‘Vaccination is vital’: Scots urged to get boosted as soon as possible
Anyone who has not yet received their booster or third dose is being urged to come forward now, to give the best possible protection against the Omicron variant.
That includes anyone who was unable to attend a vaccination clinic before the Hogmanay bells because of a COVID-19 infection, or if they were self-isolating.
People who are aged 18 and over can receive a booster 28 days after they tested positive or if it has been at least 12 weeks since their second dose.
Young people aged 12-17 can also attend for their second dose of the vaccine – many will have received an appointment but this group can also attend a drop-in clinic at a time and place convenient for them as long as 12 weeks have passed since their first jab.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The recent acceleration of activity in response to the emerging threat of the Omicron variant has been a remarkable national endeavour and I can’t stress enough how grateful we are to all those involved.
“More than three million people have now received a booster or third dose, offering strengthened protection from the virus and reducing the risk of hospitalisation from the virus.
“However, we believe Omicron has not yet peaked, and the pressure being felt by the health and social care system is extremely high. So, to protect ourselves and the NHS at this critical time it is vital people complete the vaccination course for which they are eligible. It remains vital that everyone gets their booster vaccine when they are eligible.
“We know many people have been unable to attend appointments because of the virus, or due to self-isolation, so I urge anyone who has been unable to attend to rearrange it or go to a drop-in clinic.
“It is never too late to receive your booster – or a first or second dose – so please come forward as soon as possible, as there is plenty of capacity available.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nicola Steedman said: “Data shows you are significantly more likely to be admitted to hospital if you are unvaccinated.
“We now know that boosters provide the best possible protection against this variant of the virus. My clinical colleagues and I know the difference this will make – we see it in our hospitals and communities every day. Please get vaccinated.”
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccination at NHS Inform
Boosters continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from Omicron in older adults
Latest data from UKHSA shows booster doses are continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from the Omicron variant among older adults.
Figures show that around 3 months after they received the third jab, protection against hospitalisation among those aged 65 and over remains at about 90%.
With just 2 vaccine doses, protection against severe disease drops to around 70% after 3 months and to 50% after 6 months.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has taken this latest evidence into account in their ongoing review of the booster programme.
The Committee advises that at this present time:
there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, or fourth jab, to the most vulnerable (care home residents and those aged over 80) – the timing and need for further booster doses will continue to be reviewed as the data evolves
priority should continue to be given to rolling out first booster doses to all age groups
unvaccinated individuals should come forward for their first 2 doses as soon as possible
Professor Wei Shen Lim, the JCVI’s chair of COVID-19 immunisation, said: “The current data shows the booster dose is continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease, even for the most vulnerable older age groups.
“For this reason, the committee has concluded there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, though this will continue to be reviewed.
“The data is highly encouraging and emphasises the value of a booster jab. With Omicron continuing to spread widely, I encourage everyone to come forward for their booster dose, or if unvaccinated, for their first 2 doses, to increase their protection against serious illness.”
The latest study looked at booster doses in those aged over 65, who were among the first to be eligible when the booster rollout began in mid-September.
Whilst with a booster dose, the duration of protection against severe disease remains high, protection against mild symptomatic infection is more short-lived and drops to around 30% by about 3 months.
Changes are being made to self-isolation rules in line with public health advice and testing requirements to help maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that anyone who tests positive for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status, must still self-isolate for 10 days.
However, from today, Thursday 6 January, new cases will be advised they can end self-isolation if they don’t have a fever and test negative on a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) on Day 6 and again at least 24 hours later.
Triple vaccinated close contacts of those who test positive, both household and non-household, or those under the age of 18 and four months, do not need to isolate as long as they return a negative LFD test result each day for seven consecutive days, and remain fever free.
The intention is for the public to be sufficiently reassured of a negative Covid-19 status during the potential incubation period.
Any close contact who is not fully vaccinated (three doses) will still have to self-isolate for the 10 days and take a PCR test.
Changes are also being made to testing after a positive LFD – people will no longer be asked to take a PCR test to confirm the result.
Instead, anyone with a positive LFD should report the result online as soon as the test is done. This ensures that people can get the advice they need as quickly as possible. After reporting their result, people should then fill in the online form they will receive, so that contacts can also be informed and rapidly given the correct advice.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “When the Omicron variant started to take hold, we strengthened self-isolation requirements, so that all household contacts had to self isolate for 10 days.
“That step was intended to slow the spread of the variant. It also reflected the fact that we knew less about the severity of the virus at that time, and that less of the population had protection from booster and third jags.
