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CNN INTERNATIONAL: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Holds Press Conference. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired December 08, 2021 - 13:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[13:00:20]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Right now, we are waiting for a news conference from the British prime minister. Boris Johnson is facing one of the most damaging scandals of his time in office, after a video emerged of him -- his staff appearing to make light of breaking COVID lockdown rules last December.

This news conference was called just a few moments ago. We may also get an update on the U.K.'s own coronavirus response this Christmas.

Well, some more details are emerging on the footage that sparked this controversy. CNN affiliate ITV News obtained video of a mock press conference where Johnson's then Press Secretary Allegra Stratton joked about having a Christmas party.

In just the past few hours, tearfully announced her resignation as one of Johnson's advisers.

And here now is video from...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: I have just seen reports on Twitter that there was a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night. Do you recognize those reports?

ALLEGRA STRATTON, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY FOR BORIS JOHNSON: I went home.

(LAUGHTER)

STRATTON: Hold on. I will look.

QUESTION: Would the prime minister condone having a Christmas party?

STRATTON: What's the answer?

QUESTION: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It wasn't a party. It was cheese and wine.

STRATTON: Is cheese and wine all right? It was a business meeting.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not joking.

STRATTON: This is recorded. This fictional party was a business meeting. And it was not socially distanced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Johnson denies that a party took place, but opposition lawmakers say he has been caught red-handed in a lie.

There are concerns that this incident undermines Johnson's credibility when asking the rest of the nation to adhere to COVID safety protocols.

Well, Salma Abdelaziz is following the story for us from Downing Street.

A lot to cover and break down here, Salma. Firstly, this is a fiasco. We heard in question time Q&A the prime minister apologizing over this. What are we likely to hear from him when he hosts this press conference in the coming minutes?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a COVID press briefing. And there have been reports or rumors that -- essentially, that more COVID restrictions are being discussed.

Of course, we have a new surge of cases, driven, some of them, by the over Macron variant, others by the Delta variant. And there does seem to be concerned among the authorities here that our restrictions are simply not tough enough.

But, of course, when you think about the scandal in there, the question is, is how can the prime minister stand in front of the country and put tougher rules into place, if that's what he does, when you have this leaked video showing those who set the rules not following the rules, if, indeed, that Christmas party took place, an alleged Christmas party, on December 18?

So there's questions right now being asked about the prime minister's moral authority, about his ability to lead and to be heard and respected and listened to at this time. Already, in the court of public opinion, I can tell you, the prime minister is absolutely losing, because when this alleged incident took place in December 18 of last year, it was one of the most difficult moments in the pandemic for this country.

December 18, London was under tier three restrictions. That means no mixing indoors. On December 19, the day after this alleged party took place, that's when Prime Minister Boris Johnson canceled Christmas, effectively, for this country. He went on the airwaves and said, we must sacrifice Christmas this year if we are to see our loved ones safe and healthy next year.

I'm paraphrasing here. But, essentially, that was the message. And a few days later, the country essentially went into a full lockdown while there was this variant, the Kent variant, spreading like wildfire through the population, killing hundreds of people a day.

So everyone here remembers that moment, remembers that week, when they had to pick up the phone, call their family and say: I'm sorry. You're going to be alone on Christmas. You're going to be alone during the holidays.

And then, of course, that anger, that frustration is compounded if you are a bereaved family member, if you are one of those who lost a loved one to COVID-19. Tens of thousands of people in this country did lose people to this virus.

One of the bereaved family groups wrote that this is the behavior -- again, indeed, if this alleged incident took place, this group saying this is the behavior of people who think they are above the rules. And that's the sense here, the sense of betrayal, the sense that the rules don't apply to those who set them.

Again, the prime minister is so far denying that this alleged incident took place. He's promised a full investigation, but he continues to deny that a party took place and that any COVID rules were broken. But the fallout continues, Lynda.

KINKADE: It certainly does. We have already had resignation.

[13:05:00]

And from the prime minister, we had an apology earlier today. Just want to play some of that sound from question time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I can understand how infuriating it must be to think that the people who have been setting the rules have not been following the rules, Mr. Speaker, because I was also furious to see that clip.

But I repeat, Mr. Speaker, that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that -- and that no COVID rules were broken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier today.

Salma, we have seen results from a snap poll, which shows a majority of people in Britain want the prime minister to resign over this. Is that likely to happen?

ABDELAZIZ: That's a big question, Lynda.

Look, there's a few things to consider here. First of all, this is not the prime minister's first scandal. It is fair to say that this is quite a scandal-prone administration. And, specifically, this is not this administration's first scandal when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions.

We had a very similar incident last year with a senior aide who was accused of violating restrictions, COVID restrictions, during a tough lockdown. So you have an administration here that, yes, while this might be one incident, but there's now reports of multiple parties. There is this growing crescendo of scandals.

So you have a few layers here . First, does the Conservative Party, the prime minister's party, does it continue to back him and support him through this scandal, yet another scandal? Secondly, the court of public opinion, as you said, 54 percent of people in that small poll saying they want to see the prime minister resign.

It's going to be key, how does he win people back, when there's this sense that he lied to the country again?

(CROSSTALK)

KINKADE: Salma, I'm just going to interrupt you.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is speaking now. Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JOHNSON: ... as a precaution, whilst our scientists discover more. And we're learning more every day.

We don't yet know Omicron's severity, its exact rate of transmission, nor indeed the full effectiveness of our vaccines against it.

