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Tag: Boris

  • Sunak bookmakers’ favourite to be PM

    Sunak bookmakers’ favourite to be PM

    Liz Truss is the second favourite at 22/5. The others in the running as per the betting opportunities are senior backbench MP Jeremy Hunt, who put up a good fight against Johnson in the Conservative party leadership contest in 2019, reports Ashis Ray

    Rishi Sunak, the Indian-origin Chancellor of the Exchequer, is tipped as the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed the current incumbent Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    The odds on Sunak are 9/4, according to Oddschecker, a comparison site compiling prices from leading British bookmakers.

    Liz Truss, the present Foreign Secretary, is the second favourite at 22/5. The others in the running as per the betting opportunities are senior backbench MP and former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who put up a good fight against Johnson in the Conservative party leadership contest in 2019. He is quoted at 11/1.

    Sunak and Truss have been neck-and-neck for a while in public opinion surveys. On Wednesday, when Johnson tendered a conditional apology (because he apologised for the function, but not for his presence at it or for its illegality under prevailing legislation) in the House of Commons for his office holding a drinks party at his 10 Downing Street garden during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK in May 2020, Truss sat next to him, often nodding her head in support of the statement. On the other hand, the Chancellor was conspicuously absent from Parliament, 225 miles away from London in southwestern English county of Devon.

    PM Boris Johnson during a press conference. (Picture Simon Dawson No 10)

    Political commentators saw this as Sunak distancing himself from Johnson. In the evening he tweeted: “I’ve been on a visit all day today continuing work on out #PlanFor Jobs as well as meeting MPs to discuss the energy situation.” He added: “The PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray (a senior civil servant) carries out her enquiry.”

    A YouGov poll carried out within hours of Johnson’s apology indicated 89 per cent of respondents did not accept his expression of contrition, while only 4 per cent supported it. The rest didn’t have an opinion.

    Sunak is of East African Punjabi origin. His father has been a general practitioner and his mother a pharmacist in the southern English coastal city of Southampton since they migrated to Britain. He is also the son-in-law of N.R. Narayan Murthy, one of the founders of the software giant Infosys. He was educated at Winchester school, Oxford and Stanford Universities. An MP for less than seven years, his rise up the Conservative political ladder has been meteoric.

    A powerful body within the Conservative parliamentary party known as the 1922 Committee has to receive 54 letters from its party’s MPs (out of around 365) to call for a leadership contest. As Johnson fights to save his political career, the big question is when will such a battle take place?

    ALSO READ-Rishi Sunak not out of running to be PM if Boris is ousted

  • ‘Partygate’ puts Boris in the dock

    ‘Partygate’ puts Boris in the dock

    In the latest in a string of such allegations, Johnson and others allegedly held a drinks gathering in the garden of his official residence in May 2020 when any in-person socialising was outlawed, reports Asian Lite News

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson was embroiled Tuesday in another scandal over his government’s alleged lockdown breaches as police said they were investigating a Downing Street gathering attended by dozens of top officials.

    In the latest in a string of such allegations, Johnson and others allegedly held a drinks gathering in the garden of his official residence in May 2020 when any in-person socialising was outlawed.

    An email leaked late Monday indicated that Martin Reynolds, a senior civil servant, invited more than 100 Downing Street colleagues to “bring your own booze” to the event, which Johnson and his wife Carrie allegedly attended.

    The potentially highly damaging revelations follow a series of similar accusations which emerged last month about Downing Street parties held during later lockdowns in the run-up to Christmas in 2020.

    They prompted Johnson to appoint another senior civil servant, Sue Gray, to investigate the allegations, and she is now expected to expand her probe to cover the new claims.

    Meanwhile, in a statement released late Monday, London police said they were also making enquiries over potential breaches of the lockdown laws in relation to the May gathering.

    “The Metropolitan Police Service is aware of widespread reporting relating to alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations at Downing Street on May 20 2020 and is in contact with the Cabinet Office,” the force said.

    Johnson has previously denied knowledge that any rules were broken in Downing Street during the pandemic, as he faced weeks of excoriating headlines over the previous allegations before Christmas.

    But the latest accusations appear to directly contradict those claims.

    In the May 2020 email sent by Reynolds, he wrote: “After what has been an incredibly busy period it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No10 garden this evening.”

