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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appeared from 10 Downing Street tonight to deliver his weekly press conference on the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister’s press conference took place on Monday, November 9, starting at 5:00 p.m. on No. 10.
Johnson was accompanied by Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam and Brigadier Joe Fossey at the Downing Street press conference, No. 10 said.
There came a day when a major coronavirus vaccine update was issued. Elsewhere, Downing Street has said Prime Minister Boris Johnson has yet to speak with US President-elect Joe Biden.
When asked if it was a concern that the UK is not one of the first nations Biden will speak to, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “No, that is not something we are concerned about.”
UK ‘ready to use’ vaccine
Boris Johnson has repeated that 40 million doses of the announced Pfizer vaccine are 90% successful in the early stages of his trial.
He said: “If this vaccine is approved and when it is approved, in this country we will be ready to start using it.”
It’s expected to be 10 million by the end of the year, if it passes all the appropriate safety tests.
Johnson said: “Now it’s more important than ever to follow the rules, I know it’s been a tough first weekend of these fall restrictions.”
Don’t loosen
The British should not lose their focus on reducing the R rate, the prime minister said.
He told the Downing Street press conference: “The biggest mistake we can make is to loosen our resolve.”
“These are very, very early days,” insists Johnson, “We cannot rely on this news as a solution and the biggest mistake we can make is to loosen our resolve.”
There are still important obstacles to overcome
Boris Johnson begins by saying that people ask that “progress toward a vaccine made today means that we are at the beginning of the end of our problems.”
“We have overcome a major obstacle, but several more remain,” he says.
Staggered system as of December 2
Johnson has provided an update on the mass testing test in Liverpool, which includes 19 testing centers that allow anyone to get tested, regardless of whether they have any symptoms.
It has announced that millions of lateral flow tests will be sent to local authorities in the coming weeks, as well as to universities.
However, he has again urged people not to act like a magic bullet, saying: “They are not a substitute for national restrictions, social distancing and hygiene.”
There is also a small mention that he still plans to return to a tiered system on December 2.
Heading to the previous peak
Mr Johnson reiterated tonight that we as a country must continue to do everything we can to maintain the R number.
The prime minister warned the British that the number of Covid patients in the hospital had risen to 13,000 as of November 5.
He warned that “we are heading towards the levels of the previous peak.”
It came when 45 new deaths were confirmed in the Midlands, including 17 at a city hospital in Birmingham.
How Liverpool’s Mass Tests Work
Brigadier Joe Fossey has explained the logistics of Liverpool’s mass test pilots, which includes 2,000 soldiers and 19 centers across the city.
The pilot, which includes support from the Liverpool city region and Public Health England, includes people who are in a controlled cockpit, the person wiping their mouth and nose before handing it back to a member of the military.
The lateral flow test provides a result in one hour per text message and saves a sample from having to be sent to a laboratory.
Fossey is also emphasizing the need for people in Liverpool to get tested and participate in the trial, whether they are experiencing symptoms or not.
It ends with a simple message: “Don’t hesitate, take advantage of this opportunity. What we are testing now is a possible way out of confinement and a way to continue with our lives. “
‘Very exciting’ vaccine news
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has started by praising the volunteers and “anonymous scientists” trying to find a vaccine.
He called today’s announcement “very exciting,” but said the message currently is “stand firm.”
Professor Van-Tam said he expects the safety data to be available in the next few days.
England’s deputy chief medical officer has said he is hopeful the vaccine can be released by Christmas.
Professor Van-Tam said: “I am hopeful that we can start some vaccinations by Christmas.”
He compared the current state to a penalty shoot-out in a soccer game, saying: “We haven’t won the cup yet, but it tells us that the goalkeeper can be beaten.”
Professor Van-Tam said it would be a “colossal mistake” to relax at this stage, as the vaccine will not make a difference in the current wave.
“Please stay with us for now,” he said.
The vaccine is not yet a solution, despite progress
Johnson said the news of the Pfizer vaccine was a sign that “scientific cavalry” was on the way, but emphasized the need for caution.
The prime minister told a news conference in Downing Street that the vaccine had cleared a “major hurdle” but that there was more to cross before it could be used.
“I must emphasize that these are very, very early days,” he said during a press conference in Downing Street.
Johnson said he had spoken of the “distant bugle of the scientific cavalry approaching the top of the hill” with a breakthrough.
“I can tell you that tonight the bugle call is louder, but there is still a little left, we cannot trust this news as a solution,” he said.
“The biggest mistake we could make now would be to loosen our resolve at a critical moment.”
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