But since I last spoke to you, it's become increasingly clear that Omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant, and it's spreading rapidly all around the world; 568 cases have been confirmed through genomic sequencing across every region of the U.K., and the true number is certain to be much higher.

Most worryingly, there is evidence that the doubling time of Omicron in the U.K. could currently be between two and three days. And while there are some limits on what we can learn from South Africa because of the different rates of vaccination, different rates of previous infection, we're seeing growth in cases here in the U.K. that now mirrors the rapid increases previously seen in South Africa.

And South Africa is also seeing hospitalizations roughly doubling in a week, meaning that we can't yet assume that Omicron is less severe than previous variants. So, while the picture may get better, and I sincerely hope that it will, we know that the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalizations and, therefore, sadly, in deaths.

And that's why it's now the proportionate and the responsible thing to move to Plan B in England, while continuing to work closely with our colleagues in the devolved administrations, so we slow the spread of the virus, buy ourselves the time to get yet more boosters into arms, and especially in the older and more vulnerable people, and understand the answers to the key outstanding questions about Omicron.

So, first, we will reintroduce the guidance to work from home, guidance to work from home. Employers should use the rest of the week to discuss working arrangements with their employees, but, from Monday, you should work from home if you can, go to work if you must, but work from home if you can, all right?

I know this will be hard for many people, but by reducing your contacts in the workplace, you will help slow transmission.

Second, from this Friday, we will further extend the legal requirement to wear a face mask to most public indoor venues, including theaters and cinemas. There will be, of course, exceptions where it's not practical, such as when eating, drinking, exercising, or singing.

Third, e will also make the NHS COVID Pass mandatory for entry into nightclubs and venues where large crowds gather, including unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people.

[13:10:10]

The NHS COVID Pass can still be obtained with two doses. But we will keep this under review as the boosters roll out. And having taken clinical advice since the emergence of Omicron, a negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient.

As we set out in Plan B, we will give businesses a week's notice. So this will come into force in a week's time, helping to keep these events and venues open at full capacity, while giving everyone who attends them confidence that those around them have done the responsible thing to minimize risk to others.

As Omicron spreads in the community, we will also introduce daily tests for contacts, instead of isolation, so we keep people safe, while minimizing the disruption to daily life.

And, of course, we will take every step to ensure our NHS is ready for the challenges ahead.

But the single biggest thing that every one of us can do is to get our jobs and, crucially, to get that booster as soon as our turn arrives. One year to the day since the U.K. became the first country in the world to administer a COVID vaccine into the arms of Margaret Keenan, we have opened up the vaccine booster to all those over 40.

And we're reducing the gap between second dose and booster to a minimum of just three months. Our heroic NHS staff and volunteers have already done almost 21 million boosters, including reaching 84 percent of all the eligible over-80s.

But we need to go further and faster still, because our scientists are absolutely confident that your immune -- your immune response will be stronger if you have been boosted. And while you're at it, please get your flu jab too.

Let's do everything we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones this winter, and to reduce the pressures on our NHS.

As we learn more, so we will be guided by the hard medical data around four key criteria, the efficacy of our vaccines and our boosters, the severity of Omicron, the speed of its spread, and the rate of hospitalizations.

We will constantly monitor the data and keep it under review. And, of course, we must be humbled in the face of this virus. But if and, indeed, as soon as it becomes clear that the boosters are capable of holding this Omicron variant, and we have boosted enough people to do that job of keeping Omicron in equilibrium, then we will be able to move forward as before.

So, please, everybody, play your part and get boosted.

I'm now going to hand over to Chris to do the slides.

CHRIS WHITTY, CHIEF BRITISH MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, Prime Minister.

First slide, please.

I wanted to situate this initially on where we are with Delta, because what's happening is, Omicron is coming on the back of a still high rate of Delta transmission and hospitalization.

So, in the first slide, what we have is the number of people testing positive for COVID in the U.K., and that has been drifting upwards, not at a very rapid rate, but it has been drifting upwards. The Omicron data aren't really going to be visible in this for a few days, but they will become visible over time.

Next slide, please.

The number of people in the hospital with COVID in the U.K. has, because of the booster vaccination program in particular, been drifting down until this point in time, with the numbers going into hospital reducing, although that's now stabilized slightly.

And that's really because the boosters are particularly going to protect and are protecting people who are in the highest-risk categories, as the prime minister has said.

Next slide, please.

And the number of people in the U.K. who are dying has, again, gradually been decreasing over time, but it's still a daily average of 121 deaths from COVID.

So, we still have a significant issue with COVID. And I think anybody who speaks to anyone working in the NHS would say that is on top of an incredibly busy system.

Next slide, please.

In terms of our major countermeasures, of course, the biggest one, as the prime minister has said, is boosting. And this is steadily increasing. So we now have over a third of those who are eligible have already had a booster. And they are, by and large, the most vulnerable third, but there's still people who are in higher risk groups who have not been boosted.

[13:15:05]

And, of course, we have to move down those groups. And that is going to become absolutely critical, we think, as we move on to -- into a period where Omicron becomes significant, and probably then becomes dominant.

Next slide, please.

And if -- this is just data, data just to show quite how effective, with the variants we have had to date, vaccination can be. And what it compares is, in the dark lines, the hospitalization rate in the blue- black bars, in those who are unvaccinated, and, in the orange bars, those who are vaccinated with two doses. This is largely protecting against Delta, and as you can see, at every age, a really substantial improvement in your protection.

