Boris Johnson pledged a massive step-up in daily vaccinations and insisted the UK has enough supply to protect 14 million people by February 15.
At a Downing Street briefing, he also announced the three types of location people would receive their injections – via GPs, hospitals or large vaccination centres at locations such as sports stadiums. He said it meant everyone should be able to get a vaccine within 10 miles of their home.
He said the Army had been brought in to assist with the logistics and would use "battle preparation techniques" to keep up the pace of the campaign.
A further 1,162 Covid-related deaths were announced in the UK on Thursday, the second highest day throughout the pandemic. The highest day was April 21, when 1,224 deaths were recorded. Daily infections fell from over 60,000 on Wednesday, to 52,618.
Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, said 800 people were being admitted to hospital across the country each day, enough to fill a large hospital.
He said there were 50 per cent more coronavirus inpatients in England’s hospitals now, compared with during the peak in April, affecting every region across the country.
The Prime Minister said almost 1.5 million people had been vaccinated against the disease and the Government intended to give everyone in care homes a dose by the end of January.
He stressed the NHS was ready to administer vaccines as quickly as they could be supplied.
The Prime Minister admitted there would probably be "difficulties" in administering the vaccine, but added: "Let's be clear, this is a national challenge on a scale like nothing we've seen before and it will require an unprecedented national effort.
"Of course, there will be difficulties. Appointments will be changed but … the Army is working hand in glove with the NHS and local councils to set up our vaccine network and using battle preparation techniques to help us keep up the pace."
Mr Johnson’s comments came after family doctors experienced problems getting supplies of coronavirus vaccines for their patients.
The "teething problems" risk causing disappointment for vulnerable people who are at the front of the queue to receive the jabs, the Royal College of General Practitioners chair Prof Martin Marshall said.
The comments came as Health Secretary Matt Hancock launched the mass introduction of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to GP surgeries – but heard first-hand about the issues they face.
The surgery Mr Hancock visited to launch the programme had not received an expected delivery of the Oxford vaccine, which is easier to distribute than the Pfizer-BioNTech drug, which has to be kept frozen.
The need for the rapid implementation of the vaccine was underlined as hospitals across the UK faced rising numbers of seriously-ill patients.
Vials are being delivered to sites across the country as the Government attempts to offer a vaccine to more than 13 million people in the top four priority groups by mid-February – so far 1.3 million have been injected.
Prof Marshall said GPs had already vaccinated hundreds of thousands of patients in the community using the Pfizer product and the Oxford vaccine should allow a greater number of people to be treated in a shorter space of time.
But he added: “Preparing for a vaccination clinic is no easy feat, it involves meticulous planning. Having to change these plans with little notice is frustrating and demoralising for GP teams – not to mention confusing and disappointing for patients.
“A vaccination programme being delivered at this pace and scale is bound to face teething problems.
“It’s vital that GPs and their teams on the ground, running vaccination clinics, are communicated with clearly and listened to – and that any concerns they have about the roll-out are taken seriously, so that they can be addressed.”
That message was underlined to Mr Hancock on a visit to the Bloomsbury Surgery in London, where an expected delivery of the Oxford vaccine was delayed.
Mr Hancock said Britain's move to delay the second doses of Covid-19 vaccines would help to save lives as more people would be able to get some initial protection, defending a policy shift questioned by some scientists.
The abrupt change of tack on December 30 meant people who had been due to receive their second vaccine doses had their appointments cancelled in favour of scheduling more initial shots for others. Some scientists expressed doubts about the decision to alter proven dosing regimes.
Mr Hancock defended the move, saying partial protection for more people would do more good than full protection for a few.
"The justification is really clear and straightforward, which is that it saves more lives, and ultimately, that is the public health justification," Hancock told Parliament.
"The data show that there is a significant protection from both the Oxford and the Pfizer jabs after the first dose."
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
Meghan%20podcast
%3Cp%3EMeghan%20Markle%2C%20the%20wife%20of%20Prince%20Harry%2C%20launched%20her%20long-awaited%20podcast%20Tuesday%2C%20with%20tennis%20megastar%20Serena%20Williams%20as%20the%20first%20guest.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Duchess%20of%20Sussex%20said%20the%2012-part%20series%2C%20called%20%22Archetypes%2C%22%20--%20a%20play%20on%20the%20name%20of%20the%20couple's%20oldest%20child%2C%20Archie%20--%20would%20explore%20the%20female%20experience.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELast%20year%20the%20couple%20told%20Oprah%20Winfrey%20that%20life%20inside%20%22The%20Firm%22%20had%20been%20miserable%2C%20and%20that%20they%20had%20experienced%20racism.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20don't%20ever%20remember%20personally%20feeling%20the%20negative%20connotation%20behind%20the%20word%20ambitious%2C%20until%20I%20started%20dating%20my%20now-husband%2C%22%20she%20told%20the%20tennis%20champion.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
More from Armen Sarkissian
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
More about Middle East geopolitics
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Results
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m, Winner: RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Mnasek, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Grand Dubai, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m, Winner: Meqdam, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Cosgrave, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Madkhal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates
October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)
October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)
November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)
November 28-30: Dubai International Rally
January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)
March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)
April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
