#16,282
With daily COVID case rates remaining high in the UK, and rising rapidly across much of Europe, the debate over when, and how, the UK government should respond grows more heated by the day (see UK: NHS Confederation - Enact ‘Plan B plus’ to avoid ‘stumbling into winter crisis’).
Adding to these concerns are worries that influenza could return this winter, increasing the burden on already stressed NHS resources (see ECDC Warns Of Potentially Severe Flu Season Ahead).
So far, UK government officials have been reluctant to reinstate pandemic mitigation efforts - at least those beyond recommending vaccination - following their promises last summer to end lockdowns, face mask requirements, and societal restrictions (see UK: PM Statement On Plans To Abandon COVID Restrictions On July 19th).
Caught in the middle of all of this is the NHS, which the UK Academy of Medicine warned last summer, could be driven to their breaking point (see UK: Preparing For A "Reasonable Worst-Case" Winter Scenario) this winter.
While the title of this morning's press release from the Mayor's office buries the lede; the Mayor's call for reinstatement of mandatory face masks on public transport - it is part and parcel to today's statement - and is what most UK media are focusing on.
Mayor urges Londoners to get Covid-19 vaccinations
29 October 2021
- Mayor urges Londoners to get flu and Covid-19 vaccinations to protect themselves and the NHS this winter
- As cases continue to rise in capital, Sadiq calls on Londoners to receive life-saving jabs at one of 400 sites open across capital
Mayor warns against underestimating the combined threat of COVID-19 and flu this winter and urges Government to act now to prevent cases rising
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is urging Londoners to get their flu jab and Covid-19 booster shot to protect themselves, their loved ones and the NHS this winter.
Sadiq, who was invited by his GP to receive his booster and flu jab at a pharmacy in Tooting today, is also urgently calling on the Government to step up efforts now to slow the spread of the virus. This includes making face coverings mandatory and enforceable by the police on all public transport, improving ventilation in schools and busy public indoor settings and increasing the support available to those who have to self-isolate.
His calls come as figures show cases and hospital admissions continue to rise in London with recorded infection rates over half-term higher than they were this time last year.1
More than 400 vaccination sites are currently open across London with NHS hospital hubs, GP practices, local pharmacies and midwifery services working across our city in the fight against the virus.
Those eligible for the free flu vaccine and COVID-19 booster jab are being urged to book their appointments as soon as possible in order to stay well this winter and avoid adding pressure to London’s A&Es and hospital beds. Parents of young Londoners aged 12-15-year-old are also being urged to book children in for their first dose of the vaccine which is now being offered out of school.
The Mayor’s call comes as health experts warn of a significant risk of flu surging this winter alongside rising COVID-19 cases with the UK Health Security Agency warning that those who catch flu and Covid at the same time this winter are twice as likely to die than those who only have COVID-19.2
Colder weather and fewer measures being in place to stop the virus spreading combined with increased social contact indoors after-dark this winter could mean thousands more Londoners need hospital treatment for COVID-19.
The Mayor is asking Londoners to help prevent the spread of the virus by wearing a face mask in crowded and enclosed areas, sticking to good habits like regularly washing hands and taking a PCR test if they show any symptoms of the virus.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I want to be very clear to all Londoners. This deadly virus has not gone away and this winter we're facing both flu and Covid. The worst thing we can do is to lower our guard, be complacent and underestimate the risk these viruses pose to all of us.
“The situation with COVID-19 in the capital is so finely balanced that it needs all of us to act together to protect ourselves, our loved ones, the things we enjoy and our NHS this winter.
“That’s why I’m urging all eligible Londoners to have the booster vaccine and flu jab as soon as you are offered it, continue to wear a mask where you can and am calling on the government to put simple and effective steps, such as mandatory face coverings on public transport, in place to halt the spread of the virus now.”
Dr Yvonne Young, London Deputy Director for Health Protection at the UKHSA, said: “As London is fully open again this winter, it will be the first time that we’ll be managing flu and COVID-19 simultaneously.
“In order to protect ourselves as much as possible from this double threat, we encourage everyone who is eligible to get their free vaccines. If you’re eligible for your COVID-19 booster, do make that appointment as soon as possible. If you’ve not yet had both doses, or your first vaccine, book yourself in or find your nearest walk-in clinic. Also if you are the parent/guardian of a 12-15 year old who hasn’t yet had their first dose you can book them in for theirs too.
“We know both viruses pose very serious health risks, so it’s vital that we all do everything we can to minimise those risks and defend ourselves and those around us.”
After almost an entire year `lost' to COVID, by November of 2020 - with the rollout of a COVID vaccine literally days away - the UK government was dangling prospects of `opening for Christmas' and an early end to the pandemic.
Last February, the UK government - facing growing public opposition to continued lockdowns - promised that `Lockdown Exit Day' would occur on or before June 21st. But by early June - with the arrival and impact of the Delta variant - it was apparent that deadline would be missed (see UK: COVID R0 Rising As June 21st `Lockdown Exit Day' Nears).Hopes that were quickly dashed in mid-December by the announcement of the Alpha variant (see UK Prime Minister's Statement: New COVID-19 Variant Up To 70% More Transmissible).
Despite rising case numbers, a month later the decision was made (see UK PM: COVID Restrictions To End July 19th), and while COVID hasn't exactly exploded in the UK, they continue to report between 30,000 and 50,000 new cases a day.
While the UK government remains reluctant to reinstate COVID restrictions such as mask mandates in public places, political promises have a way of fading in the face of rising death tolls, and overrun hospitals.
The COVID threat is continually changing - and with the likely arrival of new variants - is apt to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
All of which makes promises, such as made last July in the UK, increasingly difficult to keep.
