The legal requirement to self-isolate for 10 days if you test positive for COVID-19 will remain in place, with PCR tests continuing to be available free of charge. The government's winter plan describes NHS Test and Trace as "critical" to managing COVID during the upcoming months.Ĭontact-tracing will remain throughout autumn and winter and ministers will continue to encourage the use of the NHS COVID-19 app. The government's Antivirals Taskforce, launched by the prime minister in April, will also continue its search for other new antiviral drugs. Ministers will work with the NHS to ensure that a newly-approved antibody cocktail - as was partly used to treat former US president Donald Trump - is rolled out to patients as soon as possible. Meanwhile, separate to the booster jabs programme, the NHS will continue to offer a third vaccine dose to people aged 12 and over with severely weakened immune systems. There will also be an expansion of the vaccination programme to 12-15-year-olds, and the offer of booster jabs to the most vulnerable, frontline health and social care workers, and all over-50s. This includes encouraging those who are eligible to get jabs, but have not yet been vaccinated, to take up their offer. Primarily among ministers' plans are continuing and expanding the UK's vaccination programme. The government aims to avoid the return of stringent COVID restrictions this winter in a number of ways. Public Health England has estimated that more than 112,000 deaths, 143,000 hospitalisations and 24.5 million infections have been prevented so far as a result of the UK's COVID vaccination programme.įigures from the Office for National Statistics also show that almost 99% of COVID-19 deaths in the first half of this year were people who had not received both doses of a vaccine. However, there are also significant reasons to be positive ahead of the autumn and winter months. "So with that in mind, the aim of the game - the mantra - is to stay on top of things." "We know this winter could be bumpy at times and we know that winter viruses such as flu and RSV are highly likely to make their returns. However, we can reduce it," he added.Who will be first to get a COVID booster jab - and when will they get them?Īs England's deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has warned: "We know that this pandemic is still active, we are not past the pandemic, we are in an active phase still. You cannot stop the infection because it's a worldwide phenomena. On that, Sudhakar said there is no need to worry about the positivity rate."It will go up but since we have inoculated a large number of people, the intensity will be low. Meanwhile, the positivity rate in Bengaluru is more than 5%. The cases nearly doubled in the last 24 hours. The state reported 4,246 new cases of the infection on Wednesday with a test positivity rate of 3.33%. He added that there is a stock of 64.27 lakh doses in the State. We are in the third place in the country in terms of first and second dose," Sudhakar said. "The vaccination coverage is much higher than the national average. Speaking about the vaccination drive in the State, he said the overall vaccination of first dose is 99% among the eligible population whereas the second dose vaccination coverage is 80%. In some cases, deaths may also occur, he warned. Though Omicron is not severe, the health minister said those who have not taken both doses of the vaccine would suffer. That much clarity the government has because it is working to protect the lives and interests of people," he added. "Complete lockdown is not a matter of consideration before the government. Now, we know how to treat a person with the infection." It was imposed when we did not have a remedy. On whether the state government is considering imposing a total shutdown, he said, "Lockdown is not a remedy.
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