We think we’ve got the right balance through Plan B and our big uptick in boosters.” Which sectors are worst affected in a “lockdown by default”? On Monday (13 December), his official spokesman said: “We’ve always sought to keep face-to-face schooling open and have only restricted it in cases when there’s the direst public health emergency. The Prime Minister has also said that closing schools would be a last resort. So far, the government has resisted closing schools, telling local authorities that schools should not end the term early for Christmas. The government has been emphatic that it is doing everything it can to avoid a Christmas lockdown – but with the number of Omicron cases now doubling every two days, Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling persuaded the government to introduce the first lockdown in 2020, has said it is likely to become the primary variant by Christmas. Will a lockdown be announced before Christmas? Critics of the measures say that this amounts to a “lockdown by stealth” – where the government hasn’t actually tightened restrictions, but consumer behaviour changes and businesses suffer. The Plan B measures, which were narrowly passed in a vote in parliament last night, are designed to prevent another lockdown – but hospitality businesses are reporting that the number of people cancelling bookings has already rocketed. With polls showing the Tories suffering from allegations of sleaze, a covid surge forcing a Christmas lockdown is the last thing Johnson needs.Despite the introduction of “Plan B” measures and an accelerated booster programme, the number of Covid cases in the UK is rising steeply: yesterday (14 December) it was reported another 59,610 people tested positive, bringing the weekly total up to 377,601, a 12 per cent increase on the previous week. Boris Johnson will hold a press conference at 5pm today on the growing number of Omicron infections. “If we want to avoid new restrictions on our daily lives, we must all get vaccinated as soon as we are eligible,” Johnson said. Talking up the risk of a new Christmas lockdown – however distant a prospect that might really be – could persuade more people to come forward to get jabbed. Those boosters are vital, as the effectiveness of the vaccine wears off over time. So far, 80 per cent of people aged 12 and over have received two doses of the vaccine, with 22 per cent having had a third “booster” dose. In order to protect the health service and avoid the need for more restrictions, the UK’s immunity levels must be maintained. The second reason for a cautious message is the vaccination effort itself. That would be in keeping with his phased approach to ending lockdown measures as vaccines were rolled out earlier this year. Why is Johnson sounding more cautious about Christmas? After making many over-optimistic declarations last year, he may be keen to avoid promising too much and then disappointing the public again. Science and Technical Research and Development.Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities.Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives.Information and Communications Technology. HR, Training and Organisational Development.Health - Medical and Nursing Management.Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance.
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