place, including the introduction of pre-departure testing (PDT).

“The requirement for pre-departure testing will add to our suite of public health measures as we seek to help drive down transmission of the virus to safeguard health, protect the NHS and save lives. 

“It is important to emphasise that this additional measure does not remove the requirement for all passengers arriving from countries not on the quarantine exemption list to self-isolate for ten days, even with a negative test.  

“Likewise, all passengers will continue to have to complete a Passenger Locator Form and, of course, they will be subject to national lockdown restrictions, which currently bar people from leaving their home or other fixed address without a reasonable excuse for doing so.

“As the UK Government has made clear, there are still some outstanding issues to address and it is important that we consider the implications, but we are keen to implement this as soon as it is possible.”

Edinburgh Airport Chief Executive Gordon Dewar is less than pleased:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1347544474197614592

International arrivals required to prove negative COVID-19 test result before departure for England

  • all international arrivals to England, including UK nationals, required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 72 hours prior to departure
  • passengers will be subject to an immediate fine of £500 if they fail to comply with the new regulations on pre-departure testing
  • all passengers arriving from countries not on the government’s travel corridor list will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of test result
  • passengers will still be required to fill in a passenger locator form and be subject to national lockdown restrictions

Passengers arriving from all international destinations will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result before departing for England to help protect against new strains of coronavirus circulating internationally.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced that from next week inbound passengers arriving by boat, plane or train will have to take a test up to than 72 hours before departing the country they are in, to help protect against the new strains of coronavirus such as those seen in Denmark and South Africa.

Today’s (8 January 2021) decisive action is in response to the changes seen in the transmission of the virus both domestically and across the globe. Pre-departure testing will protect travel and will provide an additional layer of safety from imported cases of coronavirus on top of the mandatory 10 day self-isolation for arrivals, helping identify people who may currently be infectious and preventing them from travelling to England.

A negative pre-departure test reduces the risk of someone travelling whilst infectious, acting as another safeguard to prevent imported infections. Passengers arriving from countries not on the government’s travel corridor list must self-isolate for 10 days regardless of their pre-departure test result to provide further robust protection from those travelling from high-risk countries.

Prior to departure passengers will need to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result to carriers, as well as their passenger locator form. The UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrival into England to ensure that passengers are fully compliant.

The move further bolsters existing protective measures which helped to safely enable international travel last year, with self-isolation for new arrivals and travel corridors remaining critical in reducing the risk of imported cases from high-risk countries.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “We already have significant measures in place to prevent imported cases of COVID-19, but with new strains of the virus developing internationally we must take further precautions.

“Taken together with the existing mandatory self-isolation period for passengers returning from high-risk countries, pre-departure tests will provide a further line of defence – helping us control the virus as we roll out the vaccine at pace over the coming weeks.”

National lockdown restrictions which came into force on 6 January 2021 remain in place meaning everyone must stay at home unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons, including for work.

Permitted travellers will need to take their test up to 72 hours before departure, and this will apply irrespective of whether a country is on the travel corridor list. The government will set out the standards that these tests will need to meet and what proof passengers will need to present.

Passengers arriving into England who have successfully demonstrated a negative result prior to departure from a country not on the travel corridor list will still have the option to reduce the self-isolation period from 10 to as little as 5 days by paying for a test through the Test to Release scheme. The scheme requires a test to be taken on or after the fifth full day since leaving a country not on the travel corridor list.

Passengers will be required to show their negative test result before boarding, and transport operators will deny boarding if necessary. On arrival back into the UK, Border Force will check passengers test results through the current spot check regime, to ensure that individuals are compliant with the new rules, and passengers will be subject to an immediate fine of £500.

There will be a limited number of exemptions, including for hauliers, children under 11, crews and for those who travelling from countries without the infrastructure available to deliver the tests. Further exemptions will be set out on GOV.UK.

This follows the recent decision to temporarily suspend direct travel from South Africa to England after new evidence emerged from health authorities reporting an outbreak of a variant strain of coronavirus spreading to some local communities.

Those who travel indirectly from South Africa must self-isolate for 10 days.

All travellers will still be required to complete a passenger locator form before arrival into England. This is critical in being able to track the virus in case of any local outbreaks, and those who fail to complete a passenger locator form will be subject to an increased fine of £500.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “The decision to introduce mandatory testing for people travelling to the UK is a positive step for protecting public health and building confidence that travel is safe, but further detail is needed for how this will work.

“Travellers and airlines urgently need clear information from the government on what type of tests are required and how to access them. There will be a lack of testing capacity in some locations, leaving people at risk of not being able to access a test in time for their flight. This may mean they’re unable to board their flight and have to pay hundreds of pounds for a new one or worse, are left stranded, as most airlines are currently shutting down or reducing flight schedules.”