Pledge to roll out vaccine to everyone in top 4 priority groups by mid-February
‘NOT ONLY IS THE END IN SIGHT BUT WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE WILL GET THERE’
THE Prime Minister has pledged to roll out the coronavirus vaccine to four priority groups by mid-February. Boris Johnson announced a third national lockdown when he addressed the nation at 8pm on Monday night. The lockdown will become law today.
In his address, the Prime Minister said: “I want to say to everyone right across the UK that I know how tough this is.
“And I know how frustrated you are and I know that you have had more than enough of Government guidance about defeating this virus.
“But now, more than ever, we must pull together.”
There are currently two vaccines “on stream” for the UK and are being administered to the public.
The four priority groups include:
■ Those in care homes
■ The over 70s
■ Health and care workers
■ The clinically extremely vulnerable.
There have currently been just 1 million given the first jab of the BioNtech vaccine but the NHS is hoping to administer two million vaccines a week.
He said “with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against Covid and in favour of the British people”.
“Thanks to the miracle of science not only is the end in sight but we know exactly how we will get there.” Under the third national lockdown, schools have been shut nationwide and the clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to begin shielding again. Mr Johnson said those affected will receive letters “shortly”.
He said that the weeks ahead would be the “hardest yet” but added that he believed the country was entering “the last phase of the struggle”.
The Prime Minister has returned to his mantra from early in the pandemic, urging people to “stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives” as we enter the “last phase of the struggle”, reports The Mirror.