The chief medical officer for England has told MPs the aim of the lockdown is to reduce infection rates to a point where there is a 'realistic possibility' of restrictions being eased after 2 December. England will enter a second national lockdown on Thursday after a steep rise in the number of coronavirus infections and hospital admissions in many areas of the country. The UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said test and trace was not having a 'big impact' on the prevalence of the virus
Continue reading...Category Archives: Patrick Vallance
What is the science behind England’s second national lockdown?
PM was presented with some alarming data – with one model forecasting up to 4,000 Covid deaths a day next month
England is preparing to enter a second national lockdown after scientific advisers warned that coronavirus infections and the numbers of people in hospital are rising steeply in many areas of the country. But what is the science behind the decision?
Continue reading...Keir Starmer urges PM to impose ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown on England
Labour leader says Boris Johnson must ‘follow the science’ as Covid death toll rises sharply
Keir Starmer called on the government to “follow the science” and impose a national “circuit breaker” lockdown of at least two weeks as the death toll from Covid-19 soared to a four-month high.
In a significant escalation, the Labour leader said Boris Johnson had “lost control of the virus” and must take urgent action to impose a near-total shutdown across England over October half-term.
Continue reading...Raising of UK Covid alert level opens door to major restrictions
Chief medical officers agree jump to level 4, meaning virus is ‘high or rising exponentially’
The UK’s Covid-19 alert level has been raised to four, meaning the virus is “high or rising exponentially” – a move which will give Boris Johnson cover for significant new restrictions to stem the surge of the virus.
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the change “reflects the significant shift in the current threat posed by coronavirus”. He added: “This country now faces a tipping point in its response and it is vital everybody plays their part now to stop the spread of the virus and protect lives.”
Continue reading...Can the UK avoid 50,000 Covid-19 cases a day?
Continued doubling of infection rate feared by top advisers is unlikely to happen, say some experts
On one thing, everyone agrees: the UK is at a turning point.
After a summer of crowded beaches and pubs reopening, followed by children returning to school and employees going back to the workplace, new cases of Covid-19 are definitely on the rise.
Continue reading...‘The seasons are against us’: what we learned from UK’s top Covid scientists
Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty’s briefing predicted an autumn of rising deaths and difficult lockdown choices
The UK government’s most senior scientists, England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, and the chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, have given a televised briefing about the recent increases in coronavirus cases, and what to expect – unusually, doing so without a politician there as well. Here is what we learned.
Continue reading...Brexit: Ed Miliband accuses Boris Johnson of ‘failure of governance’ in internal market debate – live
Former chancellor Sajid Javid becomes most senior Tory MP to say he cannot back bill in its current form
- Growing number of Tory MPs expected to abstain or vote against bill
- Keir Starmer to miss crucial Brexit debate due to self-isolation
- Rebel alliance: the Tory politicians opposing new Brexit bill
- People in England’s 10 worst-hit Covid hotspots unable to get tests
- Global coronavirus updates – live
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Heald also expressed his unhappiness at the UK government claiming precedent for breaking international law.
He said:
Can I just also say that I was surprised to see this justified by the precedent, allegedly, of the Finance Act 2013 General Anti-Abuse Rule by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
I was a law officer at the time, Dominic Grieve was attorney general. And one thing I can say about Dominic Grieve is that he was very correct and made sure that Government legislation did not offend the rule of law - he was extremely painstaking.
Continue reading...‘Work from home’: UK chief scientific adviser warns of coronavirus risks – video
The UK government's chief scientific adviser has said working from home is still the best option where possible to maintain physical distancing, as he acknowledged that the outcome of Britain's response to the Covid-19 outbreak 'has not been good'. Sir Patrick Vallance's advice during a two-hour appearance before the science and technology select committee contrasts with Boris Johnson's recovery 'roadmap' under which the prime minister is encouraging more people to return to their workplaces in an effort to help city centre economies recover
- Tired of being Boris Johnson's patsy, Patrick Vallance fights back
- UK experts fear up to 120,000 Covid-19 deaths this winter
- PM to give NHS extra £3bn to prepare for winter coronavirus
From super-spreader Boris to Classic Dom’s eyesight: daily press conference hits | John Crace
As No 10 announces Covid-19 press conferences are to end, here are some world-beating moments
The daily Downing Street coronavirus press conferences, watched by millions since early March, are coming to an end. Here are some of the most memorable moments.
Continue reading...Monsters are heinous, but they need collaborators to do their dirty work | Suzanne Moore
Mouths to feed, rent to pay: there’s always an excuse if you’re tempted to do the wrong thing
Where is Ghislaine Maxwell? Where? I sat through the four episodes of Filthy Rich, the Netflix documentary on Jeffrey Epstein. I had to force myself, not because it was so upsetting – which, of course, it also was – but because the tales of his sexual abuse were so monotonous. Brave and defiant, his victims had to numb themselves slightly to tell and retell what happened to them when they were as young as 14. The interviews with the monster himself, as always, were disappointingly banal. Monsters often are tediously ordinary. The magnetic charm, the immense intellect, is one of the biggest delusions of “true crime”. See also Ted Bundy.
Anyway Ghislaine, accused of procuring underage girls for Epstein, is said to be a free woman in Paris, living in the swanky 8th arrondisement. French law prevents her extradition. Many of those implicated in Epstein’s world of obscene exploitation, including all the art world and socialite scum, must have a clue where she is. Alleged scum, I should say. They love their children just like we do. Sure.
Continue reading...The Lancet’s editor: ‘The UK’s response to coronavirus is the greatest science policy failure for a generation’
Richard Horton does not hold back in his criticism of the UK’s response to the pandemic and the medical establishment’s part in backing fatal government decisions
There is a school of thought that says now is not the time to criticise the government and its scientific advisers about the way they have handled the Covid-19 pandemic. Wait until all the facts are known and the crisis has subsided, goes this thinking, and then we can analyse the performance of those involved. It’s safe to say that Richard Horton, the editor of the influential medical journal the Lancet, is not part of this school.
An outspoken critic of what he sees as the medical science establishment’s acquiescence to government, he has written a book that he calls a “reckoning” for the “missed opportunities and appalling misjudgments” here and abroad that have led to “the avoidable deaths of tens of thousands of citizens”.
Continue reading...The questions No 10 needs to answer over Covid-19 response
From lockdown to PPE, the government is under pressure to provide more clarity
No 10 has promised “maximum transparency” on its coronavirus response in the coming days. Here are just some of the areas where the government is under pressure to provide detailed answers – or risk being accused of a whitewash.
Continue reading...Failure to protect: who is to blame for Britain’s coronavirus crisis?
A number of prominent people are being criticised for their shortcomings over Covid-19
The UK’s Covid-19 crisis has reached the blame phase, with Boris Johnson, ministers, civil servants and scientists coming under criticism that they underestimated the threat, were slow to act and are bungling the country’s response amid a wave of deaths.
So who is in the line of fire – and why?
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