Covid news: Johnson hints at tighter border rules and says new variant could be more deadly

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People with Covid could be paid £500 (PA)

Boris Johnson has hinted that the government may have to introduce more border restrictions to stop new variants of Covid-19 from spreading in the UK.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Friday afternoon, the prime minister warned “we may have to go further”.

It comes amid warnings that a new variant of the virus from South Africa could be more resistant to existing vaccines and also more virulent.

Mr Johnson said briefing the most common variant spreading in the UK appears to be more deadly than the original virus.   

There is evidence that it “may be associated with a higher degree of mortality” among those infected, he told the briefing.

It is believed that scientists have found 1.3-fold increased risk of death compared with the old variant of coronavirus.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, said: “Instead of ten in every 1,000 people in their 60s with Covid passing away, 13 or 14 people “might be expected to die.”

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Key Points

• Boris Johnson hints at tougher border rules
• New variant more deadly, Boris Johnson warns, but vaccines ‘remain effective’
• European Commission probed by Ombudsman over vaccine contract transparency
• Ministers must tighten ‘flexible’ rules and stop blaming public for high Covid rates, scientists say
• Expert warns against reading R number as ‘firm evidence lockdown has been successful’
• Daily death toll likely to peak in next 10 days, scientist says
• PM will face ‘mother of all arguments’ over lockdown next month, Sage member says
• Regional breakdown of NHS England vaccination figures

[22 January 2021 17:04 · Chiara Giordano]

Covid vaccines still effective against new variant

The prime minister has sought to reassure the public that the Covid vaccines in use in the UK are still effective against the new variant.

[22 January 2021 17:06 · Chiara Giordano]

Chris Whitty says there has been an improvement in the number of people with the virus in England, but that it is coming down from a very high level.

He said one in 55 people in England currently have the virus.

[22 January 2021 17:07 · Chiara Giordano]

New variant more deadly, Boris Johnson warns, but vaccines ‘remain effective’

The new variant of Covid-19 spreading in the UK is more deadly, Boris Johnson has warned.

There is evidence that it “may be associated with a higher degree of mortality” among those infected, he told a press conference.

Follow our breaking news story below:

[22 January 2021 17:08 · Chiara Giordano]

Coronavirus deaths continue to rise

Professor Chris Whitty said the number of people dying after testing positive for Covid continues to rise and will probably get worse over the next week before it starts to fall.

[22 January 2021 17:10 · Chiara Giordano]

New variant about 30 to 70 per cent more contagious, says Vallance

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the new variant spreading in the UK seems to be about 30 to 70 per cent more transmissible than the original virus and that it does not discriminate against age.

[22 January 2021 17:12 · Chiara Giordano]

Higher mortality rate of new UK variant

Sir Patrick Vallance, using a man in his 60s as an example, said the risk for 1,000 people who get infected, roughly 10 would be expected to die with the virus.

But with the new variant, for 1,000 people infected this rises to about 13 or 14 people expected to die.

He said this would likely be seen across the different age groups as well.

[22 January 2021 17:16 · Chiara Giordano]

People with antibodies from original virus should be protected against new variant

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said people who have antibodies from being infected with the original virus “appear to be equally protected against original virus and new variant”.

[22 January 2021 17:18 · Chiara Giordano]

South African and Brazilian variants of more concern than UK’s

Sir Patrick said the South African and Brazilian variants are of more concern than the UK variant at the moment because they have features which mean they “might be less susceptible to vaccines”. 

[22 January 2021 17:27 · Chiara Giordano]

‘Death rate is awful’

Sir Patrick Vallance has admitted “the death rate is awful” and said it is going to stay high for some time before it starts coming down.

[22 January 2021 17:35 · Chiara Giordano]

We must be ‘realistic’ about relaxing lockdown while Covid rates ‘so very high’, says PM

Asked whether it is likely the current lockdown in England will be extended into the summer, Boris Johnson said “you can’t unlock when rates of infection are so very high”.

The prime minister did not confirm whether the current measures would continue for longer, saying ministers would “look at where we are on [February] 15 and make an assessment”, however he said the current rate of infection is “forbiddingly high and we have to be realistic about that”.

“Unlocking to lead to another rebound would be the wrong way to approach it,” he added.