Pressure on the NHS remains “sustainable” despite calls for new coronavirus restrictions, a minister has said.

       Edward Argar was responding to calls from some health leaders to reintroduce some Covid rules after more than 49,000 cases were confirmed yesterday.

       The British Medical Association (BMA) demanded the return of compulsory face coverings and social distancing measures to tackle an “unacceptable” rate of infections.

       But Mr Argar said: “The NHS, while under huge pressure at the moment, it is a sustainable pressure. The key factor you may come to a little bit later is what’s the difference between now and last time, when we saw these high levels of infection rates, and it is of course the vaccine programme.

       “We have a challenging winter coming, you’d normally have me on to talk about winter pressures in the NHS and flu. The NHS is coping with a difficult situation, but there are a lot of factors we need to look at.”

       The Government does not have an “arbitrary figure” for triggering new restrictions but will instead look at a combination of hospitalisations, deaths and vaccinations, the health minister told Sky News.

       Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, yesterday warned that Britain could see 100,000 cases a day as he urged people to have their booster jabs to keep their freedoms.

       ？？Follow the latest updates below.

       Mixing with people from other households could once again be banned, under measures being discussed by the Cabinet Office, The Telegraph understands.

       Ministers yesterday threatened new restrictions, with the Health Secretary saying the public must "play their part" in order to enjoy Christmas with loved ones.

       Urging wider take-up of jabs, Sajid Javid said the Government would not implement "Plan B" measures such as mandatory masks, advice to work from home, and vaccine passports "at this point".

       However, The Telegraph understands the Cabinet Office is already considering plans for a potential “Plan C” - which would see mixing between households banned, if pressures on hospitals mount.

       Asked about the reports this morning, health minister Edward Agar said ministers "look at alternatives, as we've done with our Plan B".

       But Mr Argar added: "The specifics of that, and what was mooted about limiting household mixing, isn't something that is being actively considered."

       Emily Thornberry, the shadow international trade secretary, noted a Government report from June 2020 that forecast "a reduction in output and employment in the UK agriculture sector" as a result of a trade deal along the lines of that struck with New Zealand last night.

       Ms Trevelyan responded: "I am very confident that the trade deal struck will provide the opportunity for our wonderful food producers to continue to sell their goods across the world, and as we make more trade deals creating new markets for them also."

       Ms Thornberry urged the secretary of state to confirm whether the new deals will both be scrutinised and provide a benefit to British farmers. In response, Ms Trevelyan assured her that both deals will be examined very carefully.

       At her first parliamentary question session as International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the new Trade and Agricultural Commission will play "an important role in scrutinising trade agreements after signature".

       The Commission will be in place to scrutinise the free trade agreement with Australia, Ms Trevelyan revealed. On the impact of shortages on pig farming, meanwhile, Ms Trevelyan said she will pass on concerns to Defra.

       Human rights will not be sacrificed as the Government signs a greater number of free trade deals, Anne-Marie Trevelyan has vowed.

       "The Government is clear that more trade will not come at the expense of human rights," Ms Trevelyan told the Commons. "The UK will continue to show global leadership in encouraging all states to uphold international rights obligations."

       "But by having stronger economic relationships with partners we have the opportunity to open conversations on a range of issues."

       A chapter in Britain's new trade deal with New Zealand, confirmed by both partners yesterday, has been hailed as a "good step forward for the recognition of Indigenous rights".

       "This is very important to us as we reach out with this new ability to make trade deals with our friends and allies," Ms Trevelyan said. "With New Zealand, for them it took the form an important chapter on Indigenous peoples."

       Retired medics should be drafted in to vaccinate pupils, ministers have been told, as the target for vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds looks set to be missed, reports Harry Yorke.

       Despite the Government setting a target of vaccinating the majority of eligible pupils against Covid by half-term week, just 15 per cent in the cohort have received a jab, compared with more than 40 per cent in Scotland.

       On Wednesday night, teaching unions blamed the delays on administrative errors and a shortage of school nurses. They said errors had resulted in immunisation teams turning up with fewer jabs than required or cancelling appointments at short notice.