Next slide, please.

So, now we move on to the data on Omicron. And these are data probably people have seen versions of in media over the last few days. But I think they do need point -- need sort of fleshing out of it.

So these are the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in South Africa. At this point in time, the big increase in COVID in South Africa is virtually all the Omicron variant. And this has now spread all around South Africa. And, as you can see, this is an incredibly steep increase in rates.

And we're now seeing this translating into increasing -- increases in hospitalizations. So, for example, I was talking to some of my colleagues from South Africa this afternoon. And they were saying that informal data still to be -- still to be added to, but there was around about a 300 percent increase on hospitalizations over the last week.

So, some of those will have come in with Omicron, and some of them will come in as a result of Omicron. But the fact is, those numbers are going up very sharply.

Next slide, please.

So what's happening here in the U.K.? Well, I'm afraid that the data here are now clear. What you can see here is the number on the left and, on the right, the percentage of cases with what's called S gene target failure. This is a marker for Omicron.

Virtually all the cases now who've got this marker will have Omicron. A very small number at the bottom will not. And as you can see, whether you look at the absolute count or the percentage, this is going up incredibly fast now.

And as the prime minister said, this is doubling at this point in time. It may slow down, and the aim of the measures announced by the prime minister is to slow things down. But it's doubling currently between two and three -- every two and three days.

That is an extraordinarily fast rate. And you therefore can get with very small numbers to very large numbers really quite quickly. Now, the question, obviously, people reasonably want to ask is, will this feed through to people in hospital and how quickly?

And I think I would just like to just point out two realities. First of all, the first one is a good one, but, at the moment, the spread is in younger people, who you would not expect to go into hospital, and once it starts moving up the ages and into vulnerable groups, that you will start to see that. So there will be a lag as it moves into more vulnerable groups.

And then we know from previous waves -- and this is not particularly surprising -- that there is a delay between people becoming infected with COVID and ending up with symptoms, and then with hospitalization. So there's usually about a two-week delay.

You would therefore not expect that these cases, that the case rates in hospital will start to go up for a number of probably two to three weeks. And, in that period, if you're doubling up at the speed we're talking about now, we move from very small numbers to really substantial numbers, and it will keep on doubling.

And that really is the reason why these measures have been announced by the prime minister, as agreed by ministers today.

Thank you very much.

JOHNSON: Thanks very much, Chris.

Patrick, anything you want to add?

OK, good.

Well, let's go to members of the public.

Then, Dave from Chester.

QUESTION: Are mandatory vaccinations being considered likely around E.U. and other global nations? And if not, why? Why is it acceptable to put measures on our freedoms, but not that on our vaccination statuses?

JOHNSON: Thanks, Dave.

Well, I said right at the beginning of this pandemic that I think -- or as soon as we were really talking about vaccination seriously, that I didn't want us to have a society and a culture where we force people to get vaccinated.

I don't think that's ever been the way we do things in this country. And, actually, Dave, we have able to achieve, through the volunteerism of the British people, through their incredible public spiritedness, willingness to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated, huge numbers, huge proportions of our of our population.

[13:20:13]

I think that there is going to come a point, if we can show that the vaccines are capable of holding the Omicron -- and that's the key thing that I think that we need to test. But I do think that we're going to have to have a conversation about ways in which we deal with this pandemic, because I want to be absolutely clear with you.

I don't believe we can keep going indefinitely with non-pharmaceutical interventions, I mean, restrictions on people's way of life, where -- just because a substantial proportion of the population still, sadly, has not got vaccinated. And I think we're going to need to have a national conversation about the way forward and the other things that we can do to protect those who are hard to reach, who haven't got vaccinated for one reason or another, who may have medical reasons why they can't get vaccinated, other ways of protecting them.

But that is a stage that I think we will come to if and when we establish, as I hope that we will, that the booster is effective against Omicron and the booster is capable of holding on Omicron, getting us back into that equilibrium that the double jabs got us into with Delta, if you follow me.

So it's at that moment that I think we will have to talk seriously about moving on from the way we -- from thinking about further, further NPIs and thinking about other ways in which we protect people.

Rachel from Essex.

Rachel asks: "Why can't fully vaccinated British travelers stuck in red-listed countries self-isolate at home when they return, instead of a hotel? Quarantine hotels are too expensive, especially as this was implemented on short notice, not giving travelers a chance to get home?"

Well, Rachel, I think that's a very fair challenge. I think that, given the way Omicron is now seeded around the world, and not just in red-listed countries, I think we will be looking at the red list in the way that we do it.

But it's been very important in the immediate period, immediate response to Omicron, to have very tough border measures to slow the arrival of the variant in this country. And that was the objective of those measures and continues to be the objective.

And, Chris, perhaps anything you want to add to that?

OK, then let's go straight to Laura Kuenssberg of BBC News.

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Prime Minister.

You're tightening the rules again for millions of people tonight. How can you stand at that lectern exactly where some of your team laughed and joked about COVID rules and tell people they must now follow your new instructions?

And are you really asking the public to believe that you had no idea what was going on under your own roof?

JOHNSON: Actually, the first thing I want to say -- thanks very much, Laura.

The first thing I want to say is that I know that, today, Allegra Stratton has resigned. And I wanted to pay tribute to her, because she has been -- and in spite of what everybody has seen -- and, again, I make no excuses for the frivolity with which the subject was handled in that -- in that rehearsal that people saw in that clip.

