Johnson Press Conference

[Claudethecat]

Is he just trying to nudge up the booster numbers, or is he genuinely concerned?

Turning to Covid, I want to update you on our progress,and, in particular, on these storm clouds that are gathering over the continent

A new wave of Covid has steadily swept through central Europe and is now affecting our nearest neighbours in western Europe.

Our friends on the continent have been forced to respond with various degrees of new restrictions, from full lockdowns, to lockdowns for the unvaccinated, to restrictions on business opening hours and restrictions on social gatherings.

We don’t yet know the extent to which this new wave will wash up on our shores, but history shows we cannot afford to be complacent.

Indeed in recent days cases there have been rising here in the UK, so we must remain vigilant.

Because there is one lesson we can draw from the current situation in Europe.

Those countries with lower vaccination rates have tended to see bigger surges in infection, and in turn been forced to respond with harsher measures.

While those countries with higher vaccination rates have, so far, fared better.

This shows us once again that if we want to control the epidemic here in the UK,and if we want to avoid new restrictions on our daily lives, we must all get vaccinated as soon as we are eligible.

@Brindle88

You can’t complain about the number of hospital acquired infections after throwing a strop about wearing masks.

If the number of infections are not controlled in the wider community the hospitals become riddled with it.

Yes this.

Which is also why the 'lock up The Others aka The Vulnerable' narrative doesn't work. Because vulnerable people need to attend hospital appointments. Oh - and of course the fact that many many of the vulnerable actually work in hospitals (and other essential roles), because The Vulnerable are a significant proportion of the workforce. Even the retired - The Elderly - perform a vital function in keeping the economy going, through their (usually free) help with childcare for working parents.

@Brindle88

You can’t complain about the number of hospital acquired infections after throwing a strop about wearing masks.

If the number of infections are not controlled in the wider community the hospitals become riddled with it.

The hospitals, where pretty much everyone wears a mask, become riddled with it?

Yes because Covid infected patients come into the poorly ventilated mass gatherings that are hospitals Bumbley

As the WHO says, masks don't work on their own. Lile vaccines, they work as part of a holistic multi pronged approach to infection control.

@Tealightsandd

Obviously though kudos to Scotland and Wales for trying. I assume some of their effort is hampered by limited powers?

What limited powers and what difference would this make?

@Tealightsandd

Yes because Covid infected patients come into the poorly ventilated mass gatherings that are hospitals Bumbley

As the WHO says, masks don't work on their own. Lile vaccines, they work as part of a holistic multi pronged approach to infection control.

“You can’t complain about the number of hospital acquired infections after throwing a strop about wearing masks.”

This comment blames lack of masks for that - but you’ve just said masks don’t work on their own. Why single them out then?

[quote MercyBooth]@herecomesthsun No im against vaccine passports But the Queen song played in the advert intimates that nothing will stop people spending Christmas with their families this year. Dont you listen to the lyrics of songs?[/quote]
I haven't seen the Tesco ad, sorry.

@Claudethecat

Also, the Welsh government has mooted passports for restaurants and pubs. I have a feeling that might happen now.

I'm going to Wales for my first time ever in a month.

What do I need my covid passport for?

I forgot you have different rules and I need to know what they are

Got told by someone i know that her daughter had to travel 81 miles to access her vaccine or lose her job in a care home. 81 miles. On a care home wage. Why arent we hearing about this. Instead of all the anti vaxx stuff.

I've spent a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms recently for cancer treatment, and I haven't seen ANYONE without a mask unless they were behind a screen. In rural Devon, everyone wears a mask in shops/public enclosed spaces simply to be polite and respectful. Not for walking the dog of course, but in any enclosed space, most folk will wear a mask or have one handy to comply. Who are the people who think they are immune or won't spread germs?

@MercyBooth

Got told by someone i know that her daughter had to travel 81 miles to access her vaccine or lose her job in a care home. 81 miles. On a care home wage. Why arent we hearing about this. Instead of all the anti vaxx stuff.

I agree that it would be nice to hear less anti vaxx stuff. This autumn and winter are looking so much more hopeful than last year because of the vaccines.

We need to tackle the lack of access to vaccines that is going on in some areas. No one should be travelling 81 miles.

Outpatients, visitors and staff almost without exception do wear a mask.

Inpatients probably don’t and I’d imagine that there would very reasonably be objection to making masks mandatory for inpatients.

Testing and asking patients to isolate (where possible) before coming to hospital can lower the chances of nosocomial infections but if we’re not bothered about high numbers of cases in the community, there’s not much we can do about patients catching covid in hospital. Spending long periods of time indoors (such as when you are on the same ward) does put you at risk of catching covid. And the more cases there are in the community, the greater the chance that somebody on you ward might be incubating covid even if they weren’t yet testing positive on admission.

@MercyBooth

Got told by someone i know that her daughter had to travel 81 miles to access her vaccine or lose her job in a care home. 81 miles. On a care home wage. Why arent we hearing about this. Instead of all the anti vaxx stuff.

When was this? Was it recent and, if so, why hadn't she had the vaccine sooner when there were plenty of centres?

"I'm going to Wales for my first time ever in a month.
What do I need my covid passport for?
I forgot you have different rules and I need to know what they are"

@itsgettingwierd you need it for theatres, cinemas, concert halls, nightclubs. That plus wearing a mask in shops / enclosed public spaces is the main difference as a visitor, there are also different rules around isolation if someone that you live with has Covid but hopefully that won't affect you. Where are you going? Have a lovely time :) :)

Gibraltar has 100% vaccinated population but are seeing an exponential rise in infections.

londonlovesbusiness.com/due-to-exponential-rise-in-cases-gibraltar-cancels-official-christmas-celebrations/

[quote vera99]Gibraltar has 100% vaccinated population but are seeing an exponential rise in infections.

londonlovesbusiness.com/due-to-exponential-rise-in-cases-gibraltar-cancels-official-christmas-celebrations/[/quote]
It doesn't, apparently have 100% vaccinated. It's on another thread. About 50% are doubly vaccinated iirc.

Do you have a source for that 50% figure @PAFMO?

It may be a reporting error then it's showing nearly 100% when you put Gibraltar into this site. Indeed it's 120% for one dose !

ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

@bumbleymummy

Do you have a source for that 50% figure *@PAFMO*?

Nope. That's why I said "apparently" and "iirc".Just the figures that someone posted on another thread:

"Gib has given 90K vaccines to a 60k population. Given you need two vaccines to be fully vaccinated means half the population are not yet fully vaccinated."

(It's the Boris Press Conference thread)

Sorry, this is the Boris thread the other one is AIBU worried about passports.

Yeah, this one says 100% too. ~95,000 doses given

covidvax.live/location/gib

Maybe the 60k population includes a lot of children who aren’t eligible?

[quote vera99]It may be a reporting error then it's showing nearly 100% when you put Gibraltar into this site. Indeed it's 120% for one dose !

ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations[/quote]
Even in the UK sometimes it reports for certain age groups 100% vaccine uptake. I find it curious that there wasn't at least one person in each group who couldn't be vaccinated for medical reasons/allergies/religion or whatever. I'd like to better understand how percentages work in this context. I'm no mathematician!

Like this, for example. It's a bit hard to make out but it says 100% for ages 60 and up