Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said there is “increasing confidence” that the Covid-19 vaccines are effective against all variants.
Opening Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked Mr Johnson if the single biggest threat to hitting the June 21 unlocking date is the risk of new variants entering the UK.
Mr Johnson replied in the Commons: “I certainly think that is one of the issues that we must face.”
He added: “We’ve looked at the data again this morning and I can tell the House we have increasing confidence that vaccines are effective against all variants, including the Indian variant.”
He thanked people living in Bolton, Blackburn and other places for coming forward in “record numbers” to get vaccinated, adding: “I think the numbers have doubled in Bolton alone.”
The spread of the B1617.2 variant had cast doubt on next month’s plans to ease the remaining restrictions in England, but Mr Johnson has said there is no conclusive evidence to suggest a deviation from the roadmap.
Mr Johnson thanked people in Bolton and Blackburn – Indian variant hotspots – for “coming forward in record numbers” to receive a jab.
Sir Keir Starmer countered: “In those circumstances, why on Monday did the Prime Minister choose to weaken travel restrictions by moving 170 countries or territories to the amber list?”
The Prime Minister said the UK has “one of the strongest border regimes anywhere in the world”, adding 43 countries are on the red list.
He added: “If you travel to an amber list country for any emergency, any extreme reason that you have to, when you come back, you not only have to pay for all the tests but you have to self-isolate for 10 days – we will invigilate, we are invigilating it, and people who fail to obey the quarantine can face fines of up to £10,000.”
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