Tory MPs warn Boris Johnson not to delay unlocking country on June 21 over Covid vaccine refuseniks

Ministers are preparing emergency plans that could see local lockdowns brought in or the June 21 reopening delayed over concerns about the fast-spreading Indian variant of coronavirus.

In an echo of the tier system brought in last summer, people in the worst-hit areas could be told to stay at home and restaurants and shops forced to close if the new strain runs out of control in their town or city. 

A possible delay to the June 21 final easing of restrictions by a matter of weeks has also been discussed.

In both cases the worst-affected businesses in the hospitality industry and retail would receive grants of up to £18,000, according to The Times.

Revelations of the plans have come as a blow to Boris Johnson‘s ‘cautious but irreversible’ exit from lockdown, brought on by a significant rise in cases of the Indian variant.

There has been irritation at the small number of people refusing to be vaccinated after Matt Hancock yesterday told MPs that most patients hospitalised by the new strain in the epicentre of the outbreak in Bolton had not had a jab.

Last night Tory ministers and MPs told the Prime Minister they would not accept the Covid curbs being extended to protect jab refuseniks.

They urged him to press ahead with the final stage of unlocking next month, even if scientists say the fast-spreading Indian variant poses a risk to the small band of anti-vaxxers.

One Cabinet minister warned that missing the June 21 milestone could become Mr Johnson’s ‘Theresa May moment’ – a reference to her failed Brexit deadline. 

‘This freedom date is burned on people’s brains in the same way as her date for leaving the EU,’ the source said. ‘When she missed it, she was finished.’

The source said No 10 had ‘overreacted to panicked warnings from the usual suspects’ in parts of the health establishment.

It comes as Matt Hancock announced that a total of 2,323 cases of the Indian Covid variant have now been found in England – as figures show they have quadrupled in just 10 days and now account for at least one in five infections.  

The Health Secretary said in a statement to Parliament that 483 of the cases were in Bolton and Blackburn and it was now dominant there, with cases rising in all age groups as they battle to stem a tide of cases.

Experts say the variant will within days become the dominant strain in the UK, having seen a rise in cases of more than 75 per cent since Thursday. 

The government also faces intense pressure to explain why there was a delay in adding India to the red list of countries, while neighbouring Pakistan had been placed on it days before.

Dominic Cummings, the PM’s former senior adviser, joined the criticism of Whitehall’s slow approach on Monday, calling the UK’s border policy a ‘joke’ because of its ‘refusal’ to learn from pandemic measures used in East Asian countries.

Members of the public queue to receive a Covid-19 vaccine at a temporary vaccination centre at the Essa academy in Bolton, northwest England on May 17

NHS figures show that vaccine uptake among all over-40s, which is at 83 per cent average across England, is below average in all but one (Sefton) of the Indian variant hotspot areas. Although experts do not think the at-risk older age groups are the ones driving outbreaks at the moment, it could be cause for concern if the virus spreads to them 

Dominic Cummings, the PM’s former senior adviser, criticised Whitehall’s slow approach to placing India on the red list. Around 20,000 arrived in the UK between the first detection of the variant and Mr Johnson deciding to place India on the red list of countries

Irritation at the refusal of a small number to have a jab intensified yesterday after Mr Hancock told MPs that most patients hospitalised by the Indian variant in the epicentre of the outbreak in Bolton had not had the jab. 

The Health Secretary said most of them had turned down jab offers.

He refused to rule out imposing local lockdowns to try to contain the spread of the variant.

Mr Johnson has also described local lockdowns as a ‘last resort’, with the government instead focusing efforts on surge testing and increasing the availability of vaccinations in the worst-hit areas.

The plans being drawn up at the moment could put parts of the country into something similar to last year’s Tier 4, the equivalent of a full lockdown. 

But some ministers voiced concerns to The Times that local lockdowns in towns and cities would not be enough and they should be imposed on regions – which would have a larger economic impact than those seen last year.

There were several reports last year of people leaving higher tier areas to enjoy freedoms in areas with low or no restrictions just miles away.

