(Bloomberg) — Health Secretary Sajid Javid wouldn’t commit to stricter Covid rules after the nation’s top health advisers urged greater limits to contain infections they estimate are likely running in the hundreds of thousands per day.
Javid told Sky News that the government needs to balance scientific advice with the impact measures such as lockdowns have across society, including on businesses and children.
“We will keep the situation under review, but I can’t stress enough how in the situation today in terms of our defenses is very different,” said Javid, referring to the U.K.’s high vaccination rate and rising booster program.
Over half of adults in the U.K. are now boosted, Javid said, and the number of booster vaccines delivered on Saturday set another record.
“If there was a need to take any further action, we would recall parliament and it would have to be a decision for parliament,” he said.
U.K. Covid cases have surged to record levels as the fast-spreading omicron variant takes hold, touching more than 90,000 for each of the past two days.
Minutes released Saturday by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, or SAGE, suggested that without stronger rules, hospitalizations could reach a peak of at least 3,000 a day — far above current levels.
To avoid that pressure, “more stringent measures would need to be implemented very soon,” the panel said.
The projections have put Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a bind. He’s being squeezed on one side by his scientific advisers who say the sooner he acts, the greater the chances of saving the National Health Service from being overwhelmed, and on the other side by his mutinous MPs who just last week rebelled in record numbers against far less strict Covid rules than SAGE now say are needed.
To make matters worse for the prime minister, on Saturday evening, his minister in charge of post-Brexit negotiations, Lord David Frost, quit his post, openly undermining Johnson over both his negotiations with the European Union and his response to the surging pandemic.
Javid said the government is in touch “hourly” with its scientific advisers, and has shown in the past that “we will do what is necessary” to fight the pandemic.
The SAGE document said omicron is spreading fastest in London, where Mayor Sadiq Khan on Saturday declared a “major incident,” allowing the city to coordinate emergency services and access government support. Khan on Sunday told BBC News he thinks it’s “inevitable” new restrictions will be needed.
“Sooner rather than later we’re going to need to look at social distancing, we’re going to need to look at household mixing,” Khan said.
Seven Options for Sunak to Help U.K. Business Weather Covid Wave
Khan said that even absent a formal lockdown, the current wave of the virus is an “existential” threat to businesses in the city center, including hospitality and theaters. He said “many” businesses would go bust and that it’s “crucial” for the government to bring in fresh assistance for struggling companies.
(Updates with London mayor from 12th paragraph.)
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