And there can be no excuse for it. And it was -- I can totally understand how infuriating it was. But I want to say that Allegra has been a fine colleague, has achieved a great deal in her time in government, and was a particularly effective spokesman for COP 26.

She coined the coal, cars, cash, trees agenda, and help really to marshal and to rally the world behind the agreement in COP 26. And I really -- Laura, if you forgive me, I wanted to say that, because I think it's been a sad day for her, as well as an infuriating event for many, many people around the -- around the country.

And, on that point, look, I just want to -- I want to repeat that the fundamental point is that I think the British public, notwithstanding the point that you make, can see the vital importance of the medical information that we're giving. And they can see the need to take it to heart and to act upon it.

[13:25:00]

And that point has been proved time and time again. And it's never been more conspicuous in the way that the public has responded to the vaccine rollout and the way that they have -- they have done the responsible thing.

So, I'm -- I take my encouragement from the way the public have dealt with it themselves.

Anushka Asthana of ITV.

QUESTION: Prime Minister, you have only really agreed to an investigation into what happened on December the 18th last year because of the video that emerged from this room.

And Allegra Stratton's resignation seems to further suggest that a party took place, despite the denials. But we have also had serious allegations about parties on three other occasions. So I want to ask you why they aren't being investigated. Is it because you haven't been caught out in those cases? Or is it because reports are true that you attended some of them?

And to the rest of you here, can I ask how worried you are about whether this undermines public trust? Because the polling suggests that it does do. And conservative M.P.s are openly saying that it's very hard now to mandate the public to act.

JOHNSON: Thanks very much.

Anushka, well, I repeat what I said in the House and -- earlier today. The Cabinet secretary will conduct an inquiry into the -- into what took place on December the 18th.

As for other events that -- other dates that you mentioned, as far as I'm aware, to the best of my knowledge, we have followed the rules throughout. And that is what you would expect. Indeed, we followed the rule -- as far as I'm aware, the rules were followed on December the 18th as well.

And I just -- I just repeat that point. But it's clearly important that the Cabinet secretary is able to get to the bottom of it.

But, in the meantime, on your sort of global, your big point, again, an issue which is really the same as Laura's, I think the -- overwhelmingly, the public see the importance of the messages that they are getting via this medium. It is imperfect. We do what we can to explain what we think is necessary.

I know it's contentious. I know it's difficult. And I know that, sometimes, the messages are confusing. We do our absolute best to make it as clear as possible. And we do everything that we can to protect public health. That's what we're where we're driven by.

But Chris and Patrick, you were asked...

DR. PATRICK VALLANCE, CHIEF BRITISH SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: I mean, the measures work because people follow them. And that's been shown time and time again during this. So, it's incredibly important everyone follows it. It's everybody.

It was incredibly important throughout. It's going to be incredibly important going forward. And it only works if we will all do it. And we're now facing a viral variant that's rapidly progressing. It's got a doubling time of between two and three days.

And measures need to be taken to try and slow the spread of that variant, as well as -- and I think this is important -- us all boosting our own defenses by getting a booster jab. So I think the rules are there quite, carefully thought through and given scientific evidence.

And they're there because they're important, and they're there for everybody to stick to.

WHITTY: Yes, if I can just add to that, I mean, I think we all know that people get very angry, including colleagues and friends, and -- when they feel that it's unfair. And the prime minister said that in the House comments, and he said it said it today. That's quite different from people, I think, wanting to actually know what's going on, and then make decisions. And I think those two need to be separated.

And the point about what we're trying to do is trying to actually say, look, here are the reasons. This is moving very fast, doubling every two to three days. It is too early for us to be absolutely confident about hospitalizations. But I think you have seen how things have gone before. That's probably the way to bet. And then if we're pleasantly surprised, no one will be happier than I would be and Patrick and the prime minister.

And we know that it looked as if it was going to be able to evade vaccination. And now, clinically, we know that it can in terms of infection. So we know that is an issue. Therefore, the boosters become significantly more important.

And we know that we're going early now, so as to try and be able to slow this down at an early stage of events. And I think it's laid out to people in a way that is reasonable. Irrespective of other things, people want to know the logic as to why they're doing it.

And I hope we're trying to lay out the logic of trying to do that. That's not in any way to try and move away from the earlier point, but I just think those two should be kept separate in people's minds.

JOHNSON: Thanks very much, Chris.

Beth Rigby, Sky.

QUESTION: Prime Minister, on Allegra Stratton's resignation, she resigned today. She looked broken as she did it.

[13:30:00]

How did you feel when you watched that statement and watched what she said, heard what she said? And doesn't it lead to your leadership being questioned if others are taking responsibility for things that happened in this place instead of you taking responsibility?

And to the scientists, people are going to feel pretty flat listening to this press conference. They were told to get their jabs, to get their boosters, that we would have an irreversible path out of lockdown, that life would continue. Winter comes. We are now being told that we have to live with restrictions. Again, is this just the reality of living with COVID, so this is not just another year, this is happening, but this is our lives now for years to come? I think people will be worried about that. Thank you.

JOHNSON: Yes, (INAUDIBLE). First, on your first point. Look, yes, I repeat what I said to Laura. I think that Allegra has been an outstanding spokesperson for the government, for COP, she did an extraordinary job and I'm very, very sorry to lose her.

On your point about responsibility, I didn't just take responsibility for things that happened in this building. I take responsibility for everything that happens in this government and I've made that clear throughout the pandemic.