“We are now in a very different position – and so we can now adopt different rules.
“These changes are significant, but we believe they are also justified at this phase of the pandemic. They balance the importance of self-isolation – in slowing the virus’s spread and reducing the harm it can cause – with the wider harms to the economy that broader self-isolation rules can cause.”
If you have symptoms of Covid-19 (a fever, new continuous cough, or loss of sense of taste or smell) it is important to isolate and book a PCR test (even if you have already tested positive with an LFD) – that advice has not changed.
Getting a Lateral Flow Test:
People in Scotland who need a Lateral Flow Test can do so in the following ways:
By ordering online for home delivery. A box of 7 lateral flow test will arrive within 24-48 hours. Additional booking slots are added throughout the day.
At over 1,000 Community Pharmacies. People will be able to collect one pack of 7 lateral flow tests. Pharmacies can receive a box of around 60 packs of lateral flow tests each day.
At over 60 Testing Sites. People will be able to collect one pack of 7 lateral flow tests from any regional or local test site in Scotland.
At many other collect points established by Local Authorities. Follow this link to find information on additional local sites in your community.
From where they learn or where they work if in education, health and social care or any workplace with more than 10 employees which have signed up for our workplace testing programme.
First Minister’s statement – 5 January 2022
Presiding Officer,
Firstly, I wish you, members and staff in Parliament, and everyone across the country a happy new year.
Today, I will report on the continuing rise in COVID cases.
I will outline our approach to managing this phase of the pandemic
As part of that, I will set out immediate changes to the requirements for self-isolation and testing.
And while we are not proposing any additional measures at this stage, I will confirm that existing protections and guidance will remain in place for the coming week, pending further review.
And finally, given that Omicron may not be the last new COVID variant that we face, I will also signal some longer term work to consider the adaptations necessary to enable us to deal more proportionately and sustainably with any future phases of the pandemic.
First, though, today’s statistics.
16,103 positive cases were reported yesterday – 26.9% of all tests carried out.
1,223 people are in hospital with COVID. That’s 71 more than yesterday – but it’s 544 more than at this time last week.
42 people are in intensive care – which is the same as yesterday.
Sadly, a further five deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 9,872.
Once again, I send my condolences to everyone who is mourning a loved one.
The surge of cases, driven by the extremely infectious Omicron variant, is continuing here in Scotland, across the UK, and indeed in many other countries around the world.
Here in Scotland over the past week, the total number of new reported cases has increased by 87%.
Tomorrow’s figures will almost certainly see us pass 1 million reported cases since the outset of the pandemic.
However, the rapid and very widespread transmission of Omicron is such that the daily recorded tally of cases – which has always been an underestimate of the true level of infection – now gives us an even less comprehensive indicator of how prevalent the virus is.
The weekly survey published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) gives a better indication. In the week to 23 December, it suggested that one in 40 people in Scotland had COVID.
The results of the most recent ONS survey – published just a few minutes ago – suggest that in the week to 31 December that had risen to one in 20.
The proportion of people with COVID is though likely to be even higher than that now, a few days later – and I would anticipate that we will see continued growth in the level of infection as work and school resume after the holiday period.
In short, COVID is significantly more widespread now than at any stage in the pandemic so far, and will almost certainly become even more so in the days to come.
This, of course, has extremely serious implications for the NHS and social care.
But it also has a severe and increasing impact on the economy and other critical services.
This is primarily due to very high numbers of people off work with COVID – but it is of course compounded by the wider requirements for self isolation.
As I said last week, we have been considering very carefully the risks and benefits of changes to self isolation requirements and I will update on that shortly.
More generally, as I said a moment ago, we are not proposing any new protective measures today.
However, with the virus so prevalent, we do consider it important to continue to apply some brake on transmission, particularly in settings posing the highest risk.
Accordingly, I can confirm that the restrictions on large gatherings, the requirement for distancing between groups of people in public indoor places and for table service in hospitality venues serving alcohol on the premises will remain in force for now and indeed, I expect, until 17 January.
In addition, while this is not a legal requirement, we are continuing to strongly advise the general public to limit contact with people in other households as far as possible, and to limit the number of households in any indoor gathering that does take place to a maximum of three.
After two long years of this pandemic, I know that asking people to cut all social interaction is just not feasible – and it would be damaging of course to mental health and wellbeing.
However, limiting contacts insofar as we can, and thinking carefully about the interactions that matter most to us, is important just now.
It helps stem, at least to some extent, increases in transmission – and so has a collective benefit.
