Door-to-door Covid jab teams to be sent to homes of the five million unvaccinated Britons

Door-to-door teams armed with Covid jabs will be sent to the homes of unvaccinated Britons in plans being considered by Ministers to reach the estimated five million people yet to be inoculated.

Discussions between the Department of Health, NHS England and No 10 over the past week have looked at a nationwide drive to send vaccine teams to areas with low uptake rates as a crucial way to avoid lockdown and other restrictions.

It is also seen as a way to get jabs to rural areas or households where people cannot easily get to a vaccination centre.

However, it is understood school closures are not being considered for January, with a source close to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi saying: ‘The PM and Nadhim are fully committed to keeping schools open, and there’s a shared commitment across Government to do so.

‘Education is a top priority and school closures are not something being considered.’  

One Cabinet Minister last night backed the plan, saying: ‘I think anything that encourages the vaccine-hesitant is sensible,’ before warning: ‘The mood in the country is hardening against people who refuse to be vaccinated.

This comes as SAGE warned the UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and the peak could be even higher than last winter despite the reduced severity of Omicron.

In minutes from a meeting on December 23 published last night, the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned that the peak on hospital admissions ‘may be comparable to or higher than previous peaks’ – including the second wave in January.

But MPs and hospitality bosses have warned Boris Johnson not to bring in new restrictions before New Year’s Eve or risk ‘devastating’ businesses. 

Boris Johnson and wife Carrie (pictured with their daughter Romy) sit on their sofa and hold a video conference from their living room in Chequers

Door-to-door teams armed with Covid jabs will be sent to the homes of unvaccinated Britons in plans being considered by Ministers to reach the estimated five million people yet to be inoculated. Pictured: An anti-vax march in London, December 2021

Discussions between the Department of Health, NHS England and No 10 over the past week have looked at a nationwide drive to send vaccine teams to areas with low uptake rates as a crucial way to avoid lockdown and other restrictions. Pictured: Health Secretary Sajid Javid

It is also seen as a way to get jabs to rural areas or households where people cannot easily get to a vaccination centre

This comes as SAGE warned the UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and the peak could be even higher than last winter despite the reduced severity of Omicron.

In minutes from a meeting on December 23 published last night, the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned that the peak on hospital admissions ‘may be comparable to or higher than previous peaks’ – including the second wave in January.

But MPs and hospitality bosses have warned Boris Johnson not to bring in new restrictions before New Year’s Eve or risk ‘devastating’ businesses. 

‘I am all in favour of free choice but there comes a point when you cannot lock up 90 per cent of the country who are vaccinated for the ten per cent who refuse to be.’

Doctors have said up to 90 per cent of Covid patients in intensive care units are unvaccinated. 

The move comes as: 

• Hospitality bosses and MPs have begged Boris Johnson not to ruin New Year’s Eve or risk ‘devastating’ businesses;
• The Cabinet is expected to meet early this week to decide on whether to impose new restrictions in light of the Omicron variant;
• Government scientists released scenarios where tougher restrictions could come in on December 28 and last until March;
• Modelling by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggested there could be a large number of hospitalisations this winter, even though Omicron is less likely to cause severe illness

The vaccination drive continued throughout Christmas Day. NHS England said thousands of first, second and booster jabs were given yesterday.

Meanwhile more than 220,000 first doses of the vaccine were administered in the week to 21 December, up by 46 per cent compared to the previous week. First dose uptake in 18-24 year-olds rose by 85 per cent in the same period, and 71 per cent in 25 to 30-year-olds.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the rise in first dose uptake was ‘excellent’, as discussions were ongoing on how to reach more of the unjabbed.

Door-to-door jabs visits are already being trialled in one area of Ipswich, which led to an extra 150 people getting their first, second or booster jab in a weekend.

Downing Street sources said the aim is to expand this to the rest of the country and try to reach the estimated five milllion unvaccinated.

Dan Poulter, the Tory MP and NHS hospital doctor who has been doing shifts in London hospitals, welcomed the plan. He said: ‘In parts of London where there’s very low vaccine uptake, you’re bound to get a good uptake in jabs if you’re knocking on doors.

‘I think that would have a very positive effect in getting vaccination rates higher.’

