Vaccines minister Maggie Throup has rejected claims that the booster rollout has “flatlined” and has dodged questions over self-isolation and critical incident figures.

When quizzed by Sky News’ Breakfast programme earlier today over the reported two million vacant third dose slots, the MP for Erewash: “What’s been really encouraging is how many people have come forward over the Bank Holidays. We always expected a drop off over the Bank Holidays.”

“It’s only right that we do have slots for people to book in the next few days, and also it’s never too late for people to come forward for their first jab and their second jab.

“[These are] incredible figures over a very short time period,” she argued.

Ms Throup highlighted that people who have tested positive for Covid cannot receive any further vaccine doses for 28 days.  

She insisted that booster uptake was the  “best way” to “get back to normal”.

Her remarks come after the Royal College of Nursing urged for a “more cautious approach” to Covid restrictions in England in a letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid this morning.

The UK reported 157,758 Covid cases and 42 deaths on Sunday. NHS England has not reported its deaths in hospitals since 1 January, and will do so on Wednesday. 

“The omicron variant is very transmissible, but what is very good news is it doesn’t seem to be resulting in as severe disease as other variants did. People were taking precautions over Christmas,” Ms Throup emphasised.

“What has been so clear over recent weeks is that the vaccine is working. And that’s the best way to stop the transmission and to stop hospitalisations and for our life to get back to normal.”

She pointed out that the number of people hospitalised with Covid is currently around half the figures in January 2021, and that many people are being admitted “with less severe conditions than before”.

Ms Throup also said she was “not sure” of the “actual figure” of people self-isolating after testing positive for Covid, following reports from the Daily Mail newspaper this morning that one million people are currently off work with the virus

“The omicron variant is very transmissible, but what is very good news is it doesn’t seem to be resulting in as severe disease as other variants did,” Ms Throup explained.

When asked “perhaps you just don’t know?” after she dodged a question over how many NHS trusts had declared critical incidents, Ms Throup admitted: “To be honest, I haven’t had an update this morning.”