But it also helps protect us as individuals.
When at least one in 20 of us have the virus – as is the case now – the risk of getting it when we mix with others is significant.
So if we limit the occasions on which we do mix, we also reduce our own risk of catching a virus that we know could have a nasty impact on our health.
Trying to stem transmission – at least to some degree – is also important for the NHS which is under increasing pressure.
On the upside, the evidence that Omicron causes less severe illness than previous variants – at least amongst the under 60s, where the virus is most prevalent at the moment – does appear to be strengthening.
Indeed, the fact that the numbers here in intensive care are so far remaining stable while the numbers in hospital generally rises quite sharply, may be indicative of this.
We also know for certain that a booster jag provides strong protection against serious illness for people of all ages.
However, notwithstanding the success of the booster programme and indeed the apparent lower rate of hospitalisation from Omicron, the sheer volume of people becoming infected means more people with COVID are being admitted to hospital.
There is also remaining uncertainty about the impact on hospital admissions if Omicron continues to spread from younger age groups – where the risk of falling seriously ill from COVID has always been lower – to those in older age groups.
As I reported last week, work is also underway to better understand the detail behind the headline hospital numbers.
I can advise Parliament that the first results from analysis to differentiate those who are in hospital because of COVID from those in hospital with COVID but who were admitted for different reasons will be published on Friday.
Work is also being done to assess whether the average length of hospital stay resulting from Omicron is any different to that associated with other variants.
So, in short, our understanding of the precise nature and extent of Omicron’s impact on hospitals and the wider health and social care system is still developing.
However, what is beyond doubt is that it is already having a considerable impact.
The number of people in hospital with COVID has increased from 679 to 1,223 in the last week. That’s a rise of 80%. That is putting significant additional pressure on the NHS.
Indeed, the NHS is now facing increasing pressure on three related fronts.
First, from dealing with non COVID backlogs built up over the course of the pandemic.
Second, many NHS staff are absent and self-isolating either because they have COVID, or are close contacts of people with it.
This means the increasing pressure on the NHS is being managed by a depleted and ever more exhausted workforce. Let me say at this stage we owe each and every one of them an enormous debt of gratitude.
And third, as we keep saying, even with a lower rate of hospitalisation, the sheer volume of cases caused by the much greater transmissibility of Omicron will lead, is leading, to more patients with COVID ending up in hospital.
And, with reference to the analysis that will be published on Friday that I spoke about a moment, it’s important to remember, even if COVID is not the primary reason for someone’s admission to hospital, the fact they have COVID means enhanced infection control measures are required, and that further constrains NHS capacity so exacerbates that pressure.
We continue to support health boards and staff to manage this pressure – this includes working with councils to reduce delayed discharge and targeting additional capacity where possible.
Work is also underway importantly to develop alternative patient pathways for people with COVID, enabling them where possible to remain at home, where appropriate, with appropriate monitoring and advice rather than be admitted to hospital. This work will also help identify at an earlier stage patients likely to benefit from new antiviral treatments.
Of course, we can all help the NHS by taking steps to reduce transmission of the virus as much as possible.
Presiding Officer
While abiding by current guidance and protections is at this stage vitally important, we do know that measures which restrict our lives are not sustainable indefinitely.
And with a variant as infectious as Omicron, the kind of protections that are still possible within our financial resources and without causing greater harm in other ways – while still very important at this stage – won’t control transmission to the same extent as these measures would have done with other less transmissible variants.
So in light of this, coupled with the fact that unfortunately COVID won’t suddenly disappear and that Omicron is unlikely to be the last new variant we encounter, we need to continue to adapt our thinking about how to manage the virus and become more resilient to it in future.
Let me be clear at this stage, this does not, in my view, mean giving up on trying to control COVID completely – the impact of it on individual health and on our collective wellbeing is too significant for that.
But it does mean seeking ways of doing so that are more proportionate, sustainable and less restrictive.
There are no easy answers here, but adapting to the ongoing challenge of COVID is inescapable. The Scottish Government is therefore currently working on and will publish over the next few weeks a revised strategic framework, which will set out more fully how that process of adaptation can be managed with a view to building that greater resilience.
We will seek views from across Parliament as we develop this new framework in more detail. However, the changes I am about to confirm to the requirements on self isolation and testing are an early indication of an already adapting response.
I said last week that it was important to consider carefully changes to self isolation rules.
We wanted to ensure such changes are made only when in the view of clinical advisors, the benefits of them outweigh the risks of them.