The warnings came as: 

• Thousands of pubs, restaurants and cafes welcomed customers indoors for the first time this year;
• Dozens of flights left UK airports for ‘amber list’ countries such as France, Spain and the United States, despite a warning against doing so from No 10;
• Figures revealed the Indian variant has now been identified in 86 local authorities, after cases doubled in four days. It now accounts for 20 per cent of infections;
• Britons aged 36 and 37 were invited to have the jab, with 35-year-olds expected to join the list by the end of the week; 
• Bedford joined Bolton and Blackburn as a hotspot for the Indian variant; 
• Andrew Lloyd Webber hit out at ‘selfish’ individuals who refuse the jab, and urged the PM not to abandon the June 21 date; 
• Downing Street rejected calls for younger people in areas with higher rates of the Indian variant to get their vaccines early;
• The National Audit Office warned that the cost of tackling Covid had hit £372billion, with the bill rising by more than £100billion since January.

No 10 urged those deliberating over whether to be vaccinated to ‘think of others’ but refused to say whether the next stage of unlocking would go ahead as planned.

Downing Street also confirmed that the Prime Minister’s plan to announce the end of social distancing measures like the one-metre rule and masks in shops was likely to be delayed while scientists analysed the scale of the threat posed by the new strain.

Mark Harper, chairman of the 70-strong Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, said: ‘It is concerning to hear the Government is entertaining the delay of the June 21 unlocking – causing massive problems for many people’s livelihoods – because some people won’t have a jab.

‘Wider society’s fate can’t be sealed by the actions of a small group of people.’

Tory former minister Conor Burns said: ‘As a nation we have tolerated with generally good humour the most profound curtailment of our freedoms in peacetime for the greater good. It wouldn’t be right to do it again for those who have been offered a vaccine and have freely chosen not to take it, fully aware of the risks.’

Simon Clarke, another former minister, said: ‘It’s vital people take the vaccine when offered. Our wider society should not be held back from recovering our freedoms by those who choose not to protect themselves and others.’

Fellow Tory Marcus Fysh said: ‘It is not reasonable to delay complete release from restrictions domestically on June 21. The vast majority are vaccinated, the vaccines work, and the rest now have a vanishingly small risk of harm. If people don’t want to be vaccinated it is not up to society to shield them.’

Mr Hancock voiced his own frustration at the reluctance of some to have the jab: ‘The majority of people in hospital [in Bolton] with coronavirus were eligible for the jab but have chosen not yet to have the jab and have ended up in hospital, some of them in intensive care.

‘Vaccines save lives. They protect you, they protect your loved ones and they will help us all get out of this pandemic.’

Mr Johnson stunned MPs and businesses on Friday night by warning that the Indian variant posed a ‘real risk of disruption’ to the timetable out of lockdown.

Asked yesterday whether the lockdown would still end as planned on June 21, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘We are not at a point where we can make a definitive judgment.’

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng struck a more upbeat tone, saying it remained ‘very likely’ that all restrictions would be lifted on June 21 as ‘the vaccines are working’.

Professor Graham Medley, the Government’s chief pandemic modeller, also sounded hopeful, saying it was still ‘odds on’ that the June timetable would be met.

But one government source told ITV News the chance of all restrictions being lifted then was now ‘close to nil’. 

Decision on ditching social distancing and bigger weddings could be DELAYED amid Indian variant alert – as Tory MPs warn June 21 ‘freedom day’ must NOT be sacrificed to protect vaccine refuseniks

• Tensions in government over if June 21 will go ahead putting unvaccinated at risk
• From yesterday, pubs, restaurants and cafes can serve customers indoors
• Matt Hancock insisted new variant would not be allowed to ‘spread like wildfire’
• Tory MPs called on PM to reject scientists warnings to keep lockdown in place

ByJason Groves Political Editor For The Daily Mail 

Plans to end social distancing rules could be delayed because of a surge in cases of the Indian variant, Downing Street said yesterday.

Boris Johnson had been expected to announce next week that the one-metre distancing rule would be dropped along with the need for masks in shops.

The Prime Minister was also set to say whether the Government would go ahead with so-called Covid passports.

And plans for larger weddings were due to be set out next week so couples could prepare before a likely lifting of the cap on guest numbers on June 21.

But No 10 confirmed yesterday that uncertainty over the Indian variant meant all three announcements could be delayed. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs cases of the new mutation were rising fast in areas including Bolton, Blackburn and Bedford.

Boris Johnson has urged families to adopt a ‘heavy dose of caution’ with the ban on indoor socialising and hugs finally ending today

But in the past week there have still been only 2,323 cases of the Indian strain recorded across the country.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said there was now ‘no set time’ for unveiling the vital reviews.

