For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the United Kingdom recorded more than 100,000 cases of coronavirus on Wednesday 22 December in 24 hours, in the midst of an outbreak due to the Omicron variant which is causing new restrictions in some regions to two days of Christmas . The country, one of the hardest hit in the world, has deplored 147,573 deaths since the start of the pandemic, including 140 in the past 24 hours. More than 11.6 million people have tested positive for Covid-19 since the appearance of the virus in the country in early 2020, including 106,122 additional recorded on Wednesday.
Faced with this skyrocketing progression of the epidemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Monday that he “would not hesitate” to introduce more restrictive measures than the wearing of masks and the recommendation of telework currently in force, but has chose to procrastinate. For now, the government announced on Wednesday the reduction from ten to seven days of the isolation period in England for vaccinated people who have contracted the coronavirus. People who have two negative antigenic tests carried out on the sixth and seventh days will now be able to come out of their isolation. According to the government, more people will be able to spend Christmas with their families, without risking transmitting the virus.
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After Scotland on Tuesday, Wales, which like every British province decides on its health policy, has already announced a turn of the screw for after Christmas: from December 26, groups will be limited to six people maximum in pubs, restaurants and cinemas. The service must be at the table and events will be limited to 50 people outside, 30 inside, said Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford. Across the country, efforts are being made to speed up vaccination with now nearly one million booster doses administered per day.
Vaccinated fragile children
To broaden the target audience, the British regulator on Wednesday approved a modified formulation of the Pfizer / BioNTech anticovid vaccine for 5-11 year olds, but scientists advising the government have recommended that the vaccine be reserved for children at risk only. . While the UK has so far taken a very cautious stance on childhood immunizations, the UK regulator (MHRA) has deemed Pfizer’s vaccine “safe and effective” for children in this age group. which the data show a “positive risk-benefit ratio”. “No new security concerns have been identified,” June Raine, executive director of the MHRA, said in a statement.
The JCVI, which advises the government on its vaccination campaign, has recommended that children aged 5 to 11 at risk or whose household member is severely immunocompromised be offered vaccination. He recommends giving them two doses of 10 micrograms, one-third of the adult dose, eight weeks apart. Recommendations for all 5-11 year olds will be published later.
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While most 5-11 year olds have a “very low risk of being seriously ill,” the risk is greater for those with “underlying health problems,” said Prof. Wei Shen Lim, co- president of JCVI. The JCVI also recommends extending the recall campaign to older eligible age groups.
British Minister of Health Sajid Javid also announced on Wednesday the signing of two new contracts with Merck and Pfizer, from whom the United Kingdom is buying 1.75 million and 2.5 million additional tablets of their anti-Covid antivirals – molnupiravir and PF-07321332 / ritonavir, respectively. Antivirals work by reducing the ability of a virus to replicate, thereby slowing down the disease. These tablet treatments can be taken at home and are a new essential weapon in the fight against the disease.
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