I also want to make changes, as far as possible, in a coherent not a piecemeal manner, given the importance of clear public understanding of what is required.
As a result of this consideration, we are now proposing two changes to the self isolation rules, and one change to the requirement for PCR testing. And all of these changes will take effect from midnight tonight.
The first change to self isolation applies to those who test positive for COVID.
While the initial advice when someone tests positive will still be to self-isolate for 10 days, there will now be an option to end isolation after seven days as long as you, firstly, have no fever and, secondly, you record two negative lateral flow tests, one no earlier than day six after testing positive and another at least 24 hours after that.
The second change applies to close contacts of positive cases – and this includes household contacts – who are either under the age of 18 years, four months, or who are older than that and fully vaccinated.
Let me be clear, by fully vaccinated, we mean first, second and booster or third doses.
For close contacts in these categories the requirement to self-isolate will end and be replaced by a requirement to take a lateral flow test every day for seven days. Obviously, if one of these tests is positive, self-isolation will then be required.
Anyone identified as a close contact who is over 18 years and four months and not fully vaccinated will still be asked to self-isolate for 10 days and to take a PCR test.
These changes are significant and they are not completely without risk. However, at this stage of the pandemic they do strike an appropriate balance between the continued importance of self-isolation in breaking chains of transmission, and reducing the disruption self isolation causes in the economy and other critical services.
We are also proposing an important change to the advice on testing. And let me be clear again, this has been very carefully considered.
Scotland, indeed the UK as a whole, has one of the most extensive PCR testing systems anywhere in the world.
However, with infection levels are as high as they are, we must fully utilise all available testing capacity – PCR and lateral flow. And make sure isolation and advice happens as quickly as possible.
For those who have symptoms of COVID, the advice remains to book a PCR test, even if you have a positive lateral flow test.
And of course the advice to everyone is to test regularly with lateral flow devices, especially before meeting up with others.
However, from tomorrow, if your lateral flow test is positive, and you do not have symptoms, you will no longer be required to take a PCR test to confirm the result.
Instead, you must immediately isolate and also report your result online so that Test & Protect can commence the contact tracing process and give you advice as quickly as possible. You will also receive an online form that you must fill in, as would happen with a PCR positive in to ensure your contacts are notified.
Other countries, Canada for example, have already made this change.
It has been made possible because lateral flow tests are now widely available and work well.
Also, and really importantly, the Test & Protect system in Scotland can start contact tracing on the strength of a reported positive lateral flow result as well as a PCR.
And, crucially, at times of very high levels of infection the risk of a false positive lateral flow result is very low indeed – around just three in 10,000.
So the safest thing to do at this stage is treat a positive lateral flow test as confirmation of COVID. Even if you have no symptoms.
This allows us to maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing and advice.
Presiding Officer
There are a few further points I want to briefly touch on today.
Firstly, the current situation continues to take its toll on every one of course, but it continues to take a toll on businesses.
Last week, I confirmed the allocation of more than £200 million of the £375 million in business support we are making available.
Today, I can confirm the allocation of a further £55 million.
Up to £28 million will be allocated to taxi and private hire drivers and operators. £19 million will support services such as beauticians and hairdressers.
£5 million will be provided for sport, and an additional £3 million for tourism.
Local authorities are as we speak working to get money into bank accounts as quickly as possible.
Secondly, in light of the widespread community transmission of Omicron in the UK just now, discussions are taking place today between the four UK governments about possible changes to travel rules, including the requirement for pre-departure testing.
If these discussions result in proposed changes, we will inform parliament as quickly as possible.
My third point relates to education, and the start of the new term.
All secondary school children are being asked to take a lateral flow test on the night before or morning of their first day back, and thereafter to test twice a week and also in advance of mixing socially with people from other households.
Likewise, university and college students should take a test immediately before travelling from home to term-time accommodation, and thereafter test twice a week and before socialising with people from other households.
And staff in all educational and early years settings should take a lateral flow test just before starting back at work, and in line with broader advice after that.
Our priority is to keep schools open and to minimise further disruption to education.
But with community transmission high, I know the next few weeks will be challenging for pupils, staff and parents.
Using lateral flow tests will help. So too will the changes to isolation rules – and updated education guidance reflecting these changes will issue shortly.
We will also work with councils to ensure the guidance issued before Christmas is followed to keep schools not just open but as safe as possible.
Presiding Officer, my final brief update today is on vaccination.
I am immensely grateful to everyone involved in delivering vaccines – and to everyone who has been vaccinated.
