Downing Street: Government has ‘no plans’ to introduce mandatory Covid vaccines

Government says it has no plans to introduce compulsory masks (PA)
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Josh Salisbury3 December 2021

Downing Street has said the Government still has “no plans” to make vaccines mandatory.

Asked on Friday if jabs could ever be made compulsory, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson told reporters: “We've set out our policy on this and we've said it's not something that we would look to introduce.

"You're aware of the changes we made in terms of social care settings and for NHS workers, given the importance of protecting the most vulnerable in our society. But there's no plans above and beyond that in that regard."

No 10 officials also poured cold water on any suggestions of separate lockdown measures for the unvaccinated in future as have been seen on the continent.

The spokesman said: “I think you can look back at the restrictions we've had previously and the fact that we've never introduced something along those lines.

"Our priority is to continue to promote vaccinations and promote boosters now that we are rolling out more and more boosters to more and more people.

“That is our priority, that's our focus, and that's what we're asking people to come forward and take.”

It comes as Germany became the latest country on Thursday to introduce a de facto nationwide lockdown on the unvaccinated.

Under the tough new measures, those who have not taken the jab, or who have not got proof of recent Covid recovery, will be barred from large swathes of public life.

As well as only being able to meet with their own household and two other people, the unjabbed will be banned from most non-essential venues.

Lawmakers will also debate a general vaccine mandate which could come into force as soon as February.

In the UK, authorities are hoping that an expansion of the booster programme will provide sufficient protection against the new Omicron variant, as 53,945 new Covid cases were recorded on Thursday.

That is the highest daily total since mid-July. The UK’s booster programme will be rolled out to all adults, with a target date of the end of January for all to have received an offer.

Fresh Covid rules were also introduced this week including the return of mandatory face masks in England and a requirement for travellers entering the country to take a PCR test.

Those identified as a contact of the new Omicron strain are also now required to self isolate, regardless of vaccination status.

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