People are being urged to ‘Get Boosted Now’ as booster Covid vaccines are made widely available in the fight against the rise of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant.
From tomorrow, people aged 18 and above who have gone at least three months since their second Covid vaccination will now be able to apply only for their booster jab.
People are being urged to book them here: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus-vaccination or by calling 119.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tonight announced that rather than offering jabs to all adults by the end of January, that has now been brought forward to the end of December which he said would require “an extraordinary effort”.
He said that failing to take urgent action now would see a real possibility of the NHS being ‘overwhelmed’ with patients, with “a tidal wave of Omicron coming” that is seeing Omicron Covid cases now doubling every two to three days.
Covid booster appointments available seven days a week
Appointments will be available seven days a week, from early morning to late at night.
Efforts to recruit a new army of vaccination volunteers are now underway.
Forty two military planning teams have been brought in to help with the huge national vaccination drive.
The rise comes as a further 1,239 confirmed cases of the Omicron mutation were recorded, bringing the total number of UK cases of Omicron to 3,137.
He has increased the Covid Alert Warning from Level 3 to Level 4.
According to the Government guidance, Level 4 means “a Covid-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high and direct Covid-19 pressure on healthcare services is widespread and substantial or rising.”
This is the second-highest alert level and indicates a major change to Level 3, which simply states an epidemic is in “circulation”.
Should the UK reach Alert Level 5, it is expected another lockdown could be announced as this would mean “there is a material risk of healthcare services being directly overwhelmed by Covid-19”.
The government has already issued ‘working from home’ guidance to people.
‘Making sure you are fully vaccinated is the best protection against Covid-19’
Sefton Council Director of Public Health Margaret Jones is urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
She said: “Making sure you are fully vaccinated, which means jabs one and two and a booster, is still the best protection from the Covid-19 virus.
“Anyone who has not yet had their first or second jab can book them now at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus-vaccination or by calling 119.
“And anyone aged over 30 or over can now go to www.nhs.uk/coronavirus-vaccination or call 119 to book their booster and make sure they are fully protected.
‘People who can do should work from home’
“From today, the Government says that everyone who can do, should work from home, which has been Sefton Council’s message all along.
“Where people do have to go into work, risk assessments must have been carried out and protection measures put in place. And we all need to follow the safety measures and guidance such as wearing face coverings, not congregating in communal areas and not sitting at desks that are marked as not in use.
“All along we have been urging people to wear face coverings in busy spaces and on public transport and since Friday, the Government regulations mean face coverings are required in most indoor settings, including cinemas and theatres.
‘Masks provide the best non-medical form of protection’
“Global research has shown masks provide the best non-medical form of protection. They help to prevent us from catching the virus and help stop us passing it on, which helps make sure we’re not taking home any uninvited and potentially dangerous guests this Christmas.”
Margaret continued:
“Despite these new Government measures being introduced as a result of a new variant, the main symptoms we all need to watch out for are the same, a high temperature, a persistent cough and a loss of taste or smell.
“Develop any of these and we need to book a PCR test straight away by calling 119 or visiting www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.
“But even with no symptoms, we need to keep on using rapid home test kits, which are available from pharmacists or online, twice a week. And if a rapid test shows a positive result don’t hesitate. Start isolating and book a PCR test.”
Proof of vaccination from Wednesday
The other new measure coming into force this week is the requirement, from Wednesday (15th December), for those aged 18 years or over to show proof of vaccination or a negative test in the last 48 hours. This applies to nightclubs and settings where large crowds gather and include unseated indoor events with 500 or more attendees, unseated outdoor events with 4,000 or more attendees and any event with 10,000 or more attendees.
Margaret added:
“Once again, while this is a new requirement, our advice remains consistent and that is to exercise care and common sense when attending an event of any size.
“All of these measures are about protecting ourselves but also helping to stop us passing on the virus to others.
“We know that we can carry the COVID-19 virus even when vaccinated and without even feeling its effects, which means we can then pass it on to people around us, including our family and friends, who may be at high risk.
“Christmas, as we all know, is a time for giving. Let’s make it one to remember for all the right reasons.”
More information can be found at www.sefton.gov.uk/covid-19
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