By the bells on Hogmanay, around 3 million people – 77% of those eligible – had received their booster or third dose.
If you weren’t one of these people – and you are eligible – please come forward now.
You can arrange an appointment online, or go to a drop-in clinic. There is plenty of capacity and you can get details at NHS Inform or your local health board website.
Getting a booster doesn’t mean we won’t get COVID, although it does reduce the chances of that, but it significantly enhances our protection against serious illness. It could quite literally save your life.
12 to 15 year olds can also now go to drop-in centres to get the second dose.
I encourage everyone in that age group to do so. If you are the parent or carer of someone in that age group, you can go with them to the vaccination centre.
The vaccine programme has been an outstanding success – but there are still many people eligible but not yet vaccinated.
If you are one of them, then for your own sake and indeed for the sake of all of us, please rectify that. It is not too late and no one will judge you for not having done it before now.
On the contrary, you will be welcomed with open arms.
Presiding Officer,This phase of the pandemic is possibly the most challenging we have faced so far.
The most infectious variant so far is creating a volume of cases that, notwithstanding its possibly reduced severity, still has the potential to overwhelm us.
And of course two years in, the kind of measures that have helped us control transmission in past phases are becoming less tolerable and causing more harm.
So while not easy, we do need to continually adapt our ways of managing this virus, and we will do so.
But in the meantime, we must continue to do what we know makes a difference now.
So get fully vaccinated as soon as you can – please do it this week.
Prime Minister reissues call for public to get boosted and announces new critical workforce testing measures
The Prime Minister last night updated the public on the government’s ongoing actions to tackle COVID-19 and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed, including implementing Plan B measures, standing up local Nightingales to create extra capacity, buying more antivirals per person than anywhere else in Europe, significantly increasing testing capacity and rolling out the vital booster programme.
The Prime Minister thanked vaccinators for their enormous dedication over the festive period as well as everyone who came forward for a jab.
He welcomed the success of the Get Boosted Now campaign in delivering 10 million extra boosters across the UK and doubling the rate of vaccination from 450,000 doses a day to a peak of more than 900,000.
Outlining the significant protection offered by the booster jab, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for every eligible person to get their booster – with 2 million appointments available this week alone.
In his statement the Prime Minister also acknowledged the disruption to the workforce caused by the spread of Omicron and set out further measures the government is taking to address this.
He announced the Government will provide 100,000 critical workers in England with free lateral flow tests to help keep essential services and supply chains running.
Critical workers will be able to take a test on every working day and the provision of precautionary testing will be for an initial five weeks.
This will help to isolate asymptomatic cases and limit the risk of outbreaks in workplaces, reducing transmission while covid cases remain high. These critical workers are those who work in essential services, cannot work from home and are at risk of infecting each other – for example, due to working together in an enclosed space.
People covered by the scheme will include those who work in critical national infrastructure, national security, transport, and food distribution and processing. This includes vital roles in Border Force, Police and Fire and Rescue Services control rooms, electricity generation, test kit warehouses and test surge labs.
The full range of critical workers have been identified by the relevant departments and Government will contact these organisations directly on the logistics of the scheme this week.
Roll out will start from Monday 10th January. Tests will be separate from public sectors who already have a testing allocation with UKHSA, such as adult social care or education, and separate to those delivered to pharmacies and homes, so those channels will not be impacted by the new scheme.
The UK Government are now distributing around 600,000 packs of 7 tests on gov.uk directly to homes every day (more than 50% higher than last week).
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs on the latest Coronavirus situation in Scotland in a virtual Holyrood session this afternoon at 2pm.
A year ago today, the UK became the first country in the world to administer the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine
Vaccination programme has been a phenomenal success, saving countless lives and reducing pressure on NHS
One year ago today [Tuesday 4 January 2021] the UK became the first country in the world to administer the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Brian Pinker, 82, (above) was the first person to receive the life-saving vaccine outside of clinical trials at Oxford University Hospital at 7.30am.
Since then, around 50 million AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered in the UK, saving countless lives, keeping people out of hospital and reducing the pressure on the NHS.
To mark the anniversary, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, will visit a vaccination centre in London to thank hard-working NHS staff and volunteers delivering jabs.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Backed by government funding, the UK-made Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has played an absolutely crucial role in our fight against COVID-19, saving countless lives in the UK and around the world.
“I’m extremely proud of our world-leading researchers and scientists who are responsible for developing some of the most effective vaccines and treatments during the pandemic and the NHS for the incredible roll out.
