PM says there are 107 hospital hubs open for vaccinations now, plus 595 GP-led sites. This week another 100 hubs are coming on stream and 180 GP sites - next week the first seven mass vaccination centres open in stadiums and exhibition centres.
Nine days ago, around 950k people had been vaccinated (including 520k over-80s) so you'd have to say the pace since then has not been great. But that period includes end of Xmas/new year weeks and only the very beginning of Ox/AZ rollout.
NHS refusing to give out the locations of the seven new mass vaccination centres 🤔
Govt officials believe the vaccination figures will beat 2m a week by the end of January - as is needed to hit the 13.9m target for mid-Feb.
For now, the only hold-up is the batch testing process. Pfizer doses continue to flow, but most Ox/AZ doses are still being checked by the MHRA.
Govt confident that Ox/AZ 'fill and finish' process in Wrexham is now going well. No shortages of inputs. inews.co.uk/news/politics/…
The NHS is expanding its capacity to administer the vaccine over the course of this month, to match the growing numbers of doses coming in from manufacturers. Process of enrolling volunteers - plus probably military & pharmacists - is part of this. inews.co.uk/news/politics/…
Three main delivery channels: hospital hubs, GP sites, mass vaccination channels. Means we're unlikely to see smaller venues (pubs, shops etc) used to administer jabs. inews.co.uk/news/politics/…
There's a lot that could go wrong in the coming weeks. But it hasn't yet.
I'm told that by the end of this week we should "should start to see that acceleration" needed to get the job done in good time. inews.co.uk/news/politics/…
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Matt Hancock tells @LBC that "at the moment" the UK is expecting to receive & administer half a million Ox/AZ doses a week. Claims that will increase in the near future.
Urging public to follow the rules closely, Hancock says: "We've only got a few more weeks of this - we have a vaccine, the cavalry is here."
Hancock tells #r4today: "The reason that we're not putting a numerical target on it is because the limiting step is a lack of supply... We're working with Pfizer & AstraZeneca who are doing a remarkable job in getting that supply ready so we can then deliver it through the NHS."
Instead of free parking for all staff, DHSC will fund NHS trusts to scrap charges for night shift workers only, plus disabled patients and parents of seriously ill children: inews.co.uk/news/politics/…
Have written for @TheCriticMag on the failure (so far) of Dominic Cummings & Michael Gove to live up to the radical ideas they espouse in their writings & speeches: thecritic.co.uk/dont-do-as-i-d…
Cummings knows that alternative viewpoints within a team make it stronger; yet he merrily purged dissident Tories. thecritic.co.uk/dont-do-as-i-d…
He thinks little of MPs, but this government is repeatedly forced into U-turns by backbench rebellions - even with a majority of 80. thecritic.co.uk/dont-do-as-i-d…
NEW
Newly released Sage minutes reveal that on 13th March, govt scientists warned that 'seeking to completely suppress spread of Covid19' through a full lockdown would lead to a second peak in the virus, even as lockdowns were starting to be imposed across Europe.
'SAGE was unanimous that measures seeking to completely suppress spread of Covid19 will cause a second peak. SAGE advises that it is a near certainty that countries such as China, where heavy suppression is underway, will experience a second peak once measures are relaxed.'
Re decision to allow Cheltenham (10/3-13/3) and Liverpool-Atletico (12/3)
5/3: 'SAGE agreed there is no evidence to suggest that banning very large gatherings would reduce transmission'
10/3: 'SAGE noted that public gatherings pose a relatively low but not zero public risk'
Update on new rules for Hongkongers seeking to live/work in UK: Home Office appears to confirm that if China presses on with security law, *all* 2.9m 'British nationals (overseas)' in Hong Kong will be allowed to come to UK whether or not they *currently* hold a BN(O) passport.