    Britain at the time was in the throes of its first lockdown, and outdoor social gatherings of any kind were banned.

    ITV News, which obtained the email, said around 40 staff ended up gathering in the garden that evening, eating picnic food and drinking.

    BBC News, which followed up, said it had contemporaneous emails from some Downing Staff that questioned the wisdom of the invitation.

    “It’s right that Sue Gray is looking into this matter independently,” Health minister Ed Argar told Sky News on Tuesday during a round of broadcast interviews.

    “I’m not going to make comments that would prejudge or get in the way of that.”

    Johnson had hoped to start the new year with a reset of his embattled government, leaving behind the so-called “partygate” scandals that ratcheted up the pressure on his position, after a series of other claims of sleaze.

    But many of Tuesday’s newspapers, including those which normally back Johnson and his Conservative party, again splashed the latest revelations over their front pages.

    “Enough Boris! You must end ‘partygate’ farce now” implored the typically supportive Daily Express.

    ALSO READ-World Bank slashes 2022 global growth outlook

  • New email puts Boris under pressure over lockdown parties

    New email puts Boris under pressure over lockdown parties

    PM’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings claimed last week that a drinks party had been held in the Downing Street garden in May 2020 despite warnings by him that it was against the rules, reports Asian Lite News

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s staff were invited to a “bring your own booze” party in the garden of his Downing Street residence during the first nationwide coronavirus lockdown in 2020, according to a leaked email seen by broadcaster ITV.

    Johnson, who won a landslide victory in a 2019 election, has faced a barrage of criticism over allegations that there were parties in breach of Covid-19 rules in government offices, including his own.

    Around 40 staff gathered in the garden for the drinks party, including Johnson and his wife Carrie, ITV said, even though at the time social mixing between households was limited to two people outdoors.

    An email was sent by the Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds to over 100 employees in Downing Street on May 20, 2020, ITV said. The leaked email asked them to bring alcohol to the party and to “make the most of the lovely weather.”

    “After what has been an incredibly busy period it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No10 garden this evening,” Reynolds said in the email. “Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!“

    Johnson’ office declined to comment.

    At the time, schools were shut to most pupils, and pubs and restaurants were closed, with strict controls on social mixing. Two people from different households were allowed to meet outdoors but only if they maintained a distance of 2 meters.

    Johnson will be under pressure to explain his own role in the gathering. His premiership has been badly tarnished by controversies in recent months, leading to warnings from some of his lawmakers that he could face a leadership challenge.

    The opposition Labour Party accused Johnson of having “no regard for the rules he puts in place for the rest of us.” The Scottish National Party called the email “utterly outrageous.”

    London’s police, which previously declined to investigate claims of government officials gathering during the national lockdowns, said on Monday it was in contact with the Cabinet Office after “widespread reporting” of breaches of health protection laws in Downing Street.

    A senior government official, Sue Gray, is investigating allegations that at least five parties were held in government departments last year during COVID-19 lockdowns.

    Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings claimed last week that a drinks party had been held in the Downing Street garden in May 2020 despite warnings by him that it was against the rules.

    When the prime minister was asked earlier on Monday if he and Carrie Johnson had attended the event, he declined to answer, saying: “All that, as you know, is the subject of a proper investigation by Sue Gray.”

    The allegations of officials holding events in breach of the government’s own lockdown rules, including a Christmas party, have dismayed voters who were told by the government to carefully stick to social distancing rules.

    Johnson, 57, has faced criticism in recent months over his handling of a sleaze scandal, the awarding of lucrative COVID contracts, the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat and a claim he intervened to ensure pets were evacuated from Kabul during the chaotic Western withdrawal in August.

    Johnson’s Conservatives have lost their lead in opinion polls over the Labour Party and last month suffered an election defeat in a historic stronghold, stepping up pressure from his own lawmakers to reform his team of advisers.

    Britain’s official death toll from the pandemic rose above 150,000 on Saturday, the second highest in absolute terms in Europe, behind only Russia’s.

    ALSO READ-Boris quashes rumours on easing of immigration rules for Indians

  • Boris resists another lockdown

    Boris resists another lockdown

    The 24-hour tally, after chalking up multiple records in the run-up to New Year, hit 218,724 and another 48 deaths were reported in the latest government data, reports Asian Lite News

    British hospitals have switched to a “war footing” due to staff shortages caused by a wave of Omicron infections, the government said Tuesday, as the country’s daily Covid caseload breached 200,000 for the first time.