VALLANCE: On the question about where we are now and what that means for the future, this viral has mutated a lot quickly. And that is sort of what you'd expect at this stage. You start to see more mutations. This one's got a lot more than anyone thought would arrive that quickly. And that's what's caused so many concerns about it. Spreading very fast.

The good news is that so far, it looks as though when you get very high antibody levels with the booster vaccine, it's definitely having some effect against it in the laboratory studies. We need to watch and see what happens over the next few weeks as we get more data on that.

So, the boosters remain incredibly important as a way of increasing immunity. What we're on is a road from pandemic to endemic where this becomes a more sort of infection-like flu or something over time but we're in a sort of bumpy transition for that, and that's going to be difficult and it is difficult now and there are special measures that need to happen now to try and reduce the spread. It doesn't mean this is what happens in perpetuity. You would expect that over time, this becomes a virus which then has peaks every year, just in the way flu does, perhaps. But it wouldn't be endlessly having new variants that always escape vaccines to some extent.

You'd also expect that the vaccine will need change over time, just as the flu vaccine changes year on year, and you get a slightly different one because the thing continues to evolves a bit. So, I think this is a surprise change that's happened. It's a big one. And yes, it's going to make everyone feel a bit sort of deflated about it. But there are things that can be done. I think the vaccines are going to hold up to some extent here and I think probably boosters will really push that to a level that's going to be important. We need to test that and find out. And I don't think it's a harbinger of what happens hereafter.

We may see -- we will see more variants. And they will always cause some sort of challenge, but the challenge is the same sort of challenge that you're going to see year on year with other things as well over time.

WHITTY: Can I just add to that? Because I'm going to obviously completely agree. We're in a sort of transition period from the point when the pandemic first hit in 2020 where we had to rely entirely on social measures and have no medical countermeasures.

We will get to a stage where we have multiple countermeasures, probably lots of different types of vaccines, antivirals are currently (INAUDIBLE), which is the way we have dealt now with very many infectious diseases. We're in that midpoint.

We are immeasurably better off now than we were with the vaccines we've got, with drugs, with better hospital treatments. There's a whole bunch of things that are so much better than they were. It would be much quicker getting over this than it would have been if we had the same situation that hit us a year ago. But we shouldn't -- at no point have we said that there wouldn't be any variants, significant ones potentially and vaccines escape ones. That's been said by almost every media outlet that's represented here repeatedly, and for good reasons. That's the biological inevitability.

Now, when it comes to this particular, in the long run, I think the outlook is good. But I think we have to accept that it is not -- it is still a difficult period. And in terms of this particular variant, the question I think is really going to be, is this held by the current vaccines with boosters or are we actually going to have to do a reformulation of the vaccine at least more vulnerable people and that is what we'll need to do over time?

[13:35:00]

And it may be actually what we have as a transition period where the booster holds it for a bit and that buys us time and then, we can actually get a specific or what's called polyvalent (ph) vaccine, and that will allow us then to, you know, from later on in this year, be able to respond to it directly. So, I think we should -- in a sense, well, I think we should say that I can see why people feel deflated, but this is a kind of setback. This is not a situation where we're back to square one. We are kind of we're having to just deal with it. As we always thought we might have to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). You said that you were furious about the video you saw about the mock press conference.

JOHNSON: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did you feel when you saw Allegra --

JOHNSON: Yes. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Because of the huge press of meetings so far today, I haven't been able to see that. But I'm, of course, aware of what Allegra has said. And I just repeat what I said, I'm very grateful to her for everything that she's done and I wish her all the very best and we will certainly miss her here in government.

But I just want to add to what Chris has said on this crucial period, because I think that there is, at least, a strong possibility that we will discover, in the course of the next few days and weeks, that indeed, the combination of two jabs and a booster is capable of holding Omicron in equilibrium in the way that we want.

And then, as I said, we will be able to move forward. And it's always worth to bear in mind that what we're doing today with plan B is something that we set out back in September. So, this is not a deviation from what we -- the position that we thought we might find ourselves in as winter set in. We always reckon that we would see a spike in disease and infection. But actually, Delta has been remarkably stable. The problem has been the sudden emergence of Omicron and the real spike that it's producing. And given the potential numbers that Omicron could produce, we just have to respond today in the way that we are.

Another question, can I ask why you've asked simon case, why you've tasked simon case investigating a party on december 18th last year that you weren't at rather than one on november the 27th where you gave a speech that you were at, in breach of the rules by any reasonable legal analysis and further to that, will you extend the inquiry to include any other gatherings, events, parties, you determine you choose that took place in your flat if there's evidence of them.

(INAUDIBLE) from the "The Mirror."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Prime Minister. I thought I'd have another go to (INAUDIBLE) question because I don't think you quite answered it.

Can I ask why you've asked Simon Case -- why you've tasked Simon Case with investigating a party on December the 18th last year that you weren't at rather than one on November the 27th, where you gave a speech that you were at in rich of the rules by any reasonable legal analysis?

And further to that, will you extent the inquiry, some pieces of inquiry, to include any other gatherings, events, parties, use the term that you choose, that took place in number 10 or indeed in your flat if there's evidence of them?

JOHNSON: So, first of all, Pepper, on the -- this is a huge, as people know, this a massive department of state and there are people working flat out the whole time, working on all sorts of issues and that they work extremely hard.

