Covid-19 UK: Fully vaccinated people to be treated differently – Sajid Javid
Heath Secretary Sajid Javid has said it “makes sense” for people who have had both vaccine doses to be treated differently to those who are not fully vaccinated.
Javid will make an announcement later on self-isolation changes in England for those who have received both jabs.
He also said daily cases “could go as high as 100,000” when restrictions were fully lifted.
An announcement on the Covid-19 rules for England’s schools is also expected later, with more details on relaxing the current rules. The current school “bubble” system has led to large numbers of pupils being sent home.
On Monday, PM Boris Johnson confirmed his plans to scrap most of England’s remaining Covid restrictions on 19 July, including rules on face masks and social distancing.
Sajid Javid told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he would expect cases numbers by 19 July to be “at least double” what they were now “so around 50,000 new cases a day”.
“As we ease and go into the summer we expect them to rise significantly and they could go as high as 100,000 case numbers,” he added.
But Javid said vaccines and treatments “are far better than what we had when this pandemic began” resulting in a much lower death rate.
Asked whether he would end the need to self-isolate for those who have had both vaccine doses, Sajid Javid said: “It makes sense because of the vaccines, and the way they’re working, that the people that are double vaccinated are treated differently than the people that are not, and that is what I will be saying in Parliament today.”
It makes sense because of the vaccines, and the way they’re working, that the people that are double vaccinated are treated differently than the people that are not, and that is what I will be saying in Parliament today.”
Monday’s announcement also ushered in the planned reopening of nightclubs for 19 July – the first time since the start of the pandemic. The unlocking will also see the limits on the number of people who can attend events scrapped and the end to the work from home guidance.
The health secretary said the UK is now entering “uncharted territory” as it moved to lift legal restrictions – but he said the decision had to be made because of the “other health problems” facing millions of people who didn’t receive treatment during the pandemic.
He said that he plans to keep a mask with him for the “foreseeable future” and would wear it in crowded or enclosed places, adding he hopes others would do the same.
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