The move is a blow to businesses such as pubs and restaurants, which have warned they cannot return to profitability until social distancing rules are scrapped.

It will raise concerns that a full lifting of the measures could be phased in instead of being completed in a single big bang next month, dragging out the economic pain for longer.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the industry body UK Hospitality, said scrapping the one-metre rule was essential to get the sector ‘off life support’.

Revellers packed into pubs to celebrate the relaxation of restrictions in England Monday, amid fears over the Indian variant 

Matt Hancock (pictured in the Commons Monday) has insisted ministers will not allow the new variant to ‘spread like wildfire’

Nicola Sturgeon issued a warning this morning as most of Scotland moved to Level 2 of the country’s coronavirus restrictions

Former minister Simon Clarke said ‘wider society should not be held back from recovering our freedoms by those who choose not to protect themselves and others’

Punch Taverns boss Hugh Osmond described panic over the new variant as ‘scaremongering tosh’, adding: ‘Vaccines work against this variant and it is no more virulent. So who cares about cases?’

Mr Johnson acknowledged the concerns of the hospitality sector last week and pledged to say more about ‘what exactly the world will look like’ this summer by the end of the month in order to give firms time to prepare.

But asked yesterday whether the lockdown would still end as planned on June 21, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘We are not at a point where we can make a definitive judgment.’

Heat maps of where the Indian variant has become most common (left) and where vaccine uptake is lowest (right) show that the same areas are doing badly on both counts – the North West, the Midlands and London. These are the most urban and most populated parts of the country, which are known to be worse affected by outbreaks and have been throughout the pandemic

Government sources said the emergence of the Indian variant had made it essential to pause and consider whether the next stage of lockdown easing should still go ahead.

But a senior source said it was still possible all restrictions will be lifted on June 21 as planned, albeit with less notice for businesses and individuals.

Fears about the new variant have also meant that ministers will look again at whether venues might have to adopt Covid passports in return for lifting social distancing rules. 

What can people in England do from May 17? 

Can people come over to my house again?

Yes. Up to six people from multiple households or an unlimited number of people from two households will be allowed to visit you inside your house again.

Can people stay over at my house again?

Yes. People from outside your household will be allowed to stay overnight, as long as you stick to within the rule of six or two households.

Can I still meet people outside?

Yes. You will now be able to meet in groups of up to 30 people outside. Bigger groups will be illegal. Until May 17, you can still only meet outside in groups of six.

A member of bar staff wearing a face masks serves drink in a pub in East London in July 2020

Can I hug my friends and family again?

Yes. The Government has said you can hug ‘close friends and family’ from outside your own household – for the first time since the pandemic began in March 2020.

However, people are being urged to be ‘exercise their own personal judgement in line with the risks.’ There is no legal definition on who ‘close friends and family’ are.  

The Government also said wider social distancing rules will remain in place in adult social care, medical, retail, hospitality and business settings.

Can you sit inside a pub again?

Yes, indoor hospitality will resume – so you can sit inside a pub or restaurant with people from other households, as long as the rule of six (or two households) is met.

Will there be a substantial meal or curfew requirement for pubs?

No. As with step two on April 12, venues will not have to serve a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks; nor will there be a curfew.

An audience sit at the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth for a pantomime in December last year

Will you be able to stand at the bar?

No. Customers will still have to order, eat and drink while seated at a hospitality venue – even though they will now be allowed inside.

Will indoor entertainment venues now be allowed to reopen?

Yes. Cinemas, theatres, museums and indoor children’s play areas will all be allowed to reopen, but must follow guidelines on social distancing and face masks.

Concert halls, conference centres and sports stadia will also be allowed to reopen, with larger events in all venues able to resume with capacity limits (see below). 

Will venues face capacity limits?

Yes. Larger performances and sporting events will be capped in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full, whichever is a lower number. For outdoor venues the cap will be 4,000 people or half-full – again, whichever is lower.

In the largest outdoor seated venues, where crowds can be spread out, up to 10,000 people will be able to attend – or a quarter-full, whichever is lower.

Football fans at Wembley Stadium at a pilot event for the FA Cup semi-final last month 

Will social distancing and face masks rules remain for now?

Yes. The one-metre (3ft) rule remains in place in public settings such as pubs, shops and restaurants. You should wear a face mask when walking around these places.

What about children wearing masks in schools?

