– No Normal Christmas – NRK Urix – Foreign News and Documentaries

– This virus will obviously not give us a ceasefire. He doesn’t know it’s Christmas.

This is what Prime Minister Boris Johnson said when he presented the new action plan for England and Wales.

However, it was a rather optimistic prime minister who met the press via video link on Monday night because it appears that there are three different vaccines available.

The government hopes to be able to vaccinate all the most vulnerable groups in society against covid-19 by Easter.

Another sign of cautious optimism is that England and Wales end their nearly month-long lockdown on December 2.

A three-part system is then reintroduced, dividing the country according to the pressure of infection. Areas with higher infection pressure will continue to have strict restrictions.

Tighten and relief

– It’s going to be a harsh winter. There won’t be a normal Christmas this year, but in a time of adversity, time with loved ones is even more valuable to all people, across all faiths, Johnson says.

The prime minister presented details of the 56-page winter plan to the House of Commons on Monday.

– Without sensible precautions, we will run the risk that the virus will escalate and have a wave of winter or new year. The infection is still widespread in many areas, Johnson says.

The system means that areas of England will be classified according to infection pressure. The areas have a medium, high or very high risk of infection. A set of infection control measures is linked to each of the levels.

The new plan also involves a series of facilitation measures in areas with little infection:

• Fans can go to the stadium to watch sports. Johnson’s proposal is 4,000 viewers, or 50 percent of maximum capacity, in the least contagious areas.
• Shops, hairdressers, gyms and leisure facilities will reopen all over England.
• Pubs can be open until 23. Pour stop at 10 pm.
• Church activities, weddings and outdoor sports you can start over.

At the same time, heavily infected areas may experience tighter restrictions.

The authorities are considering, among other things, carrying out massive tests on the inhabitants of the areas with the greatest contagion pressure. The distribution of the areas according to the risk of contagion is scheduled for Thursday.

Effective vaccines

“Our vaccine has the potential to have a major impact on the pandemic,” Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said at the government news conference Monday night. Its researchers have contributed to the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The manufacturers BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna have previously shown their vaccines to be up to 95 percent efficient. AstraZeneca, which is a British / Swedish collaboration, will have an efficiency of between 70 and 90 percent.

Pollard explains the disparate numbers with what he called “an arm of our research” that has shown the vaccine can be up to 90 percent effective. AstraZenica will continue its investigation to verify this further.