    The 24-hour tally, after chalking up multiple records in the run-up to New Year, hit 218,724 and another 48 deaths were reported in the latest government data.

    Hospital admissions have not hit anything like the peaks of previous waves of the pandemic, and the number of people requiring ventilation has remained flat so far.

    But the state-run National Health Service (NHS) is struggling with staff forced to stay at home after testing positive, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised action to plug staffing gaps in the worst-hit areas.

    The reactivation of emergency “Nightingale” clinics, along with the drafting of medical volunteers backed by army support, meant the NHS was back on a “war footing”, he told a news conference.

    “So anyone who thinks our battle with Covid is over, I’m afraid, is profoundly wrong. This is a moment for the utmost caution,” Johnson said.

    However, he ruled out another nationwide lockdown, crediting mass vaccinations including a recent programme of booster shots, as the NHS marked a year since administering the first Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.

    Transport networks also battled absences, leaving commuters facing long waits on their return to work after a public holiday on Monday, while municipal services such as household bin collections were hampered.

    But Johnson said a new programme of daily testing for 100,000 “critical workers”, including in transport and food processing, would help Britain “ride out this Omicron wave”.

    Vaccines minister Maggie Throup said it was unclear how many Britons were currently in self-isolation after a Christmas surge in the highly transmissible virus mutation.

    “But what is good news, it doesn’t seem to be resulting in severe diseases as some of the other variants did,” she told Sky News.

    Around 50,000 NHS staff were reportedly absent from work last week because they were ill or self-isolating.

    At least six hospital groups have declared “critical incidents”, which mean crucial services may be under threat. One hospital in Plymouth, southwest England, reported that nearly 500 staff were absent.

    Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents healthcare providers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said cases appeared to have levelled off in London.

    But he told Times Radio that staff shortages and rising cases across the rest of the country were a concern.

    “The unpredictability of staff absence means NHS leaders having to work around the clock just thinking about how they can deploy their resources best to deal with the most urgent and pressing needs,” Taylor added.

    “Even using all their imagination and creativity, it is becoming almost impossible, which is why we see hospitals declaring critical incidents.”

    Anyone testing positive for the virus has to self-isolate for 10 days, or seven days if they produce a negative test.

    There have been calls to ease those restrictions for health staff. But Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Tuesday ruled that out.

    Pupils returning to school also faced the prospect of mass staff absences and merged classes.

    Secondary school pupils have been told to wear face masks in class as a “temporary” measure.

    Britain has suffered nearly 149,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. But Johnson defended his decision not to increase restrictions over Christmas in England, unlike in other parts of the UK.

    “We clearly can’t rule anything out. But what we’re trying to do is take a balanced approach,” he told Tuesday’s news conference.

    ALSO READ-Boris Celebrates Vaccine Success in New Year Message

  • ‘Hospitals will face pressure amid rise in infections’

    ‘Hospitals will face pressure amid rise in infections’

    Johnson urges the public to get a booster vaccination, saying there are slots available for two million people this week, reports Asian Lite News

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the UK’s state-run hospitals will face “considerable pressure” in the coming weeks due to the steep rise in virus infections.

    Speaking during a visit to a vaccine centre, PM Johnson said “the pressure on our NHS hospitals is going to be considerable in the course of the next couple of weeks and maybe more” as “Omicron continues to surge through the country”.

    The UK saw record numbers of cases in the last days of 2021 though it has not released figures for the whole country this year.

    The country is one of Europe’s worst affected with deaths of nearly 149,000.

    The Prime Minister said that he was aware of high levels of hospital staff absences due to Covid, adding: “we’re looking at what we can do to move people into those areas that are particularly badly affected”.

    Around 50,000 NHS staff were absent from work Friday because they were ill or self-isolating due to Covid-19, The Sunday Times newspaper reported.

    Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals in England, told Sky News that “the pressure on hospitals outside London is now growing” after the capital bore the brunt of virus cases earlier.

    Johnson urged the public to get a booster vaccination, saying there are slots available for two million people this week.

    So far almost 34 million people have received the booster jab.