Secondary school children will no longer have to wear face masks in classrooms and corridors from May 17. However, those aged 11 and above will still be required to wear the masks in public settings such as shops, unless they have a medical exemption.

Ministers said infection rates among students and staff continue to decrease in line with wider community transmission, but twice weekly home testing will remain. 

Will students be able to attend university lectures in person again?

Yes. All university students in England can return to campus next week for in-person teaching. They will be expected to get tested for Covid-19 twice a week.

Most students, apart from those on critical courses, were told not to travel back to term-time accommodation as part of the third national lockdown in January.

Students on practical courses, who require specialist equipment and facilities, began returning to face-to-face teaching on March 8. But it is estimated that about half of university students have not been eligible to return to in-person lessons.

Cinema-goers in their seats for a film at the Odeon Leicester Square in London last August

Can I go on holiday abroad again?

Yes, but with many restrictions. Last Friday, the UK Government cleared just 12 destinations for quarantine-free tourist trips for Britons from May 17.

However, many of the destinations are remote islands or have very strict entry measures or blanket bans on UK tourists, further reducing the list of options.

Portugal and Gibraltar are the only countries on the ‘green list‘ that most Britons will realistically be able to visit for a warm weather holiday this month.

You can technically also go on holiday to ‘amber list’ and ‘red list’ countries again too, but you will need to complete a period of quarantine as follows:

For amber list, you must quarantine at home for ten days on your return and take a PCR test on days two and eight – as well as a lateral flow test before the return flight.

Or there is an alternative option that you could pay for an additional ‘Test to Release’ on day five to end self-isolation early. There is also a chance the country turns red.

Those returning from a red list country must stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel for 11 nights upon their return at a cost of £1,750.

Will there be a new limit on wedding numbers?

Yes. Up to 30 people will now be able to attend weddings. This limit will also apply to other types of significant life events including bar mitzvahs and christenings.

Will funerals also now be limited to 30 people?

No. There will now be no limit of the number of mourners at funerals, although the venue must operate in a socially distanced way and within capacity guidelines.

Travellers arrive at London Heathrow Airport on May 3. Non-essential travel is set to reopen

Can you stay overnight somewhere with people from another family?

Yes. The rest of the accommodation sector will now reopen, including hotels, hostels and B&Bs – and people from different households can share the same room.

Up until May 17, if you want to stay at a hotel or self-catering accommodation, you must only do so with members of your own household or support bubble.

Can I go to indoor sport classes now?

Yes. All indoor adult group sports and exercise classes will be allowed again, five weeks after gyms were allowed to reopen under step two on April 12.

Will closed parts of leisure centres now be allowed to reopen?

Yes. Saunas and steam rooms will now be allowed to reopen, following on from swimming pools and gyms on April 12.

There will be no more limits on mourners at funerals. Above: File picture of a funeral last July

Will there be limits on numbers in support groups?

Yes. The Government has said 30 people will now be able to attend a support group or parent and child group. The limit does not include children aged under five.

Will restrictions on care home visiting be changed?

Yes. Care home visiting will be eased further, with residents able to have up to five named visitors and more freedom to make ‘low risk visits’ out of the home.

Will the guidance on working from home change?

No. People are still being advised to ‘continue to work from home where they can’.

Hugs with family and friends will be allowed again from May 17 (file picture posed by models)

What is the exact time that the rules change on May 17?

Unconfirmed. This is not yet clear, but the April 12 rule change towards step two came in at midnight, so it is likely this will be the same for May 18.

Are there businesses that still cannot reopen?

Yes. Nightclubs are the only businesses that must remain shut until at least June 21.

Is there a confirmed date for when all Covid rules will cease?

Not yet. The Government hopes that on June 21 it will be able to drop all legal limits on social contact, but this will be confirmed nearer the time.

Before this date, the Government will complete a review of social distancing and other long-term measures such as face masks and guidance on working from home.

All university students in England can return to campus next week for in-person teaching (file)

Why can we now move into Step 3 on May 17?

The Government has set four tests to further ease restrictions, which have now been met. These are that:

• The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully;
• Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated;
• Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS;
• Assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of concern.

It also comes after the UK Chief Medical Officers confirmed this morning that the UK Covid-19 alert level should move from level four to level three.

