North West reacts as health secretary announces winter Covid plan
Video report from ITV News Reporter Jennifer Buck
A GP from Liverpool has described the Government's so called Autumn and Winter Plan 'a missed opportunity'
The Plan, is split into A and B, the latter sees tougher measures, if A fails. They are aimed at preventing a surge in Covid-19 cases and the NHS being overwhelmed.
Among the measures, people in England are being advised to wear face masks in crowded places and meet outdoors where possible.
The Health Secretary Sajid Javid said advice to work from home could return if the Covid-19 situation dictates, and face masks could be enforced through law if necessary.
Speaking from his surgery in Liverpool GP Dr Rob Barnett, who is one of the leading figures in the British Medical Association in the North West said Plan A was worrying, because he doesn't see people social distancing enough or wearing masks.
As a Liverpool GP he's concerned about lower up take for vaccines there, around 20 percent less than the national average and was shocked plans for a Vaccine passport to enter large venues has been scrapped.
One Lancashire bar owner has told us ITV Granada Reports that he hopes there will not be any more lockdowns.
James Smith said: "It sounds like we will have to go into masks again, that will effect us as customers of a certain age see face masks and they don't feel as confident but ultimately it is lockdowns that would effect us the most."
James Smith opened Hugos Cafe Bar a year ago at the height of the restrictions.
Main points from the government's winter plan:
Renew efforts to jab the six million unvaccinated over-16s
Rollout a booster jab programme for the most vulnerable to Covid
Offer vaccinations to all over-12s to 15s
Continue research in anti-viral treatments for Covid
Deliver the 'largest ever' flu jab programme
Plan B, if the Covid situation severely worsens:
Compulsory mask wearing could be enforced
Work from home advice could return
Vaccine passports could be used for entry to large indoor evens
Plan A also encourages meeting outdoors again, 'fine on a sunny day when there is plenty of seating'.
James said: "We're worried, between me and my wife we run it between us, we're new here we don't know what to expect here anyway during the winter.
"We do know it is a seasonal place. We do know if there were further restrictions in place, lockdowns things like that, it would really effect our income."
British Medical Association (BMA) council chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said that, as well as growing numbers of patients in hospital with Covid, the health service was facing a potentially difficult flu season as well as trying to tackle the waiting list backlog.
Dr Nagpaul said the trends in Covid cases, hospital admissions and deaths were all going in the wrong direction.
He added: "This is not about waiting to see what's happening later, hospitalisation rates have increased week on week, death rates are increasing week on week.
"The other thing is to bear in mind is we are likely to see a flu season surge this year, that will add significant pressure on top of what we are already seeing because of Covid.