       Echoing concerns of school leaders, Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, urged ministers to consider recruiting retired clinicians to help plug the gaps in the school vaccine programme.

       "Retired clinicians were brought back onto the register and allowed to vaccinate in the first rollout, but they don't appear to be mobilised for schools," he said. "There is a lack of grip here, and ministers need to stop vacillating and start vaccinating."

       Read more: Rollout by end of half-term 'most definitely isn't happening'

       It is a "civic duty" for Britons to get vaccinated, Tony Blair has suggested.

       In an interview with Sky News, the former PM said: "It's not just you who suffers if you don't [get vaccinated], it's also other people. And there are people who are unvaccinated, they come into contact with people - and if those people have got a serious underlying condition they can actually die as a result of that."

       "I understand people's objections but at some point you've got to say to people the evidence is crystal clear. There's no serious person disputing it and to get vaccinated is almost part of your civic duty."

       Mr Blair encouraged ministers to do "far, far more" in getting vaccine supplies to the developing world, as it was reported Britain took 500,000 doses back from the Covax scheme, but lauded the "substantial" efforts of the Government to assist rollouts worldwide.

       Quizzed on whether he would return to frontline politics, he said: "I don't think that's on the agenda, which will probably be to the relief of your viewers. No, no, no... I'm not thinking about that at all. But it's kind of you to ask."

       Tony Blair has urged the Government to "act now" by speeding up the rollout of booster vaccines.

       Mr Blair called for 500,000 booster jabs to be administered a day, for the vaccination of children to be accelerated, and to ensure that pregnant women are reassured about the safety of getting a jab.

       "If you look at the UK today and compare it with France, Italy and Germany, our case levels and hospitalisation levels are several times the rate they are in those countries," the former Prime Minister told Sky News.

       "It may be that those pressures are sustainable at the moment (see 7.51am), but out of an abundance of caution - as we've always been surprised by the downside of this disease - it would be sensible to take these measures now with that sense of accelerated urgency."

       Mr Blair claimed the current situation is not unsustainable "but it could develop that way", and so the Government could be doing more to encourage the uptake of vaccinations.

       With more than 120 world leaders coming to Glasgow for the UN climate summit, it should have been a once in a generation chance to show off the very best of Britain to the watching world, write Gordon Rayner and Andrew Quinn.

       Instead, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and others will be greeted by rubbish-strewn streets, gridlocked roads, cancelled trains, glued-down protesters and a plague of rats after a city under SNP leadership became a “midden”.

       Refuse workers and train drivers have announced they will go on strike during the conference, prompting warnings of “world leaders stepping over bin bags” and a “humiliation on the world stage”.

       A chronic shortage of accommodation in Glasgow, which has led to a 3,000 per cent increase in the price of hotel rooms, has forced some delegations to book hotels 130 miles away. Two Eastern European cruise liners have also been brought to the Clyde as makeshift dormitories.

       Secondary schools in Suffolk have been asked to reintroduce face coverings in a bid to keep them open.

       Infections in the area have risen significantly in recent weeks and Ipswich currently has the third-highest case rate in the country

       "We’ve seen about 51 per cent of our cases are in the under-19s age group and that’s what been driving a large part of our increase in cases, and particularly in 10-to-14-year-olds," Stuart Keeble, public health director at Suffolk County Council, told Radio 4.

       "The focus is very much in schools with our efforts because that’s where the majority of the spread is taking place and we have taken additional action above and beyond face coverings.

       "We asked that if a child tested positive and had a sibling then they should stay at home for three days and take a PCR test to break the chain of transmission. With face coverings we’re asking teaching staff to wear a face covering in shared spaces, as well as pupils in secondary schools.

       "We have started to see it spread to parents and grandparents, and we've started to see an increase in the age group in secondary schools and an increase in our over-60s rates. There is a concern that it gets to those more vulnerable groups."

       Full story: Even parents collecting children will have to wear masks

       The rollout of booster vaccines is a "complex logistical exercise" which is being continuously looked at by ministers, health minister Edward Argar said.