    The prime minister defended his decision not to increase virus restrictions over the festive period in England, unlike in other UK regions where nightclubs have closed and there are limits on social gatherings.

    “Of course we keep all measures under review, but the mixture of things we’re doing at the moment is, I think, the right one”, the prime minister said.

    The Omicron variant “does seem pretty conclusively to be less severe than Delta or Alpha,” PM Johnson said.

    “It is putting fewer people into ICU (intensive care units).”

    The number of people in hospital with Covid in England was reported on Sunday as the highest since February at more than 13,000, with 769 of those on ventilators.

    Johnson reiterated that “we won’t keep them (masks) on a day more than is necessary”.

    Masks to return in classrooms

    Secondary school students in England are once again being asked to wear masks in classrooms as the Omicron Covid-19 variant continues to spread in the UK ahead of children’s return to school next week.

    The recommendation came as the government pledges to keep face-to-face education going despite surging Covid-19 infections in England.

    Masks will “maximise the number of children in school” for the “maximum amount of time”, said the government, stressing the “temporary” guidance for schools and colleges will be reviewed on January 26 when Plan B regulations, which involve guidance to work from home and mandatory face masks in most public indoor venues among others, are scheduled to expire.

    Britain reported another 137,583 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 13,309,651, according to official figures.

    The country also reported a 73 more fatalities, taking the national death toll to 149,324.

    More than 90 per cent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first vaccine dose, and over 82 per cent were fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures.

    Some 59 per cent have received a booster dose.

    ALSO READ-Boris Celebrates Vaccine Success in New Year Message

  • UK Covid cases soar to new daily record of 183,037

    UK Covid cases soar to new daily record of 183,037

    Despite the growing number of cases, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will not bring in new restrictions this year in England to limit the spread of Omicron, which now accounts for 90% of all community infections, reports Asian Lite News

    Britain reported 183,037 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, a new record and over 53,000 more than the previous highest figure registered just a day earlier, government statistics showed.

    The rise, sparked by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus, also coincides with an increase in the number of patients in hospital who have tested positive for coronavirus.

    Despite the growing number of cases, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will not bring in new restrictions this year in England to limit the spread of Omicron, which now accounts for 90% of all community infections, according to health officials.

    Johnson said the high number of people who had received Covid booster shots, which now stands at more than 33 million or about 58% of the population aged over 12, meant there was no need for new rules ahead of New Year celebrations.

    “Enjoy New Year sensibly and cautiously,” he said. “We’ve got cases certainly going up, we’ve got a lot of cases of Omicron, but on the other hand we can see the data about the relative mildness of Omicron.” The data, which included five days of figures for Northern Ireland due to differences in reporting practices over the Christmas holidays, showed the number of cases had risen from Tuesday’s previous high of just under 130,000 and were up 41.4% in the last seven days.

    Hospitalisations have also been rising sharply and according to official figures, there were 10,462 people in hospital in England with Covid-19 on Wednesday, up by 916 from the previous day.

    Of these, 771 needed to be in mechanical ventilation beds, a figure that has changed little during December.

    Johnson said he had been told by some doctors that up to 90% of patients with COVID in intensive care had not received their booster vaccines.

    Johnson urged people to get “vital” booster jabs, saying “the overwhelming majority” of those currently going into intensive care in our hospitals have not had the booster jab.

    He cited doctors as saying “the numbers are running up to 90 percent of people in intensive care who are not boosted”.

     Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks with NHS staff and volunteers at the Saga Vaccination Centre in Ramsgate. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

    Johnson defended his decision not to tighten virus curbs in England over the festive period, while Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have limited social contacts and closed nightclubs.

    The high take-up of boosters in England “is allowing us to go ahead with New Year in the cautious way that we are,” he said.

    The government also factored in “the data about the relative mildness of Omicron”, Johnson said.

    He stressed the “very, very clear effect of getting those jabs, of boosters in particular,” saying “that’s what’s making a huge difference”.

    There were also 57 deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, up from 18 on Tuesday, but well below the numbers being reported earlier this month.

    Over 10,000 in hospitals with virus

    The number of people in hospital with Covid in England topped 10,000 on Wednesday, the highest total since March, as UK case numbers hit a new record.

