'Covid loves a crowd' so don't party this New Year, NHS boss warns

  • Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Paul Brand

"Covid loves a crowd but please leave the parties for later this new year," the medical director for NHS England has warned the country.

Speaking at a Downing Street Covid-19 briefing, Stephen Powis said: "We can all play a part in fighting this terrible virus. It will continue to be tough over the next few weeks."

Cases have once again surged - with the second successive 50,000-plus day - and the planned return to schools delayed by a week.

But there has been better news with the approval of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine.

It comes amid warnings the NHS is still yet to see the "impact of the infections that will have occurred during mixing on Christmas Day".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said we must "redouble" our efforts as infections rise, which is the reason why more areas were put into Tier 4 from New Year's Eve.

Mr Johnson said the "sheer pace" of the spread of the new variant "requires us now to take even tougher action in some areas".

He also urged people to follow the rules on December 31, saying: "I must ask you to follow the rules where you live tomorrow night and see in the New Year safely at home.

"That means not meeting up with friends or family indoors, unless they’re in the same household or support bubble, and avoiding large gatherings of any kind," he continued.

Watch the full Covid briefing here:

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, said at the start of the autumn around one in 900 people in England were testing positive for the virus - but that the number had increased to one in 70 at the point just before Christmas.

He added in areas including the east of England, the south of England and London, cases of the new coronavirus variant were increasing at a “really very substantial rate indeed”.

Prof Van-Tam said there was "enormous concern" that the new variant "with its new transmissibility" was spreading from the south to other parts of the country.

He warned the country is in a “precarious” position, and urged people to "play your part in stopping the virus".

ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston has analysis on the latest announcements:

His comments come as almost four in five people (some 44 million) will be living under the toughest Tier 4 regulations from midnight, the need to roll out the vaccine swiftly is ever more pressing.

Referring to the new tier measures announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Mr Johnson said: "At this critical moment, with the prospect of freedom within reach, we’ve got to redouble our efforts to contain the virus.

"No-one regrets these measures more bitterly than I do, but we must take firm action now."

The prime minister added: "We are still in the tunnel of this pandemic, the light however is not merely visible … the tunnel has been shortened, we’re moving faster through it and that gives me great confidence about the future in the Spring."

On the decision to continue with the Tier system, rather than a national lockdown, Mr Johnson said the system was the "fairest way".

He admitted, however, that the effectiveness of the strongest Tier is still "an open question".

Speaking in the Commons later on Wednesday, Mark Harper - chairman of the Covid Recovery Group - called on the government to make the vaccine roll-out top priority in order to ease restrictions by February.

Mr Harper said the government’s "job number one" must be giving people the jab.

He said two million doses a week would ensure everybody aged 65 and over can be vaccinated by the third week of February.