on the latest covid developments, with one of our regular gps dr ellie cannon. good morning. i hope you had a nice christmas. give us an idea, for those waking up, what i do covid headlines as we head towards the new year? it headlines as we head towards the new ear? , ., ., . year? it is hard to say, really, because we year? it is hard to say, really, because we haven t year? it is hard to say, really, because we haven t actually i year? it is hard to say, really, l because we haven t actually had year? it is hard to say, really, - because we haven t actually had any data, any case numbers christmas and boxing day. ithink data, any case numbers christmas and boxing day. i think what is incredibly positive, though, is we have had nhs colleagues vaccinating the whole of last week, even over the whole of last week, even over the bank holiday weekend, christmas day and boxing day, and we have actually had half a million people come forward who have not had a first or second vaccine
well against all the variants so far will also hold up against this variant. nevertheless the vaccine, there are some data from south africa showing the neutralisation of this virus is more difficult. that may mean the vaccines, we really do need these boosters to bring down the rate of transmission. can i need these boosters to bring down the rate of transmission. the rate of transmission. can i ask ou to the rate of transmission. can i ask you to reflect the rate of transmission. can i ask you to reflect on the rate of transmission. can i ask you to reflect on the the rate of transmission. can i ask you to reflect on the first - the rate of transmission. can i ask| you to reflect on the first approved and have it vaccination in the arm of margaret keenan 12 months ago and the speed with which the public and private sector came up with these vaccines? , , private sector came up with these vaccines? . , ., , ., vaccines? yes, it is remarkable to reflect that vaccines? yes, it
on with the programme. fiur from school and make sure we can get on with the programme. on with the programme. our police force is not on with the programme. our police force is not doing on with the programme. our police force is not doing enough - on with the programme. our police force is not doing enough at - on with the programme. our police force is not doing enough at the i force is not doing enough at the moment? force is not doing enough at the moment? police force is not doing enough at the moment? police forces - force is not doing enough at the moment? police forces can - force is not doing enough at the moment? police forces can if. force is not doing enough at the i moment? police forces can if they want moment? police forces can if they want to moment? police forces can if they want to direct moment? police forces can if they want to direct an moment? police forces can if they want to direct an exclusion - moment? police forces can if they want to direct
people more choice, it gives them the choice to stay at home, given the choice to stay at home, given the choice to go into spaces knowing they are safe, given the choice of safe isolates. it vaccination is very important, but they need to be supplemented by protections and support so we can get on top of things, and the danger is not that at the moment people are calling for lockdown in any form, what people are calling for at the moment is protections, and the danger is, if we don t have protectors now in the short term, things are run so far out of control that we will need restrictions on looked on in the future. that is what happened last year. the government ignored sage in various voices saying act now, the left it so late that we had a non christmas and a miserable winter. we don t want that to happen again, so we need protections now to make sure that we don t have restrictions and lockdown later. your point is noted, i will think