    According to updated government figures, there were 10,462 people in hospital with Covid in England on Wednesday morning, the highest level since March 1. Fresh UK-wide data was not available.

    More than 33 million people in the UK have had booster jabs, while Johnson has vowed to every adult an appointment by the end of the year.

    The UK Health Security Agency tweeted that it was delivering record numbers of kits and more would become available.

    The London Fire Brigade said more than 700 firefighters had tested positive or were self- isolating, taking more than a third of its fire engines off the road.

    The UK has been one of Europe’s worst hit with a death toll of 148,089.

    ALSO READ-Johnson ‘threatened to demote Sunak’ over leaked letter

  • Rishi Sunak not out of running to be PM if Boris is ousted

    Rishi Sunak not out of running to be PM if Boris is ousted

    The pro-Conservative Daily Mail reported: “Boris Johnson has slumped to his lowest ever popularity rating among Tory members, a poll has found.”…reports Ashis Ray

    In 2012, two years into his premiership, David Cameron had said that his Conservative party will be the first in Britain to have a Prime Minister of Indian-origin.

    “We were the first party to have a woman Prime Minister (Margaret Thatcher) – (there has been a second one since in Theresa May) – we were the first party to have a Jewish Prime Minister in (Benjamin) Disraeli, and when I look at the talent behind me, I think we are going to be the first party to have a British Indian Prime Minister,” Cameron had said.

    In fact, historically persons of Indian origin in the United Kingdom felt more at home with the Labour party and virtually voted en mass for it. Beginning with giving Keith Vaz a ticket in 1987, the Labour party had steadily increased its number of MPs of Indian descent by 2010, at which point Cameron, an Indophile, decided to correct the imbalance by making two of the current cabinet ministers in the British government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson — Priti Patel and Alok Sharma — first-time MPs.

    Five years later, he awarded a seat to Rishi Sunak, now Chancellor of the exchequer.

    Speculation is mounting about the future of Johnson – he having condoned sleaze among his colleagues, been allegedly corrupt himself, and 10 Downing Street, his office-cum-residence, apparently serially breaching Covid lockdown rules (which were legislated in Parliament and were therefore law) by having not exactly work gatherings in the premises last winter.

    UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street)

    These included at least one in which the Prime Minster himself participated on-screen from his private flat in the building, so seemingly with his knowledge and approval. Ordinary citizens have been prosecuted and punished for similar violations during the same period.

    The pro-Conservative Daily Mail reported: “Boris Johnson has slumped to his lowest ever popularity rating among Tory members, a poll has found.”

    It added: “The Prime Minister is the most unpopular member of the Cabinet, according to the Conservative Home survey, with a net approval score of minus 34 per cent.”

    The British public is clearly livid. Another quite comprehensive opinion poll indicated that if a general election is held now, the Conservatives would lose 111 seats in the House of Commons, including Johnson’s. And the Labour party would emerge as the largest single party, within striking distance of an absolute majority.

    In such a climate, discussion is rife as to who could succeed Johnson in the event he is ousted by his party.

    The Daily Mail again provided an indication. It published that until recently, Sunak was leading the pack within the party. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has, however, according to the Daily Mail quoting Conservative Home, “leapfrogged the Chancellor”. But it’s close. Truss is preferred by about 23 per cent and Sunak by around 20 per cent.

    Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that 35 per cent of Conservative voters ‘strongly support’ removing Johnson and another 25 per cent ‘support’ this. A total of 20 per cent were neutral.

    The same research also received a feedback that suggested “Rishi Sunak would be the preferred replacement in No 10”.

    It detailed: “Some 29 per cent thought that he would be better and a further 14 per cent saw him as a ‘significant’ upgrade – superior figures to both Truss and Sajid Javid (the Health Secretary).”

    Sunak did himself no disfavour by adopting a Keynesian, rather an un-Conservative approach to massive borrowing and spending on furloughs and grants to the tune of hundreds of billions of pounds to alleviate distress for businesses and people amid the Covid crisis.

    Thus, Cameron’s forecast that the Conservatives will produce the first British Prime Minister of Indian extraction appears to be in the mix, even if this doesn’t happen in the short term.

    It would be a considerable leap of faith for the rank and file of the right-wing Conservative party, which, until 15 years ago, was quite white dominated, to rally around a non-white as party leader and Prime Minister.