And I -- according to very, very well-respected civil servants and advisers, special advisers that I've talked to about what happened in the events that you describe, no rules were broken. I've asked Simon Case to look at the -- cabin secretary, Simon Case, to look at the December the 18th event. I'm sure he'll be considering all sorts of things. But as far as my concern, all the evidence I can see is that people in this building have stayed within the rules.

If that turns out not to be the case and people wish to bring allegations to my attention or to the police or whoever, and then, of course, there will be proper sanctions. But in the meantime, I think what we should do is let Simon get on with -- the cabinet secretary get on with his job, and I'm sure he'll be making his findings public as soon as possible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) December the 18th though? Are you restricting him to looking at December the 19th? I mean, that's part of the question.

JOHNSON: The guidance has been, and the rules have been observed at all times. And he's looking at the issue of the 18th of December. He may wish to look at other things. That's a matter, frankly, for him. Ben Riley-Smith of the "Telegraph."

BEN RILEY-SMITH, "TELEGRAPH," POLITICAL EDITOR: Thank you, Prime Minister. Three quick ones. Torian Piece (ph) of (INAUDIBLE) called this announcement forward to bounce headlines about the Christmas party. Is that true?

[13:40:00]

On Christmas parties, what's your message now to the country? Is that those should be cancelled? And there's no time limit toward these new restrictions or when they might be considered. When do you think the earliest point that might be, Mid-January, February or spring?

And a quick one for Professor Whitty. Just picking up on your point about reformulating the vaccines, do you think there's a real possibility a lot of people might need a full vaccine before next autumn to counter Omicron?

JOHNSON: Right. Thanks very much, Ben. So, on the first point, well, just imagine the counterfactual. You know, colleague say or people say that we're somehow making this announcement to coincide with events in politics. Well, actually, imagine if this step were to have been delayed because of political events of one kind or another. What will people say then? You've got to act or protect public health.

When you've got the clear evidence, and I think I'm right in saying that (INAUDIBLE) met yesterday to discuss this, the evidence about the transmissibility of the viruses, we've been watching it for days, but it's become, I'm afraid, unmissable. Not just in South Africa, but in this country as well. And, you know, if you delay, as everybody knows, the doubling time of 2.5 to three days, you see more doublings and your position becomes predictably inevitably worse and more difficult to recover from.

On Christmas, the best way to ensure we all have Christmases as close to normal as possible is to get on with plan B, you know, irritating that it may be, it is not a lockdown. It's plan B. It is what we set out a while back, and to get your boosters and get your jabs. That's the best way forward. And that's when we'll review the measures, Ben, which I think the third point. As I say, no later than early January. And possibly before -- if we start to get some of that really granular information. But, you know, we need to see the data and work pretty hard.

RILEY-SMITH: So, in the second one. Christmas parties and nativity.

JOHNSON: Yes, sorry. No, no. Good. They should not. No. Thank you, Ben. No. In my view, they should not be -- they should follow the guidance, of course, but we're not saying -- we don't want kids to be taken out of school before the end of term. Not that it's very long to go now. We don't want nativity plays to be cancelled. And we think it's OK currently on what we can see to keep going with Christmas parties.

But obviously, everybody should exercise due caution, have ventilation, wash your hands. Get a test before you go, a sensible thing to do. Give yourself -- go give everybody else the party, the confidence that, you know, they're going to be meeting someone who is not contagious. Those are simple things that people can do, but that's what we're saying. WHITTY: On the question you asked me, I think it's far too early to be sure on this. A lot of scientists are doing a lot of work at the moment just to work out what the current two doses and different combinations of those and the booster will do with the Omicron variant, and that will help to give some information. I think until then, it's probably not very helpful to speculate.

The exception to that is that there's a very small group, but a very important group of people who got significant immunosuppression who we've -- we're giving three doses to as their primary course. They will then get a fourth dose, which is essentially their booster dose. So, in that group, the answer is yes. But in the great majority, people at this point, I think the answer is we'll have to wait and see what the data show.

KINKADE (voiceover): Just to build on that. I mean, we've now got vaccine design that allows you to alter them quite easily and to make, as Chris said, multivalent or polyvalent vaccines against different variants in one go. Those are going to provide breadth of coverage in the future. When they'll be needed, we don't know.

We also got anti-viral drugs coming through now. Two have been reported recently, which have good effects. They're increasing number of options, to look at this. But, and this is important, going back to the timing point, and Sage (ph) met last week and met again last night -- yesterday on both occasions saying, look, this is spreading rapidly. You don't just watch it spreading rapidly. You need to do something. And that isn't just the boosters. The boosters are incredibly important, but it's also about trying to reduce the possibility of spread, which means reducing social contacts in order to try and achieve that.

[13:45:00]

JOHNSON: Thank you. Emilio Casalicchio from "POLITICO."

EMILIO CASALICCHIO, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "POLITICO": Thanks, Prime Minister. You suggested that Simon Case could extend this probe beyond just this alleged party on the 18th. The public secretary for the Department of Education today said that the party that happened at DFU that they apologized for will be included in that probe. So, obviously, it's quite flexible. So, would you encourage Simon Case to look at all allegations of all parties that might have happened in Downing Street last year?

And also, would you commit to the inquiry being published before the end of the year? How quickly would you like to see it done?

JOHNSON: Yes.

CASALICCHIO: And then, I've got a question for the scientists, maybe all three of you. Obviously, you just announced new restrictions including recommendation to work from home. Is the fact that we're here doing this now not a mark of failure? We should have fixed the roof while the summer shinning surely with the pandemic, prepare the vaccine booster rollouts that could have been done at lightning speed, but instead, it's been quite slow to get this new part, the rollout sorted?

