Covid: Home-working 'single most important' defence, says health boss

Working from home is "the single most important thing" people can do to prevent further Covid-19 restrictions, a public health director has said.

Dr Mike Gogarty, of Essex County Council, was speaking after Boris Johnson told people they should work from home if possible.

Dr Gogarty said getting a booster jab, now being made available to all adults, was "really, really important."

Queues have built up at many walk-in clinics, including in Essex.

"Working from home as a directive is going to be important in keeping people out of circulation to reduce transmission in the community and on public transport," said Dr Gogarty.

"Where people can work from home, they absolutely must do that.

"I would say that was the single most important thing people could do now to prevent further restrictions up the line."

Getting a booster jab was also "absolutely essential", especially as the Omicron variant took hold, he said.

One of those standing in line for a booster at a walk-in clinic at Trinity Methodist Church in Pier Avenue, Clacton, was Barry Tozer, who lives in the town.

"My elderly mum's in hospital with dementia and she's going to be coming home next week," he said.

"After watching the news the last couple of days - get the booster - you know what I mean?

"I think Christmas is going to be cancelled again, like last year, just because the last few days things seem to be ramping up and I think they're going to ramp up even more."

However, there has so far been no indication that the government is planning further restrictions this Christmas.

Mr Tozer said he was meant to be hosting a several generations of his family at Christmas, but was becoming increasingly worried about having everyone there with his mother.

He was driving past when he saw the walk-in clinic queue and joined in.

"I parked my car and the only thing I've got worries about at the moment is my two hours parking. I'll get the booster, but I'll get a parking fine," he said.

Leah Buckland travelled from Harwich to get her booster jab in Clacton, as the nearest centre to her was not operating until Friday.

"It's a good idea, and I think we really need to ramp it up now and get everybody done," she said.

"How is this ever going to end if we don't try everything?"

She said she was "not particularly worried" about Christmas and was following the "scientific guidance".

"I think we need to concentrate on that and ignore all the other things that are going on at Number 10."

As the queue began to grow she said: "We're good at queueing in England - and it's not raining."

Vince Lee-Palmer, from Clacton, said he was queueing because "with Christmas coming up, and seeing friends and family, I want to make sure we're going to be as safe as possible, really".

"And it's not raining - and it's not cold.

"I think that if there's an opportunity - whether it's right or wrong - that you've done the best you can ready for Christmas Day, and that kind of thing... we just have to do the best we can for the situation, I guess."

On the subject of the jabs, Dr Gogarty said: "It's not a top-up; it's literally a booster.

"So, if you've had two doses of AstraZeneca for example, the level of haemoglobin in your body would be about 600 - if you have the booster it goes up to about 24,000 - so it's massive, and that's what's needed.

"You need that absolute optimal level of immunisation if you're going to protect yourself properly against Omicron."

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