    Tom Tugendhat, with a little over 5 per cent support in Conservative Home’s survey, is eyed as a dark horse. He is presently Chairman of the House of Commons’ select committee on foreign affairs, with a military background and a record of distinguished service in Afghanistan and Iraq.

    But a backbench MP, with no experience in government, is normally not catapulted from the back benches to the top job.

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  • Boris condoles demise of South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu

    Boris condoles demise of South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu

    Tutu, a Gandhian follower and Nobel Peace Prize winner died aged 90. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the late 1990s and in recent years he was hospitalized on several occasions…reports Asian Lite News.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday condoled the death of South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Describing him as a critical figure in the fight against apartheid, Johnson said Archbishop Tutu will be remembered for his spiritual leadership and good humour.

    “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He was a critical figure in the fight against apartheid and in the struggle to create a new South Africa – and will be remembered for his spiritual leadership and irrepressible good humour,” Boris Johnson tweeted.

    Tutu, a Gandhian follower and Nobel Peace Prize winner died aged 90. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the late 1990s and in recent years he was hospitalized on several occasions.

    Desmond Mpilo Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize 1984 for his role as a unifying leader figure in the non-violent campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in South Africa. He was hailed as the conscience of South Africa.

    Meanwhile, the Queen said: “I am joined by the whole Royal Family in being deeply saddened by the news of the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a man who tirelessly championed human rights in South Africa and across the world.”

    The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall said they were “deeply saddened” to hear his death, saying his bravery in speaking out “against the evil of apartheid and highlighting the threat of climate change” was an inspiration.

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said when they introduced their son Archie to the archbishop in South Africa in 2019, Tutu made a joke about “Arch and The Arch”, and his “infectious laughter” rang through the room and relaxed “anyone in his presence”.

    “He was an icon for racial justice and beloved across the world,” they said.

    Labour Party leader Keir Starmer described Tutu as “a tower of a man and a leader of moral activism” who “dedicated his life to tackling injustice and standing up for the oppressed”.

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  • PM’s “wonderful” Christmas gift idea

    PM’s “wonderful” Christmas gift idea

    The prime minister has rejected harsher virus restrictions in England over Christmas despite a record surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant…reports Asian Lite News.

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in his Christmas Eve message on Friday exhorted the public to get jabbed as a “wonderful” gift for the nation as cases soar.

    Johnson said that while little time remained to buy gifts, “there is still a wonderful thing you can give your family and the whole country… and that is to get that jab, whether it is your first or second, or your booster”.

    The prime minister has rejected harsher virus restrictions in England over Christmas despite a record surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant.

    He has focused instead on a drive to offer booster jabs to all adults by the end of the year.

    He acknowledged that “after two years of this pandemic, I can’t say that we are through it”, as the UK set a new record on Thursday of almost 120,000 cases in 24 hours.

    Last year, Johnson imposed a stay at home order on December 19 for London and southeast England that meant millions had to change Christmas plans.

    This year he opted not to tighten rules, saying in his message that “for millions of families up and down the country, I hope and believe that this Christmas is, and will be, significantly better than the last”.

    People must test themselves before meeting vulnerable relatives, he cautioned, while encouraging them to enjoy a jolly family Christmas.

    If the pile of wrapping paper is bigger than last year due to more family members attending, it’s because of the vaccine rollout, he stressed.

    He also said that getting a vaccine accorded with the teaching of Jesus Christ that “we should love our neighbours as we love ourselves”.

    Johnson’s popularity has been battered by reports of parties held by Downing Street and other government departments during lockdown periods, and his party lost a by-election in a previously safe seat this month.

    Some within his own party have also revolted against the most recent Covid measures, particularly on mandatory showing of Covid passes to enter crowded venues such as nightclubs, which they see as violating personal freedoms.

    Almost 100 Tory MPs opposed the measure, which was passed by parliament as a whole.

    Johnson’s Brexit project is also still mired in wrangles over French fishing rights, a year after the UK reached an agreement with the European Union on a trade deal.

