The Speaker
Friday, 29 March 2024 – 04:55
Photo by Number 10 Downing Street (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Boris Johnson holds press conference as Coronavirus cases hit record levels

Boris Johnson has held a press conference after the UK recorded its highest level of cases throughout the pandemic, with 78,310 cases recorded.

In his remarks, the prime minister once again emphasised the need for Britons to get their booster jabs, stating that it is incredibly effective against the new variant.

This comes just days after his televised address on Sunday night, where he announced a plan to get almost 1 million people vaccinated every day. More than 650,000 booster jabs were delivered on Tuesday, following the prime minister’s address.

His press conference came after a COBRA meeting held earlier in the day. Boris Johnson did not attend the meeting, with Michael Gove representing the UK government; representatives from all four nations of the UK were present at the meeting.

Boris Johnson emphasised the need for people to get involved and help support the booster campaign, calling on people to volunteer.

He also plead for parents to vaccinate their children before they return to school in the new year; he did not suggest that any closure of schools could be imminent.

Yesterday, Parliament voted through ‘Plan B’, with the prime minister needing Labour support after nearly 100 Conservative backbench MPs voted against his plan for vaccine passes for large events. People in England will now be required to show proof of vaccination in order to attend large scale events, whilst masks have once again become mandatory in most settings.

Similar rules have been implemented in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with today’s COBRA meeting largely homogenising the rules between the four nations of the UK.

 

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