Actually, created a proper well beating testing trace system, but it feels like we're still not quite there yet as well. We've went through devastation last year, but feels like we still haven't completely learned our lessons. And when are we going to learn? Because next time, we might be hit by a virus that's much more dangerous than the pandemic. So, are we going to be actually ready by then?

JONES: Look, I mean, can I get -- Emilio, can I just get back on some of the things you have just said? I think it is worth people bearing in mind that there are a lot of countries in our immediate neighborhood that have got restrictions already far tougher than ours and tougher than the ones that we're asking people to implement now, much tougher. And I think people should also bear -- and that's because we had the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, Emilio, just to remind you there.

And it is also the case, far from having a sluggish vaccine rollout, what we've now got is, I think, 21 million people having this booster. We not got 21 million people boosted. And again, I think I'm right in saying that whether we boosted more people than any comparable country. And certainly, faster than any other European country. So, I'm not going to hear any criticism of the NHS or the GPs or the pharmacists or the volunteers or everybody who's worked blindingly hard to get this done as fast as they possibly can.

Yes, I think what is fair, Emilio, is to say that we now need to go much further and much faster. And, you know, having -- you know, asking people to make further sacrifices as we are with plan B, we've got to step up that booster campaign and it's got to grow wings. And you know the pledge that everybody over 18 will get the offer of a booster by end of January. I want to see us deliver that. And I want to see such a huge rate of booster vaccination in this country, that if, as I hope, the boosters can hold Omicron, then we can get back to the road that we were on. That's what we try to achieve.

And your other point about the cabinet secretary, as far as I'm concerned, he's got to get to the bottom of what he thinks is appropriate and right, but I repeat my view that the -- to the best of my knowledge, everything I've been told is that the rules were followed. But if that doesn't turn out to be the case, then there will be the appropriate sanctions.

CASALICCHIO: (INAUDIBLE).

JONES: Yes. As I've said that in the house today, as soon as possible.

WHITTY: Shall I first go on?

JONES: Yes.

WHITTY: If you want to add on the wider one. I mean, there are multiple points to put there and I'll try and give a very brief answer. Short version on pandemic. Of course, we have to plan ahead. But remember that every pandemic is different. The last pandemic that is bad as this one, and like you can sort (ph) of conceptualize very, very bad alternative ones, was HIV, sexually transmitted infection, completely different way to approach it.

So, the idea that somehow some of you can just take off the shelf and that's your pandemic plan, every single time you have to readjust it according to what you find. This is a very serious pandemic. Second question -- second general point is inevitably, there have been bumps on the road in things we would do differently if we had done them again. That's obvious.

But actually, the idea that a new variant, which we knew would come, everyone has been accepting that, is somehow a failure. I think a misunderstanding of the biology. So, speaking as a doctor, you'd expect problems to occur. When they occur, you address them scientifically and rapidly.

[13:50:00]

And if I can just make one plea on behalf of my colleagues who do the operational side whether on the NHS or elsewhere. Quite a lot of those -- I'll put this mildly as I can, quite a lot of those (INAUDIBLE) were ridiculous is going so slowly have not got as much experience of running the national programs as maybe they might want to have to make those kinds of comments. Actually, these things are difficult and I think the people doing it are doing it magnificently, personally.

KINKADE (voiceover): Well, I wanted to take -- talking about -- there are two things that pull out. First of all, I think vaccine task force was foresighted to make sure that we have enough boosters for this winter, it wasn't inevitable that we would need boosters and they got the supply in advance ready to be able to do that.

And I think the NHS rollout involving people right away across the country has been one that we should be proud of, actually. I think, you know, it's an operation point, not a science point for me. But I think -- I look at them and think they've done a great job of getting that out. You look across other countries and see the booster campaign here has been very effective. So, I'd like to thank for what they've done actually in getting those out, both of those groups.

And then, I'd like also to say that if you look at the 100-day mission that we published at the time of the G7, that was precisely about trying to make sure all of the paths from surveillance through to rapid production of vaccines and therapeutics through to what needs to happen for finance and getting this across the world and equitable access can be improved right the way across the world. So, that for any new infection going forward, there is a road map to try to get this done more quickly and more efficiently than possible this time.

And so, I think making sure that 100-day mission, which the G7 endorsed, is something that really is taking up right the way across the world is going to be crucially important.

JONES: Good. Thanks, everybody. Thank you.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: You've just been listening to the British prime minister who said, all the evidence I have seen as people stayed within their rules. He was defending his team after a video emerged showing staffers joking about flouting the COVID rules last Christmas.

Now, right now in Britain, COVID cases are rising. And today, we heard new restrictions announced. Boris Johnson said from Monday, you should work from home if you can. He also said face mask requirements will be reintroduced at most indoor venues. And health passes will be mandatory at nightclubs or any place where large crowds gather. And this is all set to come in force one week from now.

I want to bring back our correspondent, Salma Abdelaziz, who is following this story for us.

And, Salma, I have to wonder how people will react to this. How people will stomach these new restrictions in the wake of this video showing his own staff joking about flouting COVID rules last Christmas.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDEN: Lynda, it's definitely a hard pill to swallow.

But I want to start by saying that people will follow the rules simply because they want to protect their loved ones. They want to do the right thing. They want to care for other people and not pass on this virus. But the question is, will they follow these rules because they respect the leader of this country, because they hear him and want to follow his guidance? I think the answer to that for many people today is going to be no.

