Sajid Javid: we’re ‘nowhere near’ renewed social distancing
Health Secretary Sajid Javid found himself back in the hot seat this morning after a week which saw the discovery of the new ‘Omicron variant’ of the virus in South Africa. Yesterday, Boris Johnson confirmed that there were at least two cases of this variant already in the UK, despite suspending flights from the country and ordering new quarantine measures to be put in place. Trevor Phillips spoke to Javid about whether the latest strain could mean a return to many of the measures that have previously been in place, such as social distancing. However, Javid insisted that, beyond the new mask mandate, the government would not be taking any knee-jerk reactions as a response:
SJ: ‘We know now that those type of measures do carry a very heavy price… We’re nowhere near that.’
Javid: Brits will take new mask rules ‘more seriously’
Face coverings will be compulsory in English shops and on public transport from Tuesday. Phillips gave Javid his observations of mask adherence on the London Underground, and put it to him that the new rules were unenforceable in practice:
SJ: ‘I do think people will take this more seriously… I hope this is something we can remove within weeks.’
South Africa passengers got home ‘in the normal way’
Andrew Marr also spoke to Javid, quizzing him about what had been done to prevent the spread of Omicron since it had been isolated. Several flights had landed in the UK from South Africa after that point, raising the concern that the two confirmed Omicron cases could be likely to swell significantly:
SJ: ‘[Passengers] would have got home in the normal way…’
AM: ‘On public transport?’
SJ: … ‘The right thing to do was to contact them all and make sure that they are isolating and taking tests if necessary.’
Nicola Sturgeon: more restrictions can’t be ruled out
Marr also interviewed Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Sturgeon’s message was much sterner in response to the Omicron variant than that of the UK government. She highlighted that the Scottish government still recommended that people should work from home, and refused to take any measure off the table, up to and including the potential closure of the Scotland-England border:
NS: ‘We keep everything under review… Everything’s possible… I’m not going to sit here and rule anything out.’
Lisa Nandy: new government measures will leave ‘outstanding holes in our defences’
Phillips interviewed shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy, asking for Labour’s take on the government’s latest plans to deal with the Omicron variant. Nandy told Phillips what she believed was still in need of adjustment:
LN: ‘There are a number of outstanding holes in our defences that [Johnson has] got to address… When he comes to Parliament on Monday, these are things that he’s going to have to be able to answer.’
Javid: ‘I think it’s going to be a great Christmas’
And finally, Javid surely tempted fate with a positive festive message:
SJ: ‘I think people should continue with their plans as normal for Christmas. I think it’s going to be a great Christmas.’
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