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NEW EVIDENCE GIVES a “high degree of confidence” that coronavirus vaccines work against the Indian variant, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said as he urged people to get jabbed to prevent the new strain spreading “like wildfire”.
Hancock today said it is “appropriate” to push on with the major easing of restrictions in England tomorrow despite concerns from scientists that this strain could be 50% more transmissible than the Kent strain.
He did not rule out the possibility of imposing local lockdowns in areas such as Bolton to stem the spread of the variant, although he said it is “relatively widespread in small numbers” elsewhere.
Ministers are hoping surge testing and the acceleration of second vaccine doses can allow a safe opening up of the UK, with jabs due to be extended to the over-35s this week.
The Health Secretary told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday there are now more than 1,300 cases of the Indian variant in total and it is becoming “the dominant strain” in areas including Bolton and Blackburn in the North West.
But offering good news over plans to ease restrictions without unleashing a fresh wave of infections and deaths, Hancock said there is “new very early data” from Oxford University giving confidence that existing vaccines work against the variant.
“That means that we can stay on course with our strategy of using the vaccine to deal with the pandemic and opening up carefully and cautiously but we do need to be really very vigilant to the spread of the disease.
“We have a high degree of confidence that the vaccine will overcome.”
.@SophyRidgeSky: "SAGE are very worried about tomorrow - why are we going ahead?"
— Sophy Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) May 16, 2021
If the Indian variant is 50% more transmissible "we have a problem" – but it may be lower – "we just don’t yet know", says Health Secretary @MattHancock.
#Ridge: https://t.co/3tZ5MrLvaA pic.twitter.com/DaBmRrphoL
Oxford University said the data is preliminary and was unable to share the research because it was not yet written up in a manuscript.
Hancock warned the highly transmissible variant can “spread like wildfire among the unvaccinated groups” as he urged people to come forward for jabs when eligible.
“In Bolton, where we’ve seen a number of people in hospital with this new Indian variant, the vast majority of them have been eligible for a jab but not taken the jab,” he said.
He added that there had been no known deaths from the Indian variant in Bolton of somebody who has received both jabs.
Five people have been in hospital with it after received their first vaccine dose, while one person who had received both doses had been admitted “but that person was frail”, he told the BBC show.
‘Perilous moment’
As Government scientific adviser Professor Sir Mark Walport warned the pandemic is at a “perilous moment”, Hancock insisted it is right to continue with Monday’s easing of restrictions.
People will be able to socialise indoors in homes, pubs and restaurants, and will be permitted physical contact between households for the first time in more than a year.
The Health Secretary said the extent of the increase of transmissibility of the variant is unknown “so that’s why it’s appropriate to continue down the road map but people need to be cautious and careful”.
He did not rule out that the easing may have to be reversed if the Indian variant proves to be very-highly transmissible, and he said the possibility areas such as Bolton could be forced into local lockdown if testing and vaccinations are not effective enough.
“Given though Bolton has been in some form of kind of a lockdown for a year, it’s not a step we want to take but of course we might have to take it and we will if it’s necessary to protect people,” he told Ridge.
With surge testing also underway in areas of Blackburn, Sefton and London, Hancock said the Government will decide on 14 June whether all legal restrictions can be ended in the final step of the road map out of lockdown on 21 June.
And he confirmed that over-35s will be invited to book their Covid-19 jabs this week.
Walport, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), warned it will be “extremely important” to keep an eye on the numbers over the next few weeks.
“And the problem is that the data takes some while to emerge, which is why there’s you know every grounds to be very cautious about the ability to open up in June,” he told Ridge.
“But I mean I think it’s fair to say it is a perilous moment. We have a variant that shows good evidence of being more transmissible and possibly significantly more transmissible.”
He said that “complete normality” will “take a bit of time to return”, as he urged people to exercise caution.
“Well my advice is that just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should,” Walport said.
“As far as possible socialise outside, maintain social distancing, if you’re going to hug, hug cautiously.”
Chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee Yvette Cooper suggested the foreign holiday ban should not end as scheduled tomorrow.
The Labour MP told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “The Government needs to slow down its plans. I don’t understand why it’s lifting some of its international travel restrictions tomorrow. I think they should be being much more cautious about that.”
But Hancock continued to defend the Government against criticism it acted too late in imposing heightened restrictions on travel from India.
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Too much paperwork. This only adds to the burnout that many child protection workers face. The job of a social worker has become too administrative and less front line
@Alison Maguire: Do you think its the front line(visiting dysfunctional homes were there’s child abuse) or the admin element that causes turnover in staff ……
@Murr Paul: the frontline also deal with a lot of admin
I believe there is room for all, please note that some of the private agencies are social enterprises that re-investing the children in their care.
As a country though we need to really start investing in support of vulnerable families from pregnancy, good preschools good family support. Our legislation also needs a complete overhaul with a much stronger emphasis on what’s in a child’s best interest not the parents. A child in foster care can at any time be returned to the birth parents, how can a child fully commit to a new family if they are aware of this.
@Anne Kearney: A child in foster care can at any time be returned to the birth parents, how can a child fully commit to a new family if they are aware of this.
A child will always want to return to their parents as when turned 18 kick out by foster families regardless.
@Murr Paul: a significant number of foster carers would and do keep the child in their care after the age of 18. I feel some of the issue is the after care work that goes on from 15 or 16 preparing for independence can instill a fear in the child so there is increased acting out that causes the placement to break down. I reject you before you reject me. A lot of children during access are told that they can go home also the foster carers in their own eyes is only temporary. We need to be able to make a home more permanent for some children and carers.
Why do they try and privatise everything???
Never has a good outcome
In no way am I comparing a Child to a dog here but look what’s happened with privatization re Ashton Dog Pound. Neglect, Abuse, and power pulling where everyone in Dublin is in fear of calling for the dog warden.
@Margaret Doyle: You don’t want to compare the two, and yet you do.
€325 not much to cover all the costs involved with children who have been neglected. The government trying to do all the really important stuff on the Cheap again.
@Alan Kelly: what costs do they have more then any other child? They also receive child benefit, social welfare CDA increases etc. I know cases were they claimed the foster children were disabled to get carers allowance, care grant and domicile care allowance all untaxed. A right little money earner.
@Murr Paul: you cannot just CLAIM someone is disabled!!
Do you know the trauma these kids have been through? Do you know the time that goes into making sure all the needs of these kids at met?
@Murr Paul: would you work 24/7 for 1.93 euro an hour and take the child’s expenses out of that too.
@Murr Paul: What is wrong with you? The state is neglecting and allowing lifelong damage to occur to children. They are pouring money into private companies and you point to a baseless, imaginary problem of welfare fraud. Do you think that so you can feel better or are you just bitter or thick or both?
@Alan Kelly: Making foster caring financially too appetizing is far too dangerous. It attracts the worst of people, to the detriment of these especially vulnerable children. Of course low income families with the right intentions shouldn’t be excluded from fostering simply because they can’t afford it. But that’s why the system allows for specific expenses for the particular foster child in question (with receipts and review process with regards to expenses etc). But just a nice lump sum lodged into your account with no questions asked every month will end up attracting too much interest for all the wrong reasons.
The cost factor here must be quantified, the cost given of €1,000 in a private placement includes other support. It includes the cost of social work support available 24 hours a day 7 days a week not currently provided by Tusla. The private fostering agencies also provide support services such as educational supports child care workers etc.
The private agencies also may be asked to locate careers for children with a complex level of care needs.
have your say