Make 2022 the year London bounces back from Covid, says Paul Scully

New Year's Eve celebrations in London
REUTERS

A minister has appealed to millions of people to “make 2022 the year London bounces back” as he vowed the Government will do everything possible to avoid more restrictions and keep the city open for business.

In an upbeat message at the start of the year, Paul Scully, the London minister, encouraged being “positive about everything that London has to offer” while also sticking to Plan B measures to combat Omicron.

He stressed that “all Londoners can play their part” to end the misery of the Covid pandemic by getting boosted and following measures such as wearing face masks where they are mandatory.

The hospitality sector and many other businesses, particularly in central London, which have struggled to get through Covid lockdowns, were further hit by the Plan B restrictions including working from home and fears over the spread of the Omicron wave which impacted first on the capital.

A further 20,080 confirmed Covid cases were announced for London on Monday, down from recent highs of more than 27,000.

The figures raised hopes that the Omicron wave may have peaked in London, though, it is too early to definitely say that given the impact of more social mixing at New Year and of the return to school is yet to be seen, and some people may have delayed or struggled to get tested in recent days.

However, many people have voluntarily scaled back their social mixing and taken other precautions to reduce the spread of the virus, cutting the risk of the NHS being overwhelmed and of tougher restrictions being imposed.

Speaking to the Standard, Mr Scully said: “Working together and looking out for each other in this way, I know we can make 2022 the year London bounces back.”

He added: “We are in so much of a better position than New Year 12 months ago but we’re still living with Covid.

“That means being positive about everything that London has to offer whilst remembering we’re still on Plan B.”

He also stressed: “The Government is determined to do everything possible to avoid further restrictions and to keep the city open for business - all Londoners can play their part.

“Getting boosted remains our best way to get back on our A-game. Wearing masks where required will help minimise the spread of the virus, reducing isolation and absences.”

Official figures also show steep rises in infections among elderly Londoners in recent days, with the seven-day infection rate up more than 400 per cent for many pensioner age groups in the week to December 29, compared to a fortnight earlier.

These individuals are more vulnerable to the virus but are largely boosted and studies have shown Omicron is milder than Delta.

Health chiefs are warning that hospitalisations could rise, after a few days of falling admissions, with the number of Covid patients in London’s hospitals at 3,848 as of Monday, just under half the level of the second wave peak.

The number of individuals so ill that they are on ventilators, 238, has gone up but slowly.

Doctors have stressed that the vast majority of Covid patients in intensive care are not fully vaccinated.

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