“The UK’s vaccination and booster programme is world leading but with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, it is more important than ever that people come forward for their vaccines and booster to top up your immunity this winter and protect the progress we have made.”
The government invested early in Oxford University’s team, supporting their vaccine technology since 2016 and their COVID-19 jabs since March 2020 with more than £88 million to help research, develop and manufacture the vaccine.
The National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) helped recruit thousands of volunteers from across the UK for the phase 3 clinical trials and supported the researchers, which paved the way for approval by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Around 2.5 billion doses have been distributed at-cost to more than 170 countries. Almost two-thirds of these have gone to low and lower-middle-income countries, including more than 30 million doses donated by the UK through COVAX or bilaterally.
The UK will donate a further 20 million AstraZeneca doses to countries in need this year as part of the government’s commitment to donate 100 million doses overall.
Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said: “The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is a UK success story and demonstrates what can be achieved when researchers, scientists and the government work together.
“The at-cost vaccine has given billions of people around the world a way to fight back against this virus. Please get your vaccines and booster to protect yourself and your families this winter.”
The COVID-19 vaccination programme is the largest in British history and was established at unprecedented speed, with thousands of vaccine centres set up rapidly in England, meaning around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination clinic.
The government’s Vaccine Taskforce secured early access to almost 340 million doses of the most promising vaccine candidates in advance for the entire UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, enabling a rapid deployment once approved by the medicines regulator.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said: “Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of scientists and doctors, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was developed in just a matter of months instead of years, with NHS staff working tirelessly to roll the jabs out to millions across the country.
“The Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine has played a crucial role in the biggest and most successful immunisation programme in NHS history, and I’d like to take this opportunity to remind people again that there are still hundreds of thousands of appointments available for first, second and booster jabs so please come forward and get jabbed.”
The UK led the world on vaccine research, providing results for three of the successful vaccine candidates through huge phase 3 trials for Oxford AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax vaccines. The Novavax trial is the largest ever double blind placebo controlled trial in the UK, recruiting 15,000 participants from 35 research sites in just over two months.
More than 133 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered in the UK in just over a year, including around 34 million boosters and third doses, securing vital protection against Omicron.
Families are being urged to get young people aged 12-15 their second dose of the COVID vaccine as early as possible in the New Year.
Drop-in sessions will be available for this age group from January 3 2022, while those who have already been given a date for their second jag can call a helpline to bring their appointment forward and get protection from the virus earlier.
Following JCVI advice, this age group can get their second vaccination from 12 weeks after their first dose. NHS Inform and local health board websites will provide further details of where drop-in sessions are available in each area.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Additional vaccinator capacity across Scotland means we are now in a position to offer second doses to the 12-15 age group earlier than previously planned.
“Eligible young people can get their second doses from next week, and before they return to school in many cases. I would urge them to take up the offer as early as they can, to receive greater protection from the virus.
“The festive season saw a major effort to get adults boosted by the bells. But we need to keep up momentum and make sure everyone is protected from the virus, particularly with the emergence of the new Omicron variant.”
Those who have already received a scheduled appointment can bring it forward by calling 0800 030 8013.
If you’re eligible, you can drop in for your booster at clinics all over Lothian. Learn whether you’re eligible, and find the closest clinic to you, at:
Prime Minister hails success of vaccine programme and heroic public response to booster campaign in New Year’s message
Comes as every eligible adult in England aged 18 and over has now had the chance to get a COVID-19 booster jab
Prime Minister reflects on global achievements of UK over the last year including fastest economic growth in the G7 and record investments in tech sector
The Prime Minister will deliver his New Year’s message today (Friday 31 December) where he will celebrate the achievements of the vaccination programme over the last year with over 7 in 10 eligible adults in England boosted so far – an increase of 8 million top up jabs (45%) since the target was brought forward on 12 December.
In his New Year’s message, he will announce we’ve met the target to offer the chance to get a COVID-19 booster to every eligible adult and urge those who haven’t yet been jabbed to take up the offer of a booster, or their first or second dose.
The Prime Minister will also reflect on the achievements of the UK throughout the past year. The UK has had the fastest economic growth in the G7, record employment levels and massive global investments in the British tech sector this year.
The Prime Minister will also urge people who are celebrating to exercise caution by taking a test, practicing good hygiene, and letting fresh air in, and to follow the COVID-19 guidance if they’re living in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, will say: “Happy New Year. 2022 is almost upon us. And whatever the challenges that fate continues to throw in our way and whatever the anxieties we may have about the weeks and months ahead, particularly about omicron and the growing numbers in hospitals…we can say one thing with certainty – our position this December the 31st is incomparably better than last year.
