Boris Johnson affirms 'we're sticking with our plan' despite rising number of COVID cases

Despite rising infection rates, UK PM Boris Johnson continues to reject requests from the health officials for stronger COVID restrictions. "We are sticking with our plan. We are continuing with the plan we set out in July. We are watching the numbers very carefully every day," he stated in a pre-recorded footage for media broadcasters on Thursday, October 21. He further claimed that the figures were "high," but added that they were "within the parameters" predicted by scientists advising the government.

During a visit to a primary school in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, he stated that the most effective method to battle the COVID-19 virus was to continue with the booster vaccination programme. His remarks come in the wake of recommendations from the NHS Confederation and the British Medical Association (BMA) for ministers to activate its winter Plan B for England, amid fears that the health service will be overburdened. The unwillingness to implement supplemental measures, such as COVID passports, mask-wearing in crowded public spaces, and a return to working from home, according to BMA council head Dr Chaand Nagpaul, amounted to "wilful negligence."

PM Johnson, on the other hand, stated that the successful deployment of the vaccine programme put the country in a "incomparably better" position than it was a year ago, and that the government will stick to Plan A. He stated, "the numbers of infections are high but we are within the parameters of what the predictions were, what Spi-M (modelling group) and the others said we would be at this stage given the steps we are taking."

'You get the call, get the jab': PM Johnson

UK PM Boris Johnson asked everyone over the age of 50 to come forward and obtain their booster shots as soon as they become eligible. He remarked, "You get the call, get the jab. We have done about 4 million booster jabs already but as soon as you become eligible, as soon as you get that call, everybody over 50 should be getting that jab."

The number of cases reported in the UK on a daily basis reached 50,000 for the first time since mid-July. The latest official numbers indicate that an estimated 4.7 million booster doses were administered in the UK, up from 4.4 million on Wednesday, October 20. NHS England said that a record 234,000 people have booked their booster shots through the national booking service on Wednesday.

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