       "The booster campaign is the key, getting these booster jabs and getting the jabs to 12 to 15 year olds is key to managing the infection rise," he told the Today programme. "We’re not short of vaccine, we’re not short of capacity to give the vaccine. We need those arms to come forward to be jabbed."

       Sajid Javid "levelled early with people" yesterday by urging them to wear face coverings, meet outside where possible and take regular lateral flow tests, Mr Argar added.

       On why England is taking a less stringent approach than Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, he said the weakening of the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths had been crucial to restoring economic growth.

       "Plan A is still working but what [Javid] highlighted is that it is a race between the vaccines, and getting them in people's arms, and the virus. We're still winning the race but that lead is narrowing."

       Edward Argar has pushed back on suggestions from the British Medical Assocation and the NHS Confederation to introduce a raft of Plan B measures.

       "I have huge respect for them and I deal with them fairly regularly in my role. I don’t always agree with them," he told the Today programme.

       "On this, I don’t think they’re right in the timing of saying when to trigger Plan B or whether to trigger Plan B. There is huge pressure on the NHS, that is entirely true. But at the moment I don’t believe it is unsustainable pressure."

       Mr Argar said the Government had to make a "judgement call" on whether it was the right time to implement new restrictions, and had concluded for the time being: "It's not."

       The delivery of booster vaccines to care homes has fallen short because it has not mirrored the original rollout, the chair of the National Care Association has said.

       "Sadly this is to do with either the availability or the actual rollout isn’t as smooth as the previous one," Nadra Ahmed told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

       "We’re getting some teams coming in to do the flu jab but not having enough booster vaccine to bring that in as well. The entire methodology of getting this booster in is not quite mirroring what we did last time to get the vaccine in."

       Some care homes had been in contact with the Association to say they had not been contacted by ministers at all, Ms Ahmed added.

       "This is really worrying because they are in the cohort to be having it."

       Doctors have accused ministers of being ‘wilfully negligent’ after they ruled out Covid Plan B, writes Max Stephens.

       Yesterday's Downing Street press conference saw Sajid Javid “at this point” reject Plan B measures including mandatory face coverings, Covid passports and recommending working from home.

       But Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA said doctors "can categorically say that time is now".

       Dr Napaul said: "It is therefore incredibly concerning that [Mr Javid] is not willing to take immediate action to save lives and to protect the NHS.”

       "It is wilfully negligent of the Westminster government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection."

       Covid case numbers 'unheard of' in similar European countries, say doctors

       Asked about last week's comments by Sir Patrick Vallance, who said action should be taken "at a time when it doesn't look particularly worrying", Edward Argar agreed the Government had to "look ahead."

       "As you know you have a lead time of two weeks between infections and hospitalisations, and a further two weeks, sadly, between hospitalisations and deaths," the health minister said.

       "He's saying always look to the future. I don't think we're at that point and I don't think we'll review it yet."

       Mr Argar compared the current rates of hospitalisations and deaths to the "significantly more" fatalities when Covid cases were at the same level before the rollout of the vaccine programme.

       The current spike in infections is being driven largely among 10-to-14-year-olds, he said.

       Britain faces a challenging winter with coronavirus but it is “not yet” time for the Government’s Plan B, a health minister has said.

       Edward Argar said that while there is “huge pressure” on the NHS, the situation in the health service does not warrant further action at this point.

       “It depends on a whole range of factors,” he told Sky News. “The reason I say ‘not yet’ is because we are seeing pressure in hospitals, we have a challenging winter coming.”

       Asked if more restrictions would be introduced soon, Mr Argar said: “We are seeing pressure in the system but we’re not seeing unsustainable pressure. The NHS is coping with a difficult situation but there’s a lot of factors we need to look at.

       "There's a whole range of factors we'll take into consideration but I don't think we're at that point."

       It is "not yet" the time for the Government to introduce new restrictions, a minister has insisted, as medical leaders call for the return of social distancing measures.

       Here is the front page of your Daily Telegraph today:

       Need help?

       Visit our adblocking instructions page.