Status: 13.12.2021 4:30 a.m.
The British Prime Minister intensifies the fight against the Omikron variant. Every fully vaccinated adult in England should have a booster appointment by the turn of the year.
It was prime time on Sunday evening when Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation with a video message – initially with much praise for what had already been achieved: “Great Britain was the first country in the world to administer a vaccination. We have the fastest in Europe vaccinated, and we also have the fastest booster program – with more than half a million vaccinations yesterday alone. ”
Johnson praised the extraordinary commitment of everyone involved, saying that they had saved countless lives, but: “I have to speak to you tonight because we are in an emergency fighting with the new Omikron variant.”
The number of verified omicron cases in the Kingdom is over 3,100, but the true number is believed to be significantly higher. According to official information, Omicron infections currently double every two to three days.
A million vaccinations a day
According to Johnson, no one should therefore doubt that an omicron tidal wave is coming. The Prime Minister is now ramping up the booster program in England and offering support to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to do the same. In England, all adults whose second vaccination was at least three months ago should have the chance to have a booster by the end of January. Johnson prefers that by a month, which means that it should now be done by New Year’s Eve.
According to the “BBC” that would mean around a million vaccinations per day, a Herculean task, Johnson knows that too: “In order to achieve the speed we need, we have to start with the best vaccination day so far and then surpass the result every day. ”
Johnson admits that other doctor appointments may have to be postponed until next year. He speaks of a “national mission”. In order to accelerate the booster program in this way, the military will be deployed, there will be further vaccination stations, including mobile vaccination teams, the opening times of the clinics will be extended to allow vaccination seven days a week, so that there will be enough staff , thousands of volunteers are to be trained.
Broken authority
Johnson’s distress video comes at a time when media attention is once again turning to suspected corona rule violations by Johnson himself and his government officials. Johnson’s credibility and moral authority are badly damaged.
Perhaps that is also the reason why he repeats his appeal umpteen times at the end of the video: “Let us boost ourselves now. Let yourself be boosted for yourself, for your friends and family, let yourself be boosted to find jobs and livelihoods in To protect this country, let yourself be boosted to protect our health service, our freedoms and our way of life. Let yourself be boosted now. ”
For the time being, the corona restrictions will not be tightened beyond the announcements made last week. As of today in England, everyone who can should work from home.