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As Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured the nation that we are not facing further lockdowns or restrictions – unlike other nations in Europe – former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said events proved the UK had been “absolutely right” to go ahead with Freedom Day in July.

Mr Zahawi, who is now Education Secretary, had backed dropping restrictions in the summer and allowing the virus to spread during the warmer months when the NHS was less busy – despite huge criticism at the time.

He said yesterday: “Our fourstep plan meant we were able to open up the economy in the summer. Some said it was a mistake, I think it was absolutely the right thing to do.

“We will probably, I hope, without being complacent, be the first major economy in the world to demonstrate how you transition (from) pandemic to endemic using vaccines.”

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson said the Government sees no need to introduce restrictions – despite soaring cases and renewed lockdowns across much of Europe. Speaking at the CBI conference in South Shields, he said: “Of course we are concerned about the potential from that disease. You have got to be humble in the face of nature.

“But at the moment we see nothing in the data to say that we need to move from plan A to plan B.

“The best single thing you can all do is get your booster.”

The PM also admitted that life over the next few months would not be “plain sailing”.

He went on: “We can see the state of the pandemic abroad, the supply chain issues that we are facing, the pressure on energy prices that we are all facing and the skills shortages.

“Get your booster as soon as you can because it is by vaccinating our country that we have been able to get your staff back to their place of work, to open our theatres, our restaurants and get back for longer now than any comparator country, to something like normal life.”

But he added: “We are still bumping elbows and wearing masks”.

Official daily figures yesterday showed 44,917 new infections and 45 deaths from Covid-19.

Some of the country’s leading Covid experts said the UK could avoid draconian restrictions thanks to a “very successful early vaccination campaign”.

Prof Peter Openshaw, from the Department of Health’s Nervtag committee, said: “The situation appears to have really been destabilised in some parts of Europe because of misinformation, particularly about vaccines.

“In the UK, we had a very successful early vaccination campaign. But obviously that means that many people have now been vaccinated some time ago and they do need the boosters in order to raise their level of immunity.

“We need a combination of measures, which includes re-vaccination, wearing masks and being very careful not to transmit the virus.”

He said he was “against mandatory vaccination” which is being ushered in in Austria from February, adding that he thought the “answer is education and making sure that the correct messages get out”.

The Government yesterday opened up the opportunity for those aged 40 and over to book their booster jab, providing it is six months since their second vaccine.

Sixteen and 17-year-olds are also able to book their second dose.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We have very sadly seen a surge in cases in parts of Europe.

“The most important thing we can do to stop a similar rise in this country is get the jab.”

More than 14 million booster jabs have been administered in the UK so far.

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