This afternoon in the House of Commons Chamber, I listened to the Prime Minister announce the government’s plan for living with Covid. As expected, our response is moving from one of rules and restrictions back to being one of personal responsibility.
Going forward, the government’s objective will be to respond to the virus in a similar way to how we manage other existing respiratory illnesses. As the Prime Minister said, our strategy will be to monitor and respond to future risks through contingency planning and more routine public health interventions.
Vaccination will continue to underpin our collective response to the virus and will be relied upon as our first line of defence. The successful delivery of 38 million boosters has strengthened our collective immunity, severely weakening the link between cases, hospitalisations, and deaths.
I appreciate that some constituents, especially those in more vulnerable groups, are concerned with this move forward. They have been right to say that the pandemic is not yet over. However, we know that Covid isn’t going to suddenly disappear. There are risks with any decision: just as I have heard from some who are concerned about the easing of restrictions, others have been in touch with me for some time now calling for their entire removal. Marking an important milestone, this step forward is about balancing the harms caused by Covid, with the undeniable harms that restrictions bring.
I have been reassured that the government has accepted the JCVI’s advice to offer a Spring booster jab to those aged 75 and over, older care home residents, and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed. It is important that we continue to deploy targeted measures like this going forward to protect those most at risk.
As ever, it is important that people continue to make sensible choices where possible. Ventilating indoor spaces, washing our hands regularly, and staying at home if feeling unwell are just some of the ways we can all keep each other safe.
Read more about the government's plan here.