 

Storm over early jabs for the young: No 10 says younger people should not jump the queue for Covid vaccine in Indian strain hotspots… as teenagers as young as 17 receive their Covid jabs in Bolton

• Youngsters shouldn’t be vaccinated sooner in Covid hotspot, govt. said  
•  In Bolton, teenagers were inoculated in an effort to contain the B1617.2 strain
• In London, Sadiq Khan has called for ‘flexibility’ to give jabs to younger people 

Youngsters should not be vaccinated sooner in Covid hotspots to curb the spread of the Indian variant, Downing Street said today.

Health officials were urged to continue making their way down the national priority list – which has now reached those aged 36.

In Bolton, teenagers have been inoculated in a frantic effort to contain the B1617.2 strain. In London, mayor Sadiq Khan has called for ‘flexibility’ to give jabs to younger people in parts of the city linked to the variant, while former PM Tony Blair has said it would be ‘sensible’ to focus on vaccinating the worst-hit areas.

Gavin Carr. A teenager who lives in the UK’s Indian variant hotspot and has received his first jab has said it was an ‘obvious choice’ to get the vaccine as it ‘saves lives’

Members of the public queue to receive a Covid-19 vaccine at a temporary vaccination centre at the Essa academy in Bolton, northwest England on May 17

However, opinion remains divided over the issue. No 10 insisted yesterday that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) believes the best way to protect against the new variant is to ensure vulnerable groups get their doses as soon as possible.

Asked whether Covid hotspots would be prevented from giving first doses to younger people, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘We want every part of the country to abide by the advice set out by the JCVI. It’s this unified approach that has allowed us to proceed so quickly with our vaccine rollout.’

The Health Secretary told the Commons that the JCVI priority list is ‘what is most likely to save the most lives’.

Phone call: Kate spoke with Hayley Evans 

Hayley Evans is pictured above 

Hayley pictured with her grandparents Ron and Pat Wood

When asked about vaccinating all over-18s in Bolton and Blackburn, Matt Hancock said to MPs: ‘I want to be absolutely crystal clear… that is not our approach. I have looked into it in great detail and we have taken clinical advice. 

The approach is to make sure we get as many second vaccinations done as possible, as many first vaccinations amongst the vulnerable groups, and then as many vaccinations as possible for those eligible groups who are under the age of 50.

‘The reason that we’ve taken this approach is because that is what is most likely to save the most lives. That second jab is absolutely vital and, of course, the first jab for anybody over 50 could be the difference between life and death.’

Memories: Couple’s 1949 wedding

Ron playing for Worthing

Holding hands: Hayley Evans’s photo

Mr Hancock said there were now 2,323 confirmed cases of the Indian variant in the UK – with the total having doubled in a week. 

Some 483 were in Bolton, Blackburn and nearby Darwen, but 86 local authorities have now reported five or more cases.

Bolton has seen 19 people hospitalised with B1617.2, while Blackburn has eight patients with the strain. 

NHS data suggests the variant has not had a damaging effect on older residents, who are more likely to be vaccinated.

Professor Adam Finn of the JCVI said he understood calls to inoculate younger age groups, but stressed there were still uncertainties over how well the vaccines interrupt transmission. 

Furthermore, given the lag between receiving a first dose and when its protection kicks in, he warned that changes made now would make little difference in the next fortnight.

‘We do need to think strategically about what we do… over the next two weeks right around the country, in order to minimise the chances of this new variant causing a very major third wave,’ he told Sky News.

Government adviser Professor Peter Openshaw, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, or Nervtag, said we should vaccinate people as ‘fast as possible’, including under-18s. 

He told the BBC that if supply was limited, it should not be taken away from more vulnerable people, but added: ‘In Bolton, it looks like the cases are growing, particularly in those under the age of 45 – in other words, those who have not been vaccinated.

‘It does look like we need to roll out the vaccines as fast as possible, and to extend down into the younger age groups who are being infected by this new variant, even those under the age of 18 and in the age range of people still at school.’

No 10 said the vaccine supply ‘remains limited, as it has throughout this process’, but added: ‘There are no specific supply issues.’

Of the 56,992,075 jabs given in the UK as of Sunday, 36,704,672 were first doses – a rise of 131,318 on the previous day. 

There were 20,287,403 second doses, up by 183,745.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab could be between 10 and 15 per cent less effective against the new strain, it was reported last night.

ITV’s political editor Robert Peston claimed preliminary data from Oxford researchers showed the jab did not combat the Indian variant as well as Pfizer’s or Moderna’s.