Meanwhile Tory MPs have warned the Government not to shut down the economy for the sake of people who have not got their jabs. 

Reports have claimed ministers are watching hospitalisation numbers in the capital, with a two-week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown set to be imposed if daily numbers surpass 400

SAGE issues a new Christmas Covid alert: UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and peak could STILL be higher than last winter despite Omicron’s reduced severity, warn advisers – with Boris set to review rules on MONDAY 

The UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and the peak could be even higher than last winter despite the reduced severity of Omicron, SAGE have warned.

In minutes from a meeting on December 23 published last night, the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned that the peak on hospital admissions ‘may be comparable to or higher than previous peaks’ – including the second wave in January.

An Imperial College analysis of Omicron found that people who catch the variant are up to 20 per cent less likely to be admitted than those who get Delta. It also found that the chance of having to stay in the NHS overnight was even lower, with a reduced risk of up to 45 per cent. 

Even ‘Professor Lockdown’ Neil Ferguson, whose original modelling in early 2020 spooked the Government into the first national shutdown, said the fourth wave will be ‘nothing like what we seen last year, with ICUs overflowing with patients’ on the back of the new findings. 

However, new modelling by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggests there could be a large number of hospitalisations this winter, even though the Covid variant is much less likely to cause severe illness, and even if fresh restrictions are introduced after Christmas.

The modellers warned that December 28 is the last date that restrictions could be introduced before it is ‘too late’ for lockdown-type measures to have any effect. 

The UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and the peak could be even higher than last winter despite the reduced severity of the Omicron variant, SAGE have warned

One of the models considered restrictions lasting three months until the end of March, but found there was little difference compared to restrictions ending in January. But they stressed there is a high degree of uncertainty about what the real-world impact of Omicron’s reduced severity will be – and any new restrictions will be fiercely opposed by Tory MPs.

In London, now regarded as the UK’s Omicron ‘ground zero’, there were 386 new Covid hospital admissions on December 22, according to the latest NHS data. Though they are still a far cry from the 850 admissions achieved at the peak of the second wave in January, they mark a 92 per cent rise on the figure last week, and are within touching distance of the Government’s threshold of 400 for further lockdown curbs. 

In minutes of the meeting, chaired by England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and Downing Street’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, SAGE said: ‘The earlier interventions happen, and the more stringent they are, the more likely they are to be effective.’ 

Advisers on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational sub-group said that even under ‘rapidly enacted Step 2 measures, peak hospital admissions in the 20 per cent severity scenario are broadly similar to those seen in January 2021’.

‘Peak admissions scale with the risk of admission given infection, so are 2.5 times lower in the 20 per cent severity scenario than the 50 per cent scenario and would be 4 times higher were Omicron 80 per cent as severe as Delta,’ they said. The group added: ‘More stringent measures would decrease the number of days when many people are in hospital.’

SAGE’s warnings are likely to pile pressure on Boris Johnson to impose curbs – potentially including the Rule of Six and a ban on households mixing next week.

The Prime Minister will decide on Monday whether to introduce stringent measures following a review of the latest data on Omicron. In a blow to the new year hopes of millions, Government scientists have indicated that these curbs could remain in place until March.

Don’t wreck our new year, Boris! Chorus of pleas from hospitality chiefs and MPs as Sage advisers warn wave of hospital cases could be ‘higher than last peak’ 

MPs and hospitality bosses have warned Boris Johnson not to bring in new restrictions before New Year’s Eve or risk ‘devastating’ businesses.

The Prime Minister will tomorrow be presented with the latest data on hospital admissions and could rule on whether to clamp down further to limit the spread of Omicron.

It comes after papers released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on Friday included modelling for tighter restrictions from December 28 or New Year’s Day which could last as long as March 28.

Last night Tory MPs issued a warning shot at Mr Johnson and his Government to resist any lockdown measures. 

Cabinet Ministers last week rejected Government scientist suggestions to tighten rules before Christmas. 