“This country has the fastest economic growth in the G7. We have more people in work now than there were before the pandemic began. And if you want a sign of future growth – look at the massive global investment in British high tech. Almost £30 billion into the UK tech sector this year – twice as much tech investment as Germany, three times as much as France.
“And there is one reason – one overriding reason – why the UK has been able to maintain the most open economy and society of any major European economy. And that is because the British people have responded heroically, voluntarily, and in almost incredible numbers to the call to get vaccinated.
“And as I speak tonight on New Year’s Eve, we’ve met our target, we’ve doubled the speed of the booster roll out. And it’s precisely because of that huge national effort that we can celebrate tonight at all. Though I must of course urge everyone to be cautious and to take a test if you are going out and to remember the importance of ventilation. Follow the rules if you are in Scotland or Wales or Northern Ireland.
“And I want to speak directly to all those who have yet to get fully vaccinated. The people who think the disease can’t hurt them – look at the people going into hospital now, that could be you. Look at the intensive care units and the miserable, needless suffering of those who did not get their booster, that could be you.
“So, make it your New Year’s resolution – far easier than losing weight or keeping a diary – find a walk-in centre or make an online appointment. Get that jab and do something that will make 2022 a happy New Year for us all.”
On 30 November, the government set out its ambition to offer all eligible adults the chance to get their booster by the end of January. This target was brought forward by the Prime Minister earlier this month in response to the emerging threat of the Omicron variant in order to protect the public as quickly as possible.
Some eligible people may not yet have been able to receive their booster yet due to catching COVID-19. The vaccination programme requires the majority of people infected with COVID-19 to wait 28 days following infection before receiving a vaccine.
After the 28 days have passed, people are encouraged to book their booster as soon as they can. Those eligible for a booster vaccine who have delayed making an appointment because of other acute illnesses are also encouraged to book as soon as they are fully recovered.
It is vital to get a first and second jab, in order to be eligible for a booster to get the vital protection against Omicron. Recent UKHSA data shows people who are unvaccinated are up to eight times more likely to be hospitalised than those who are fully vaccinated.
SUCCESS? UK daily Covid cases reached another record high of 189,846 on Friday with 203 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive test …
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has pledged up to £105 million of UK emergency aid to help vulnerable countries tackle the Omicron Covid-19 variant, with a particular focus on Africa.
The vital aid will be delivered through trusted partners and will:
Scale-up testing – especially in parts of Africa where testing rates for Covid-19 remain lowest – allowing health systems to track and respond to the spread of the virus more effectively. This is in addition to the UK’s world-leading genomic sequencing support.
Improve access to oxygen supplies for ventilators – a surge in demand for oxygen is a significant risk for some countries.
Provide communities with hygiene advice, products and access to handwashing facilities and support deep cleaning in schools, health centres and other public places. This will build on the successful global hygiene campaign between UK aid and Unilever which has reached over 1.2 billion people since its launch in 2020.
Fund the UK’s ground-breaking science and research into the spread of variants like Omicron to enable innovative evidence-based policy responses in low and middle-income countries.
Ready the UK’s own expert emergency teams for deployment overseas to crisis hotspots, including with new medical equipment.
The UK Government has also confirmed today that over 30 million vaccines have been delivered so far as part of the UK’s pledge to donate 100 million doses to the world, benefitting more than 30 countries.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “The UK is providing vital assistance to help tackle the spread of new variants around the world. This is key to securing our freedom and ending this pandemic once and for all.
“I am proud that we have also delivered over 30 million vaccines to benefit our friends around the world this year. The UK is helping other countries most in need. No one is safe until everyone is safe.”
Doses donated by the UK have reached four continents and provided vital protection from Covid-19 in countries including Angola, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Malawi, Nepal, and Rwanda.
Of the more than 30 million doses now donated, 24.6 million have been received by COVAX for delivery to countries and 5.5 million have been shared directly with countries in need including Kenya, Jamaica, and Indonesia.
Millions more vaccines will be sent to other countries in 2022, including 20 million Oxford-AstraZeneca doses and 20 million Janssen doses.
The UK has been at the forefront of the global response to Covid-19. Today’s announcement builds on the £1.3 billion in UK aid committed to the international health response early on in the pandemic, supporting vaccines, health systems and economic recovery in developing countries.
The Government also invested more than £88 million to support the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and the UK became the first country in the world to approve the jab a year ago today.