    ALSO READ-Global Covid caseload tops 278 mn

  • Britain reports over 1.19 lakh Covid cases

    Britain reports over 1.19 lakh Covid cases

    Some 119,789 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, a day after figures exceeded 100,000 for the first time at 106,122. Britain is among the worst-hit countries in Europe with a virus death toll of 147,720, reports Asian Lite News

    The UK on Thursday set another daily Covid-19 daily infections record, fuelled by the Omicron variant.

    Some 119,789 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, a day after figures exceeded 100,000 for the first time at 106,122.

    The UK is among the worst-hit countries in Europe with a virus death toll of 147,720.

    The Office for National Statistics estimated that nearly 1.4 million people in UK households had Covid in the week ending December 16, the highest figure yet of the pandemic that began in early 2020.

    Hospital admissions are also growing, albeit more slowly than during previous waves, particularly in London.

    There was nevertheless some “encouraging news,” Health Minister Sajid Javid said, since “early reports suggest the risk of hospitalisation is lower than (with) Delta”.

    Two preliminary studies from Britain have indicated this.

    “They’re not very clear though on by how much that risk is reduced,” Javid cautioned, warning that if case numbers are very high, there “could still be significant hospitalisations”.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson has opted not to introduce tougher restrictions in England ahead of Christmas, focusing instead on a campaign to increase vaccine protection through a booster programme.

    More than 30 million people in the UK have received booster jabs as Johnson has set the ambitious goal of offering one to everyone over 18 by the end of the year.

    Other UK regions have tightened anti-virus measures, however, and Scotland announced Thursday that it would close nightclubs from next week including on New Year’s Eve, due the case surge.

    The Scottish government said clubs would have to close from 5 am on Monday “to tackle the transmission of Omicron, which continues to spread rapidly”.

    Edinburgh had already cancelled its usual spectacular firework display for New Year’s Eve, known in Scotland as Hogmanay.

    Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the closure of nightclubs would come along with financial support to help them “weather what we hope will be a short period until they are able to operate normally again”.

    He added that nightclubs could remain open if they only provided table service and had social distancing measures.

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned Scotland could face a “tsunami of infections” and announced measures including a limit of 500 people at outdoor events from December 26, hitting sports fixtures.

    Hospital risk for Omicron 40-45% lower, says study

    The Omicron variant is less likely to lead to less severe disease in people who have taken vaccines or had Covid-19 in the past, two studies from Britain have said.

    Taken together with findings from South Africa – all three studies were released on Wednesday – there is now sound scientific basis to conclude the variant is less virulent than others, especially Delta, which caused a devastating outbreak in India last summer and sparked new waves in other countries.

    The findings are the first encouraging scientific evidence linked to the variant of concern (VOC) discovered last month when it started tearing through parts of South Africa at a rate not seen with any other Sars-Cov-2 variant. Scientists soon discovered it was also the most resistant configuration of the coronavirus, leading to higher odds of repeat and vaccine breakthrough infections.

    If the Omicron variant was to be as virulent, or more, than Delta, the implications would have been dire, although its high transmissibility and resistance still pose a threat.

    “Our analysis shows evidence of a moderate reduction in the risk of hospitalisation associated with the Omicron variant compared with the Delta variant. However, this appears to be offset by the reduced efficacy of vaccines against infection with the Omicron variant. Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron virus, there remains the potential for health services to face increasing demand if Omicron cases continue to grow at the rate that has been seen in recent weeks,” said professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, which released the analysis of Omicron and Delta cases in England.

    The Imperial College study included all RT-PCR-confirmed Covid-19 cases recorded between December 1-14 in England. It found that Omicron cases have, on average, a 15-20% reduced risk of needing to visit a hospital (the lowest level of severity) and an approximately 40-45% reduced risk of a hospitalisation resulting in a stay of one or more nights.

    It also found that a past infection offered approximately a 50-70% reduction in hospitalisation risk compared. All of these comparisons were made against risks of hospitalisation seen with the Delta variant.

    The researchers estimate that in unvaccinated people being infected for the first time, the risk of hospitalisation may be lowered by 0-30%, suggesting the severity in completely immune-naive people may not be very different from those who had a Delta infection for the first time, without any vaccine.

    The other UK study was from Scotland. Although based on a small number of hospitalisations, the study made similar findings: those with Omicron infections were 68% less likely to need hospitalisation compared to people infected with the Delta variant.

    Both reports, as well as the South African study, are yet to be peer-reviewed.

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