In the court of public opinion, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is simply losing. We had that poll that we mentioned at the beginning of the program. A small conducted right after this leaked video came out, it's, again, a very small poll but it showed that 54 percent of people want to see the prime minister resign over this leaked video. And it's important here to say, it is not just one party that's in question. There are now reports of multiple parties taking place in that building behind me here at Downing Street.

CNN has spoken to multiple officials that say two social gatherings did take place. One on December 18th, of course, that is the key moment in question. But of course, the question now is, how can the prime minister stand at that same podium, call on the country to follow these rules and will he be heard and listened to? Does he have the moral authority, Lynda?

KINKADE: Exactly. All really crucial questions. Salma Abdelaziz, good to have you with us. Thank you.

We are staying on this story. I want to bring in Dr. Salia Assan who practices emergency medicine. Now, her father contracted COVID on the same day of that controversial gathering, which apparently happened December 18 last year. And sadly, her father later died. She joins us from London.

I'm so sorry for your loss. But I really, really want to understand how you're feeling knowing what you were going through at that time and now seeing this video emerge of staffers seemingly joking about getting together flouting COVID rules. What were you going through at the time?

DR. SALEYHA AHSAN, EMERGENCY MEDICINE DOCTOR, SPOKESPERSON, COVID-19 BEREAVED FAMILIES FOR JUSTICE: So, I can quite clearly remember what I was going through at the time because ever since I saw that video last night, and also the way that it was presented with Allegra Stratton, former prime minister's adviser, laughing her way through it, I've had flashbacks, flashbacks to a year ago, 18th of December.

[13:55:00]

It's brought it all back. Everything that I was trying to recover from, and come to peace with. I remember on the 18th of December, hearing the news that my dad had become unwell and then, me having to drive home, just praying that it wasn't COVID, but I really knew deep down that it probably was.

Even though he'd been isolating, he'd been -- we've done everything, but something, somehow got through. And it was a pretty contagious strain, you know, that we were dealing with at that time and I knew it was pretty contagious because I was working as a doctor in another part of the country. I worked in critical care last year during COVID. I knew what I was dealing with. So, it's all come back.

And when I think about the 18th of December, for me and my family, and then I think about the 18th of December for the chosen few at number 10, I feel really nauseous, to be honest. I feel sick to my stomach. Who are these people? They are definitely cut from a different cloth from the kind of people I know, and from the hard working, risking it all kind of people who have been working on the frontline here within the NHS.

KINKADE: Exactly.

AHSAN: And, you know, 160,000 other families here who have lost loved ones in the same way. I'm actually really happy and proud to say that I don't know anyone like that. They are not in my circle. I just -- what I will say is thank you to the person that leaked that footage, and I hope more come forward, frankly, who find their moral compass pointing in the right direction and step forward.

KINKADE: Dr. Salehya Ahsan, an emergency doctor, you lost your father to COVID, we appreciate your perspective and wish you all the best. Thank you.

AHSAN: Thank you.

KINKADE: Well, CNN senior producer, Luke McGee, has done extensive reporting on the alleged rule breaking from number 10. He joins me now from London.

So, we've seen one resignation so far, a very teary resignation from the press secretary seen in that video joking about flouting COVID rules. What else could happen? Who else could fall?

LUKE MCGEE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Thanks for having me. I think it really depends on what evidence comes out now. I mean, Boris Johnson very clearly painted himself as someone who didn't -- you know, to start with, they were denying that anything -- any rules were broken, that there was a party. It depends how much more evidence comes out if more leaks come out, if people can be proven of doing things that they previously said they haven't done. I mean, this is really, really damaging story for a leader and government that has a problem with trust, you know, with the public.

KINKADE: And how do you think these new restrictions will be received? Surely, the prime minister is on the back foot announcing new restrictions while trying to defend his own staff, flouting restrictions at the height of COVID last Christmas?

MCGEE: I think it's going to be very difficult. Throughout the pandemic, the public has, you know, consistently polled that they wanted, actually harder measures from the government wherever really willing to implement. But around that time, the government also had quite high support and, you know, for various reasons that we could get into, there really isn't time. But, you know, his popularity has been dipping anyway.

And I think around this time of year, trying to tell people, you know, not meet up with loved ones around Christmas or even suggest that idea or even introduce new measures when these other stories are going, it's going to be very hard for him.

KINKADE: Do you think it's likely he'll resign? Is this enough?

MCGEE: I -- only if a video comes out of him speaking at the party in Downing Street and he's denied he's done it. I think we're not in a position where his own party is strong enough to dislodge him at the moment, and we're quite a long way from an election.

What the real question is, is has the tipping point pass through Boris? You know, he was a very unusual conservative leader. The party essentially did a deal with him in 2019 and baked into that was that he behaved in this quite unorthodox way. If we pass the tipping point now where the kind of sheens worn off, then he's in real trouble

KINKADE: We'll have to see if anything else emerges. Luke McGee for us. Thanks so much.

And we are going to continue following this breaking news. New restrictions in Britain that is set to take place Monday that will require the reintroduction of a mask mandate indoors at most venues. And the prime minister encouraging people to work from home as he defends this video of his own staffers joking about flouting COVID rules last Christmas. We're going to be back with more breaking news in just a moment.

I'm Lynda Kinkade. Hala Gorani starts right now.

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