Thanks to AstraZeneca’s commitment distribute the vaccine on a non-profit basis, 2.5 billion doses have been used in more than 170 countries, two thirds of which are low- and middle-income countries.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The global pandemic has challenged health systems around the world and the best way to overcome this awful disease is to unite and stand side by side with our international partners.
“By supporting countries with the UK’s ground breaking science and research into the spread of variants, improving access to oxygen and scaling up testing we will help those most in need chart their course out of the pandemic.
“I am proud that we have already delivered over 30 million vaccines to our friends abroad. The UK, as a global leader, is helping other countries most in need. No one is safe until everyone is safe.”
Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said: “We welcome the UK’s commitment in new funding to protect the most vulnerable, particularly in Africa; the UK’s continued focus on COVAX and equitable global access to COVID19 vaccines, both through early financing commitments made at UNGA 2020, as well as meeting the Prime Minister’s G7 commitment to dose sharing – the 30m target set by the end of 2021.
“We look forward to operationalising the remainder of the UK’s dose sharing commitment via COVAX in 2022, while we also work with the UK Government on continuing to support Gavi’s ambitious 2021- 2025 routine vaccination programmes, of which the United Kingdom is the largest funder through the PM’s commitment made at the UK-hosted Global Vaccine Summit in June 2020.”
A year ago today, the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine
Vaccination programme has been a phenomenal success, saving countless lives and reducing pressure on NHS
2.5 billion doses of the at-cost and UK-made vaccine have been administered across the world
The UK became the first country in the world to approve the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine a year ago today (30 December),
Early investment in the Oxford team, in their technology since 2016 and their COVID-19 vaccines since March 2020, paved the way for approval by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), driven forward by the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) world leading research.
The NIHR helped recruit thousands of volunteers from across the UK for Phase 3 trials and supported the researchers.
Almost 50 million AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered in the UK, saving countless lives, keeping people out of hospital and reducing the pressure on the NHS.
Following the government investing more than £88 million to help research, develop and manufacture the vaccine, around 2.5 billion doses have been distributed at-cost to more than 170 countries.
Almost two-thirds of these have gone to low and lower-middle-income countries, including more than 30 million doses donated by the UK through COVAX or bilaterally. The UK will donate a further 20 million AstraZeneca doses to countries in need next year as part of the government’s commitment to donate 100 million doses overall.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Our fight against COVID-19 in the UK and around the world would not have been possible without the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine.
“Developed by brilliant scientists at Oxford and delivered on a not-for-profit basis thanks to AstraZeneca, this vaccine has provided 50 million doses to the British public and over 2.5 billion to more than 170 other countries.
“We can all be incredibly proud of – and grateful for – a jab that has saved many millions of lives.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today marks one year since the UK made history by being the first country in the world to approve the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine – a UK-made and government-funded vaccine which has been absolutely pivotal in helping to save millions of lives around the world.
“I’m incredibly proud of the role the UK has played in developing, researching and manufacturing ground-breaking vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.
“Vaccines are the best way to protect people from COVID-19 and I’m urging everybody to play their part in this national mission – roll up your sleeves and get your jabs.”
Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said: “One year on, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has played a crucial part in our fight against COVID-19, saving the lives of the most vulnerable and helping to reduce the spread of the virus.
“It’s a remarkable example of British innovation and scientific excellence – please take advantage and get your vaccines as soon as you can to protect yourself this winter.”
The COVID-19 vaccination programme is the largest in British history and was established at unprecedented speed, with thousands of vaccine centres set up rapidly in England, meaning around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination clinic.
The government’s Vaccine Taskforce secured early access to almost 340 million doses of the most promising vaccine candidates in advance for the entire UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, enabling a rapid deployment once approved by the medicines regulator.
The UK led the world in vaccine research, providing results for three of the successful vaccine candidates through huge Phase 3 trials for Oxford AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax vaccines.
The Novavax trial is the largest ever double blind placebo controlled trial in the UK, recruiting 15,000 participants from 35 research sites in just over two months.
Tom Keith-Roach, President of AstraZeneca UK, said: “I am quietly humbled and hugely proud of the work we have done together to get 50 million doses into people’s arms here in the UK and over 2.5 billion doses to people in over 170 countries globally in less than 12 months.
“This has only been possible thanks to the tireless efforts and is to the huge credit of so many colleagues, partners, healthcare workers, volunteers and members of the public who have stepped forward to support this unprecedented national effort.
“There remain huge challenges ahead, much vital work is still to be done, but in 2021 we achieved remarkable things and this should give us confidence and renewed hope for 2022.”
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.
