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Written Question
China: Coronavirus
Wednesday 18th January 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the rising number of covid-19 cases in China; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Our policy is set out in the “Living with COVID-19 Strategy”, published last February. That explained that we would be removing self-isolation and other requirements and standing down much of our COVID-19 response, including testing and tracing infrastructure. However, we recognise that the pandemic is not over, and that there remains a risk of future COVID-19 surges and variants, both nationally and internationally.

We have therefore maintained the capacity for contingency responses to emerging COVID-19 threats, for example by extending eligibility for testing. As a result, we have been able to respond quickly to the situation in China, using existing contingency plans and capacity, and do so in line with existing policies.

The UK Health Security Agency began non-mandatory polymerase chain reaction testing with genomic sequencing at Heathrow, to detect new variants among passengers arriving on direct flights from China and passengers arriving from China to England now need to show a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test taken no more than two days prior to departure.

The best defence against COVID-19 remains vaccination and the Government continues to encourage those eligible to receive their boosters


Written Question
NHS: Coronavirus
Friday 17th December 2021

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to fill vacancies made available through people losing their jobs in the NHS as a result of refusing to have a mandatory covid-19 vaccine.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We continue to encourage all health workers to make the positive choice to take up the COVID-19 vaccine to help protect the people they care for, themselves and their colleagues. We have implemented a 12-week grace period, allowing time for both workforce planning and for those who are not yet vaccinated against who may now wish to do so. We have set an enforcement date of 1 April 2022 to assist providers over the winter period and minimise workforce pressures. We are increasing opportunities to receive the vaccine through the booster programme such as walk-in and pop-up sites.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have written to all providers providing early guidance on vaccination as a condition of deployment to ensure smooth implementation and assist preparation and planning. Guidance has also been provided on the use of one to one conversations for all unvaccinated National Health Service staff with line managers. We are also increasing engagement with targeted communities where uptake is the lowest, including ethnic minority and faith networks to encourage healthcare workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.