MPs and hospitality bosses have warned Boris Johnson not to bring in new restrictions before New Year’s Eve or risk ‘devastating’ businesses

The Prime Minister will tomorrow be presented with the latest data on hospital admissions and could rule on whether to clamp down further to limit the spread of Omicron

Last night Tory MPs issued a warning shot at Mr Johnson and his Government to resist any lockdown measures

One MP, who is a member of the Tory backbench Covid Recovery Group, said: ‘If it turns out that Cabinet Ministers last week just delayed more business-crushing, illiberal restrictions till after Christmas, then not one of them deserves my vote in a future leadership election.’

Separately another Tory MP, Alec Shelbrooke, said of the Sage papers: ‘Despite this new warning, the Prime Minister must stand firm and refuse to impose new restrictions this week. 

‘We’ve had dire forecasts before that have not come true. There is no justification for ruining people’s New Year celebrations and inflicting yet more damage on our economy.’

Low booster take-up in ethnic groups is deeply worrying, says senior medic

People from Pakistani, Caribbean and African backgrounds have the lowest rates for receiving a booster or third dose of Covid-19 vaccine, new data suggests.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures suggest that the lowest third dose and booster take-up among people aged 50 and over in England was in the Pakistani (42.2 per cent), black Caribbean (44.4 per cent) and black African (45.4 per cent) groups.

More than a quarter of people of black Caribbean ethnicity are estimated to not have received a first Covid vaccine dose up to December 12 – the highest proportion of all ethnic groups.

A senior medic said that the figures, which were published on Friday, were ‘deeply worrying’. Pictured: Dr Chaand Nagpaul

A senior medic said that the figures, which were published on Friday, were ‘deeply worrying’.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, council chair at the British Medical Association, told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: ‘This is deeply worrying because in many ways I fear a repetition of what happened in the first wave, where… we saw this rather alarming and disturbing disparity in illness and deaths amongst ethnic minorities from Covid.

‘What we know now of course is that the patients, people who are becoming seriously ill, who are being hospitalised, are those who have not been vaccinated and those who have not had their boosters.

‘Eighty per cent of patients in some ICUs are those who have not been vaccinated.’

Muslims were the least likely religious group to have received a booster or third dose (46.3 per cent), the ONS said.

The ONS also said that take-up was lower among people living in more deprived areas, those who have never worked or are long-term unemployed, those without qualifications and those who do not own their own home, compared to more-advantaged groups.

Take-up was higher among non-disabled people, compared to those who said their day-to-day activities are limited ‘a little’ or ‘a lot’.

Following studies last week that showed Omicron is significantly less likely to cause hospitalisation than the Delta variant, Mr Johnson is not expected to bring in legally binding restrictions or lockdown measures.

In a more likely scenario the Prime Minister could issues guidance telling people to limit their contacts. 

But writing in The Mail on Sunday, Sir Graham Brady, who chairs the influential 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, warns Mr Johnson not to do anything to ruin New Year’s Eve plans.

‘Enough is enough,’ he writes. ‘There must be no new unnecessary restrictions this week whether the PM sees fit to recall Parliament for an emergency session or whether he resorts simply to more guidance.’

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade association UK Hospitality, said: ‘For many beleaguered hospitality businesses the New Year period is the last chance they have of making some much needed revenue to be able to get them through the lean months of January and February.’

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: ‘The uncertainty is killing our sector at the moment.

‘If the Government closes businesses for New Year’s Eve, people will simply gather in people’s households or at illegal events and it’s going to be counterproductive.’

Des Gunewardena, chief executive of the D&D London group, which owns 40 venues including Bluebird and Le Pont de la Tour, said: ‘New Year’s Eve is massive, it’s the biggest night of the year for us across all of our restaurants.’

Meanwhile the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has urged the Government not to close churches and places of worship once again.

Speaking to the BBC, Cardinal Vincent Nichols said: ‘I think this country has shown that people can make good judgments themselves.

‘We’re at that point of saying we understand the risk. We know what we should do. Most people are sensible and cautious. We don’t need stronger impositions to teach us what to do.’

But a Government source told The Mail on Sunday there is a ‘danger’ that people who were careful in the run up to Christmas to be able to see their loved ones will start mixing more after today.

However the source said the overall picture on Omicron is ‘more optimistic than people thought’.

Tomorrow a ‘Covid-O’ committee of Ministers and officials will discuss the frontline staff shortages as a result of Omicron spreading.

