SAFE SPACE
Two fully-vaccinated people meeting indoors is ‘incredibly safe’ but it’s STILL not allowed under cautious roadmap
TWO fully-vaccinated people meeting indoors is "incredibly safe" according to experts - but it's still not allowed under the cautious Covid lockdown roadmap.
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, said meetings between fully vaccinated people are "incredibly safe".
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He added that England was “extremely close” to allowing people to meet indoors - but that we needed to “hold the line for just a teeny bit longer”.
Professor Van-Tam warned that there would be "bumps in the road" as Covid lockdown restrictions were rolled back.
He said: “I would be highly confident, scientifically, that if those were reputable vaccines, then indeed it would be incredibly safe for those two people to meet.”
He also noted that following the rules would be “frustrating at times for people, particularly those who’ve had their two doses, but we need to make sure we don’t have to go backwards again”.
“My sense is that probably we are at or close to the bottom at the moment in terms of this level of disease in the UK," he said.
Professor Van-Tam said it was “inconceivable” that there would be a rise in cases as mixing returned.
However he said he hoped vaccinations would stop the NHS from being overwhelmed as it was in the winter.
In the United States, official advice states that two fully-vaccinated people can meet indoors without masks or physical distancing.
Two households will be able to meet indoors from May 17 according to the UK government roadmap, while all restrictions will be lifted on June 21.
Sixty million extra Pfizer vaccines have been secured for the UK as the government stockpiles Autumn booster jabs to prevent a third wave.
Boris Johnson has already warned of a fresh wave of infections and experts said extra Covid doses for the vulnerable could be available by September.
It comes ahead of the rollout extension to under-40s, expected in the next few weeks, and takes the total UK order to 100 million doses.
All over-50s will be given a third booster jab against new variants this autumn to prevent a killer winter wave, under plans leaked to The Sun.
The extra 60 million Pfizer doses will add to the UK’s growing armoury of vaccines – with deals now in place for 517 million shots of eight different types.
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Addressing the nation at a Downing Street press conference last night, Matt Hancock said: "The vaccine is helping us to bring back our freedom and we must protect that programme.
"So we are working on our plans for booster shots too. To keep us safe and free here, while we get this disease under control across the whole world, we have been working on a programme of booster shots for over a year now.
"I'm delighted to tell you we've been able to secure an extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine."
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