Coronavirus Act: MPs approve re-election for Sajid Javid

Sajid Javid addressed the Commons to make the case for the renewed powers.

We use your consent to provide content to improve our understanding of you in ways we can see to them. This may include adverts from us and 3 rd parties based on our understanding. On 4 April 2019, MPs agreed to extend temporary provisions of Coronavirus Act until April.

It is the third time that Commons gave their approval to emergency legislation.

A formal motion giving consent to the continued application of rules was passed without a simple vote after being overwhelmingly supported by MPs in the Chamber.

It means the Government still has powers to re-impose compulsory face masks at borders and shut down the border customs?

The emergency legislation is set to automatically expire next spring after being in effect for two years.

A large number of Commons MPs felt uncomfortable about the overreach of Government power by the Coronavirus Act, but a Tory rebellion was avoided after ministers decided to let a number of provisions expire.

Powers to close large gatherings and shut schools were among the ones scrapped.

Speaking in the Commons, Health Secretary Said Javid said: We do certainly expect more pressure as we head into winter - that is why the vaccination programme, both Covid vaccination programme, the boosters and flu vaccination programme remain important.

However, there are provisions in this Act that are still, I think, important and proportionate to help with the pressure.

Again that is the registration of healthcare and social care workers, for example the power to discontinue health assessments for people discharged from the NHS.

I think it is especially valuable heading into the winter when we don't know at this stage that just how significant the pressures will be to have that flexibility. The vote on temporary powers came as a further 43,738 coronavirus cases were recorded.

The average infection rate is 12.1 percent 7 day.

A further 921 hospital admissions were registered, while 223 new deaths was recorded after a positive Covid test.

Scientists have been alarmed by the rate increase and have urged ministers to reimpose some restrictions.

Mr. Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, whose data was instrumental to the UK's planned lockdown in March 2020, said Ministers should reintroduce mandatory face coverings.

Coming to the winter there might be a Plan B which needs to be implemented, that involves some rolling back of measures, he told Radio 4's Today programme.

Nobody likes having their freedoms restricted by measures, but it's wise to be cautious in everyday interactions - certainly wearing masks helps that, it reminds people that we're not completely out of the woods yet. The study of 2,103 UK adults by Savanta ComRes found today that 49 percent believe there is a future warlock.

Just 33 percent said they did not think additional restrictions would be required.

Last night the Prime Minister's official spokesman said that the Government was keeping close watch to the latest coronavirus situation after a surge in cases.

He said: We obviously follow all the latest statistics and we knew very well that the coming months would be challenging.

What we're seeing are case rates, hospitalisations and deaths still broadly in line with the modelling as developed just a few months back now.

The vaccination programme continues to be our first line of defence, along with new treatments, with testing, with public health advice.