The meeting will include Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid. 

The appeals from MPs and business leaders came as new Sage papers and fresh modelling warned that Omicron may yet lead to a higher peak of hospitalisations than last winter’s – despite its lower severity and widespread vaccination.

Last January hospitalisations peaked at 4,583 daily admissions, over four times the current rate.

But although three UK studies last week found that Omicron was much less virulent than Delta – between 15 and 70 per cent less likely to lead to hospitalisation – Sage cautioned against optimism.

It warned these figures were largely based on younger people who have formed the bulk of infections so far.

Schools WILL stay open, Boris Johnson vows despite fears over Omicron wave and its impact on the NHS

By Jacob Thorburn for MailOnline

Boris Johnson has vowed to keep schools open in the New Year despite fears of a January Omicron surge and its potential impact on Britain’s hospitals.

The Prime Minister has told Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi he is ‘absolutely determined’ to see children back in the classroom following the festive break. 

The pair are understood to be in constant communication about the delicate balance of keeping children in school and curbing any resurgence of the mutant strain once the Christmas holidays are over. 

Mr Johnson and Mr Zahawi are said to believe that education is the ‘number one priority’ within Government and school closures are not currently being considered. 

The news will come as a welcome reprieve for parents, pupils and teachers who faced chaos last January when the government was forced into a fresh u-turn on its guidance for primary schools to remain open. 

A number of unions had called on the government to tell head teachers ‘promptly and clearly’ about what new measures to expect next year, amid concern that schools would be left to decide whether or not to open themselves.

Boris Johnson and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (right) have vowed to keep schools open in the New Year despite fears of a January Omicron surge and its potential impact on Britain’s hospitals

The Prime Minister has told Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi he is ‘absolutely determined’ to see children back in the classroom following the festive break. [File image]

But a source with close links to Zahawi told the Times: ‘There is a shared commitment across government to make sure they [schools] stay open.’

Fears have mounted for the January return to school after SAGE warned that the UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and the peak could be even higher than last winter despite the reduced severity of Omicron.

In minutes from a meeting on December 23 published last night, the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned that the peak on hospital admissions ‘may be comparable to or higher than previous peaks’ – including the second wave in January.

In London, now regarded as the UK’s Omicron ‘ground zero’, there were 386 new Covid hospital admissions on December 22, according to the latest NHS data.

Though they are still a far cry from the 850 admissions achieved at the peak of the second wave in January, they mark a 92 per cent rise on the figure last week, and are within touching distance of the Government’s threshold of 400 for further lockdown curbs. 

Reports have claimed ministers are watching hospitalisation numbers in the capital, with a two-week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown set to be imposed if daily numbers surpass 400

 Scores of pupils across England were already sent home early for their Christmas holiday before the scheduled break because of staff shortages caused by illness and Covid-related isolation.

The Welsh government has already opted to delay the start to school pupils’ spring term, with staff being allocated two days of planning to organise alternative remote learning. 

That prompted unions to call on the government to tell schools before the end of term what the plan is for reopening in January. 

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘Schools and colleges in England have been asked by the government to review their contingency arrangements during the final week of this term in order to be prepared for measures which might be introduced next term because of the risk posed by the Omicron variant of Covid.

‘It is imperative that the government communicates the introduction of any additional measures to schools and colleges promptly and clearly. It does not have a good record on either front.’ 

Operational guidance made for schools by the government had left teachers and parents confused after it appeared to suggest each school is responsible for making its own decision.

‘Schools and trusts should work closely with parents and carers (future references to parents should be read as including carers), staff and unions when agreeing the best approaches for their circumstances,’ the document stated.

And in a blog post published this week, former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Institute for Global Change said: ‘We believe the government must take further urgent action to protect the upcoming school term. 

‘It must authorise vaccines for all 5 to 11-year-olds and accelerate the existing vaccine programme for teenagers, given that only 50 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds and 70 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds have so far had one dose of the vaccine.’  

It comes as the annual report from Ofsted’s chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, into the devastating impact the pandemic had on children’s education was released this week. 

Ms Spielman warned most children had suffered thanks to school closures and lockdowns, with young people facing loneliness, boredom and misery throughout the past 18 months.