'Act like you've got' the virus, UK government urges

The govenment of UK has urged its people in England to "act like you've got" Covid as part of a Covid-19 advertising campaign aimed at tackling the rise in infections.

As cases and deaths soar, the government is releasing its advertising campaign, which will be shared across television, radio, newspapers and on social media, BBC reports.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the public should "stay at home" and not get complacent.

England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, says in the advert: "Vaccines give clear hope for the future, but for now we must all stay home, protect the NHS and save lives."

The Nation Health Service (NHS) of England said on Friday that it had made plans to vaccinate all frontline staff against Covid-19 in the next few weeks following the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Nikita Kanani, the Nation Health Service medical director for primary care, said the vaccine will be administered to "all health and social care staff" by mid-February.

On Friday 1,325 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were recorded in the UK - the highest daily figure yet - along with 68,053 new cases.

Government sources say there is likely to be more focus from police on enforcing rather than explaining rules.

"With over 1,000 people dying yesterday it's more important than ever everyone sticks to rules," a source told the BBC.

The prime minister says hospitals are "under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic", with infection rates increasing at an "alarming rate" across the country and the NHS under "severe strain".

"The vaccine has given us renewed hope in our fight against the virus but we must not be complacent," Mr Johnson adds.

"I know the last year has taken its toll - but your compliance is now more vital than ever."

Latest figures from Public Health England reveal the coronavirus infection rate in London has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000 people.

The Office for National Statistics recently estimated as many as one in 30 Londoners has coronavirus.

London's mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of coronavirus was "out of control" as he declared a "major incident" in the capital on Friday.

Such an incident is an emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or all of the emergency services, the NHS or the local authority.

It means the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response.

London councils have urged places of worship to close and the bishop of London Sarah Mullally said churches should "consider the seriousness of the situation" before holding in person services this weekend.

While the government seeks to reinforce its "stay at home" message, some police forces have faced criticism for their approaches to tackling potential breaches of coronavirus restrictions.

Derbyshire Police has said it will review fixed penalties issued during the new national lockdown after two women were ordered to pay £200 each after driving five miles from their home for a walk on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, councils are urging people to remain vigilant against a new coronavirus-related scam which sees criminals calling or texting to offer a vaccination at a cost.

The vaccine delivered by the NHS is free and patients will be contacted by the NHS informing them of their eligibility.

Councillor Nesil Caliskan, from the Local Government Association, said the "ruthless and opportunistic" scammers were taking advantage of the vaccine rollout. 

Moderna became the third coronavirus vaccine to be approved for use in the UK on Friday, joining Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca.

England, much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continue to be under strict national measures, with stay-at-home orders in place for most people.

The R number - the rate at which an infected person passes on the virus to someone else - is now estimated to be between 1.0 to 1.4, meaning the epidemic is growing between 0% and 6% per day.