4 major Covid restrictions you could see in WEEKS as some areas already set to plunge into Plan B
THESE are the four Covid restrictions you could see brought back in within weeks if Covid spirals out of control.
They come under the Government’s Plan B for tackling the virus over winter, with contingency measures already being rolled out in parts of the country.
Implementing Plan B hinges on a number of factors, the Health Secretary Sajid Javid said at yesterday’s Downing Street Briefing.
But it will not be used unless the NHS - including A&E, intensive care, ambulances and more - is under “significant pressure”.
Mr Javid said was not the case now, but warned that if people did not “play their part”, restrictions would be needed.
He said “it’s going to hit us all” if people do not get their vaccines, choose to wear face masks in crowded places and wash their hands.
“And it would of course make it more likely we’re going to have more restrictions,” he warned.
“We’ve set out what those restrictions might look like, we’ve set out the Plan B restrictions for example, and we all want to avoid those.”
Ministers are monitoring figures “hour by hour, day by day”, said health minister Edward Argar.
But leading figures in medicine are calling for a preventative approach to an NHS crisis, with a clamp-down sooner rather than later.
Statistics show an upward trend in Covid that shows no signs of stopping.
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Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said we are going into winter with a “really high level” of cases.
She said the number of deaths are “moving in the wrong direction” and there is a “steady increase” in hospital admissions.
Prof Lawrence Young, a professor of Molecular Oncology, University of Warwick, said: “We are at a tipping point with increased levels of infection against a backdrop of waning vaccine-induced immunity and the easing of all restrictions."
Downing Street said there were currently 95,000 hospital beds in the NHS, of which 7,000 were occupied by Covid patients, while around 6,000 were free.
“We knew the coming months would be challenging,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“We will be very carefully monitoring hospitalisation rates, admission rates, ICU (intensive care unit) rates, the usual metrics we have used through this pandemic to judge how our NHS is coping,” the spokesman said.
“Obviously we won’t hesitate to act if needed.”
But some parts of England are set have Plan B rules introduced soon due to rising coronavirus infections, it has been claimed.
Leicester, Bolton, Luton and Blackburn and Darwen are at the top of the list to receive Enduring Transmission Area (ETA) support.
It means extra testing capacity, vaccine programme support and more assistance to public health staffing.
ETA forms part of the Government's Plan B Covid response under “local management of the virus”.
While the package is expected to stay in the target areas until March 2022, it suggests ministers are closely watching areas that have previously been hard hit by the virus.
Other areas are also said to be under review and include: Bradford, Rochdale, Slough, Bristol, Peterborough, Oldham, Sandwell, Kirklees, Preston, Hartlepool, Tameside, Middlesbrough, Burnley, Ealing, Manchester and Hyndburn.
So what are the Plan B measures that could come before Christmas is here?
Legal face masks
Under plan B, face masks would become mandatory in some settings again.
These would likely be the same as before - public transport, walking around hospitality, libraries, places of worship and more.
People who did not abide would be breaking the law and have to pay a fine.
At the moment they are not a legal requirement, but the Government still heavily recommends wearing one in crowded places where you are mixing with people you would not normally.
Work from home
Workplaces have gradally invited their employees back, albeit with some more flexible working from home policies.
If the Covid situation worsens, the Government would advise to go back to working from home where possible.
It says this would be to prevent Covid spreading on public transport, in meetings, during social activities and therefore, in homes.
SAGE has said that remote working was one of the crucial elements that stopped a severe summer outbreak.
Boris Johnson is keen to get people back into the office as much as possible in order to boost the economy in city centres, and for young people to learn their jobs face-to-face.
“Vaccine passports”
One of the measures implemented in Plan B has never been used before.
Covid certification is proving that you either have a negative Covid test or are fully vaccinated.
In July, the PM said that by the end of September, full vaccination would be a condition of entry to nightclubs and other busy venues.
But it was shelved, and instead is being kept in reserve for when it's needed.
The Government plans to publish more details on how businesses can use Covid certification under Plan B, saying they would give at least “one week’s notice” before it came into force.
It says that proof of Covid status would help prevent spread of the virus in crowded places while allowing them to still go ahead.
Those who have a negative lateral flow test or are double-jabbed are less likely to be carrying the virus.
Public warnings
Plan B would see a ramp-up of public health messaging, warning people to stay cautious.
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The Government says driving home key messages has been effective at “supporting the public to follow safer behaviour”.
During previous localised lockdowns, signage in public places have read: “Don’t mix with other households”, “Stay at home”, and “Get a test”.
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