Brits face restrictions if Covid spirals out of control this winter

BRITS were tonight given grim government warnings that Covid cases could reach 100,000 daily - and told that ministers "won't hesitate to act". Sajid Javid dangled the bleak prospect of tough winter restrictions like masks, working from home and vaccine passports to blunt another spike. The Health Secretary said Plan B contingency measures won't be brought in "at this point" and begged Brits not to "blow it". But he opened the first Covid press conference in weeks with a sobering warning: "We’ve always known that the winter months would pose the greatest threat to our road to recovery." Mr Javid feared that hospitalisations - the key factor that could tip the balance towards restrictions - could spiral to 1,000 a day. He used a Downing St briefing to urge those eligible to get their booster jabs to top up their antibodies. The top Tory said this was "not just to save lives, but to keep your freedoms too." Both he and Boris Johnson have backed The Sun's Give Britain A Booster campaign amid concerns of low take-up rates and waning immunity. Fears of fresh restrictions have grown in recent days amid a surge in Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths - which yesterday reached their highest since March at 223. NHS chiefs have called on ministers to enact their Plan B toolbox of contingency measures to supress a seasonal surge. Mr Javid resisted their demands but in a stark warning to the nation he said: "Deaths remain mercifully low, but they are still sadly over 100 a day. "This pandemic is not over."Thanks to the vaccination programme, yes, the link between cases and hospitalisations and deaths has significantly weakened, but it’s not broken. "So we must all remember that this virus will be with us for the long term, and that it remains a threat." Top boffin Jenny Harries added that infections, hospitalisations and deaths are all "moving in the wrong direction". Mr Javid warned: "We've come so far, thanks to the efforts of so many. But with winter ahead, we can't blow it now." He added: "We've always known that the winter months would pose the greatest threat to our road to recovery." BOOST OR ELSE The PM has so far resisted pushing the panic button and tonight Mr Javid instead gave a rallying cry for people to get boosters. Frontline workers and the most vulnerable are currently being called forward for their boosters, to be followed by over-50s in age order. Over-50s who had their second jab more than six months ago are eligible and are being contacted by the NHS to book slots. Waning immunity has spooked scientists and a fresh advertising blitz for boosters is launching at the end of this week. Mr Javid said: "Ever since our phenomenal vaccine rollout began last winter, we’ve been in a race. "A race between the vaccine and the virus and although we’re ahead in that race, the gap is narrowing. "We’ve come so far, thanks to the efforts of so many, but with winter ahead we can’t blow it now." https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/health-news/16481791/winter-restrictions-including-masks-and-wfh-could-return/ The Sun newspaper brings you the latest breaking news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know Read The Sun: http://www.thesun.co.uk Like The Sun on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesun/ Follow The Sun on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSun Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/The_Sun/1633225139