Latest updates: health secretary says ‘rules would have been followed at all times’ during last year’s winter lockdown
- Boris Johnson contradicts expert advice to curb Christmas socialising
- Global coronavirus updates – live
As my colleague Rowena Mason reports, in his morning interviews Sajid Javid, the health secretary, also hinted that demands for GPs to return to face-to-face appointments could be dropped to let them do more vaccinating.
In his interviews Javid also suggested that people might want to take lateral flow tests before attending Christmas celebrations. Asked on Sky News if people should take a Covid test before going to a Christmas party, he replied: “I would.”
If you are invited to a Christmas party, there’s quite a few people there, maybe you want to take an LFT [lateral flow test] before you go. Go to the party, but just be cautious.
It depends if I am walking around or sitting down. It depends if I’m eating. People just need to make a decision based on the guidance.
You are at higher risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 in crowded and enclosed spaces, where there are more people who might be infectious and where there is limited fresh air.
You may wish to take a rapid lateral flow test if it is expected that there will be a period of high risk that day. This includes spending time in crowded and enclosed spaces, or before visiting people who are at higher risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19.
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