Tag: sajid javid

UK to Relax Immigration Rules for Care Workers Amid Staff Shortages

The UK government announced on Friday that it will relax immigration rules on care workers to tackle acute staff shortages in the social care sector. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it will make temporary changes to the health and care visa to make social care workers, care assistants, and home care…


Omicron up to 70 Percent Less Likely to Result in Hospitalization: UK Health Security Agency

The Omicron variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus is up to 70 percent less likely to result in hospitalization, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday. According to the government agency’s preliminary findings on the new variant, the risk of hospital admission for an identified case with Omicron is reduced compared…


UK Health Chief Welcomes Studies Showing Omicron Causes Less Severe Illness

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid has welcomed studies suggesting the Omicron COVID-19 variant may cause less severe illness than earlier strains, but warned it could still lead to “significant” hospital admissions. Researchers from the Imperial College London estimated that Omicron patients were 20- to 25-percent less likely to need hospital care and 40- to 45-percent…


UK Government Slammed for Economic Impact of ‘Stop-Start’ COVID-19 Curbs

The British government is facing renewed criticism of its “stop-start” approach to COVID-19 restrictions, as the health secretary refused to rule out adopting further measures before Christmas. Senior Conservative MP and former minister Tobias Ellwood said on Sunday that the government’s “off the bus, on the bus” approach to tackling COVID-19 has done damage to…


UK Government Slammed for Economic Effect of ‘Stop-Start’ COVID-19 Curbs

The UK government is facing renewed criticism of its “stop-start” approach to COVID-19 restrictions, as the country’s health secretary refused to rule out adopting further measures before Christmas. Senior Conservative MP and former minister Tobias Ellwood said on Dec. 19 that the government’s “off the bus, on the bus” approach to tackling COVID-19 has done…


UK Scraps COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine for Travelers from 11 African Countries

The UK government announced on Tuesday that hotel quarantine for travellers arriving in England will be abandoned. Under restrictions introduced to slow the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, all travellers arriving in the UK from the 11 African countries currently on the UK’s travel “red list” have been required to spend 11 nights in…


‘Fully Vaccinated’ to Include Boosters: UK Official

People attempting to use COVID-19 passes will soon need a booster shot, a top UK official said Monday. Sajid Javid, the country’s health secretary, told Parliament in a prepared statement that the emergence of the Omicron virus variant shows “two jabs are not enough to prevent symptomatic infection.” Multiple small studies performed on human samples…


Mask Mandate Enforced in Most Indoor Settings in England

The UK government on Friday began enforcing a mask mandate in most indoor settings in England including cinemas, theatres, and churches in a bid to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. The measure is part of the “Plan B” the government had prepared to respond to a…


UK Travel Industry Decries Return of Pre-Departure COVID-19 Tests

The British travel industry has reacted with fury to the latest travel restrictions announced by the UK government to rein in the new Omicron COVID-19 variant. UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Saturday that all travellers arriving in England will be required to take a COVID-19 pre-departure test from Tuesday. He also said that…


UK Travel Industry Critical of Return of Pre-Departure COVID-19 Tests

The British travel industry has reacted with fury to the latest travel restrictions announced by the UK government to rein in the new Omicron COVID-19 variant. UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Saturday that all travellers arriving in England will be required to take a COVID-19 pre-departure test from Tuesday. He also said that…