Sheffield LIVE:over-35s will be able to book their Covid-19 jabs within days
and live on Freeview channel 276
Welcome to The Star’s live blog on Sunday May 16, where you will be able to find a round-up of the latest coronavirus news and the biggest Sheffield news stories of the day.
Sheffield LIVE:
Key Events
- Matt Hancock said five people who have had a single jab have been hospitalised with the Indian variant in Bolton, and one who received both.
- Matt Hancock confirmed over-35s will be able to book their Covid-19 jabs from some point in the coming days.
- Sheffield 14th in highest covid rates in England with cases rising
- Boris Johnson defends India travel ban timing as experts warn against planned easing of lockdown
- Hundreds gather outside Sheffield Town Hall in protest against Gaza violence
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said that Bolton is not the only place which has the new variant as it is “quite widely seeded in a number of parts of England and indeed elsewhere in parts of the four nations of the United Kingdom”.
The rates in Bolton, which had been going down, have been going up “very significantly over the last couple of weeks.”
He told a Downing Street press conference that, importantly, the rates in people aged over 60 have not been going up, which is key as it tends to correlate with the number of people going into hospital, some people become severely ill and those who die.
He added that “this may be a delay or the vaccine is helping to protect those who are older and who are vaccinated”.
The PM defended not closing the UK’s borders to India sooner, saying that between March and April the South Africa variant was of greater concern than the India variant.
“Don’t forget everyone coming from India, or indeed anywhere else, had to face very tough quarantine rules,” he added.
“We are concerned about this variant and we do think, I think, that it certainly may cause disruption to our attempts to continue down the road map, but they don’t at the moment, change the assessment about about (the next) step.”
The PM said that even in Bolton the NHS was not seeing an increase in hospital admissions and the level of hospitalisations across the country remains “quite flat”.
“What we’re saying is that the public needs to be aware of this barrier to particularly in areas where it is more prevalent,” he said.
Mr Johnson said that the UK would have to see how the transmissibility of the India variant “pans out”.
“We will react as soon as we can see clear and unambiguous data about this, and we will do whatever it takes to protect the people in this country,” he said.
Boris Johnson has urged people to “think twice” ahead of travelling to areas with higher incidences of the Indian variant and staying with family and friends within those areas.
The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I would urge people just to think twice about that.
“We want people in those areas to recognise that there is extra risk, an extra threat of disruption to progress caused by this new variant and just to exercise their discretion and judgment in a way I’m sure that they have been throughout this pandemic.”
The Prime Minister said that the UK’s surveillance data is now so advanced, that it would see well ahead of time if the NHS was likely to come under unsustainable pressure.
“That gives us the confidence to continue moving forwards for now,” he said.
Mr Johnson called on the people of Bolton and Blackburn to “play their part in stopping the spread of the new variant” and asked them to take the vaccine and the twice-weekly rapid tests.
“If you do test positive, you must self-isolate and we’ll provide financial support to those on low incomes to help them do so,” he said.
He added: “Our best chance of suppressing this variant is to clamp down on it, wherever it is and we’ll be throwing everything we can (at it).”
The PM said the army would be deployed on the streets of Blackburn and Bolton handing out tests to help the surge testing efforts.
There will also be an acceleration of the vaccine rollout there, including longer opening hours at vaccination centres.
“If you’re seeing loved ones, think really carefully about the risk to them, especially if they haven’t had that second dose or if it hasn’t yet had time to take full effect,” he said.
He added: “I want us to trust people to be responsible, and to do the right thing. That’s the way to live with this virus while protecting the NHS and restoring our freedoms.
“It’s very clear now we’re going to have to live with this new variant of the virus for some time so let’s work together, and let’s exercise caution and common sense.”
Boris Johnson has said that remaining second doses for the over-50s will be accelerated so they come eight weeks after the first.
The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I believe we should trust in our vaccines to protect the public whilst monitoring the situation as it develops very closely because the race between our vaccination programme and the virus may be about to become a great deal tighter and it’s more important than ever therefore that people get the protection of a second dose.
“So following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation we will accelerate remaining second doses to the over-50s and those clinically vulnerable right across the country so those doses come just eight weeks after the first dose.”
Boris Johnson said that if the Indian variant proves to be “significantly more transmissible” than other strains “we’re likely to face some hard choices”.
The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I’m told that if it is only marginally more transmissible we can continue more or less as planned but if the variant is significantly more transmissible we’re likely to face some hard choices.”
But he said there is “no evidence to suggest that our vaccines will be less effective in protecting people against severe illness and hospitalisation”.
The Indian variant could make it “more difficult” for England to move to step four of the Government’s road map out of lockdown in June, Boris Johnson said.
Boris Johnson has warned that the Indian coronavirus variant could “pose a serious disruption” to plans to ease restrictions and “could make it more difficult” to end them as hoped in June.
The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I do not believe that we need, on the present evidence, to delay our road map and we will proceed with our plan to move to step three in England from Monday.
“But I have to level with you that this new variant could pose a serious disruption to our progress and could make it more difficult to move to step four in June.”
Second doses of coronavirus vaccines will be accelerated for the over-50s and the clinically vulnerable across the country to be given eight weeks after the first dose amid a rise in cases of the Indian variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
Glasgow and Moray will remain in Level 3 as the rest of Scotland moves to Level 2, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
Initially, both areas will remain at Level 3 for a week, with a further decision made at the end of next week.
The situation in Glasgow, the First Minister said, is causing even more concern than Moray, with initial research suggesting the outbreak could be being driven by the Indian variant of the virus.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stressed that Scotland’s battle against coronavirus “remains good”.
She added: “It is inevitable that as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic, we will hit bumps in the road, however, if we exercise suitable caution as we’re seeking to do today, then even though that is difficult, we are much more likely to stay on the right track overall.”