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COVID-19: Government scientists want to keep social distancing measures in place for foreseeable future
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Michael Ejercito
Feb 15, 2021, 11:06:11 PM2/15/21
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http://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-government-scientists-want-to-keep-social-distancing-measures-in-place-for-foreseeable-future-12219223
COVID-19: Government scientists want to keep social distancing measures
in place for foreseeable future
Whitehall has been braced for a "killer argument" in the coming days
over how long to keep the "one metre plus" rule.
Sam Coates
Sam Coates
Deputy political editor @SamCoatesSky
Tuesday 16 February 2021 02:03, UK
COVID-19CORONAVIRUS
A bartender wearing a face mask stands outside a bar in Cardiff ahead of
pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes being forced to stop selling alcohol
and shut by 6pm as part of a new round of coronavirus restrictions that
come into force in Wales on Friday night.
Image:
The 'one metre plus' rule means some businesses find it harder to keep going
Why you can trust Sky News
Government scientists want to keep social distancing measures in place
for the foreseeable future in a move that would hit shops, pubs, cinemas
and theatres, Sky News has learnt.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson made clear he would not allow
the coronavirus to let rip through younger generations, suggesting he
has embraced the idea of restrictions for some time to come, because "no
vaccination programme is 100% effective".
Sponsored link
Nearly 60% of dogs are overweight or obese. Here's how we can change that.
Nearly 60% of dogs are overweight or obese…
The Farmer’s Dog
Recommended by
Whitehall has been braced for a "killer argument" in the coming days
over how long to keep the "one metre plus" rule, with government
scientists keen to maintain existing distancing requirements.
But some ministers are resisting as this issue is existential for many
businesses; and they fear that additional ongoing restrictions on a near
permanent basis could push some firms to bankruptcy.
The "one metre plus" approach, introduced last June, means members of
the public can be one metre away from each other as long as other
measures are put in place to limit the transmission of the virus.
Advertisement
If these are not possible then members of the public should be two
metres away.
Possible mitigations include wearing a face covering, installing
screens, making sure people face away from each other and providing
extra handwashing facilities.
More from Covid-19
COVID-19: Furlough aid must be phased out to prevent 'deferred'
employment shock - IFS
COVID-19: 'I had my head down in shame': A pandemic life in one of the
UK's poorest towns
COVID-19: Fines issued after illegal nightclub - complete with VIP area
and DJ - is found in Birmingham
COVID-19: Prudence and caution for Boris Johnson over the next seven
days after vaccine success
COVID-19: Boris Johnson sees rapid testing as 'route forward' for
reopening nightclubs and theatres
COVID-19: Passengers arriving in UK begin £1,750 10-day quarantine hotel
stay
However, these restrictions make some businesses - particularly
restaurants, bars and the leisure sector - harder to keep going since it
means they can serve fewer customers.
A government source said: "This is the killer argument and no decision
has been made. A lot rests on it for some businesses - the difference
between being viable and not."
A second senior Whitehall source confirmed no decision had been made on
the "one metre plus" rule.
Ministers are coming under huge pressure from Conservative MPs to scrap
all legally-binding restrictions at the end of April.
Play Video - PM's lockdown lifting principles
PM's lockdown lifting principles
However, Downing Street is being warned by scientists that new variants
of the virus will return next winter, likely to necessitate new
restrictions.
Even once all adults have been offered the vaccine - which could come by
May and at the latest will come at the end of the summer - some of the
population will have not received the jab, while some vaccines might not
offer much protection to new variants.
Scientists also do not know how long vaccines will offer protection for.
The prime minister said on Monday that there were dangers letting the
virus circulate too freely amongst younger, unvaccinated groups.
"If you have loads of people, even young people, getting the disease
then a couple of things happen - first of all, a higher risk of new
variants and mutations within the population where the disease is
circulating," he said.
"Secondly, there is greater risk of the disease spreading into older
groups again.
"Even though vaccines are effective and great, no vaccination programme
is 100% effective.
"When you have a large volume, a lot of disease, inevitably a lot of
people will suffer."
Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google
Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Johnson's comments are likely to reassure those in Whitehall who
wanted him to acknowledge that coronavirus was likely to be around for
some time to come as part of decision making over the lifting of lockdown.
The prime minister also said he wanted his lockdown-lifting plan to be a
"cautious but irreversible" approach.
COVID-19: Government scientists want to keep social distancing measures
in place for foreseeable future
Whitehall has been braced for a "killer argument" in the coming days
over how long to keep the "one metre plus" rule.
Sam Coates
Sam Coates
Deputy political editor @SamCoatesSky
Tuesday 16 February 2021 02:03, UK
COVID-19CORONAVIRUS
A bartender wearing a face mask stands outside a bar in Cardiff ahead of
pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes being forced to stop selling alcohol
and shut by 6pm as part of a new round of coronavirus restrictions that
come into force in Wales on Friday night.
Image:
The 'one metre plus' rule means some businesses find it harder to keep going
Why you can trust Sky News
Government scientists want to keep social distancing measures in place
for the foreseeable future in a move that would hit shops, pubs, cinemas
and theatres, Sky News has learnt.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson made clear he would not allow
the coronavirus to let rip through younger generations, suggesting he
has embraced the idea of restrictions for some time to come, because "no
vaccination programme is 100% effective".
Sponsored link
Nearly 60% of dogs are overweight or obese. Here's how we can change that.
Nearly 60% of dogs are overweight or obese…
The Farmer’s Dog
Recommended by
Whitehall has been braced for a "killer argument" in the coming days
over how long to keep the "one metre plus" rule, with government
scientists keen to maintain existing distancing requirements.
But some ministers are resisting as this issue is existential for many
businesses; and they fear that additional ongoing restrictions on a near
permanent basis could push some firms to bankruptcy.
The "one metre plus" approach, introduced last June, means members of
the public can be one metre away from each other as long as other
measures are put in place to limit the transmission of the virus.
Advertisement
If these are not possible then members of the public should be two
metres away.
Possible mitigations include wearing a face covering, installing
screens, making sure people face away from each other and providing
extra handwashing facilities.
More from Covid-19
COVID-19: Furlough aid must be phased out to prevent 'deferred'
employment shock - IFS
COVID-19: 'I had my head down in shame': A pandemic life in one of the
UK's poorest towns
COVID-19: Fines issued after illegal nightclub - complete with VIP area
and DJ - is found in Birmingham
COVID-19: Prudence and caution for Boris Johnson over the next seven
days after vaccine success
COVID-19: Boris Johnson sees rapid testing as 'route forward' for
reopening nightclubs and theatres
COVID-19: Passengers arriving in UK begin £1,750 10-day quarantine hotel
stay
However, these restrictions make some businesses - particularly
restaurants, bars and the leisure sector - harder to keep going since it
means they can serve fewer customers.
A government source said: "This is the killer argument and no decision
has been made. A lot rests on it for some businesses - the difference
between being viable and not."
A second senior Whitehall source confirmed no decision had been made on
the "one metre plus" rule.
Ministers are coming under huge pressure from Conservative MPs to scrap
all legally-binding restrictions at the end of April.
Play Video - PM's lockdown lifting principles
PM's lockdown lifting principles
However, Downing Street is being warned by scientists that new variants
of the virus will return next winter, likely to necessitate new
restrictions.
Even once all adults have been offered the vaccine - which could come by
May and at the latest will come at the end of the summer - some of the
population will have not received the jab, while some vaccines might not
offer much protection to new variants.
Scientists also do not know how long vaccines will offer protection for.
The prime minister said on Monday that there were dangers letting the
virus circulate too freely amongst younger, unvaccinated groups.
"If you have loads of people, even young people, getting the disease
then a couple of things happen - first of all, a higher risk of new
variants and mutations within the population where the disease is
circulating," he said.
"Secondly, there is greater risk of the disease spreading into older
groups again.
"Even though vaccines are effective and great, no vaccination programme
is 100% effective.
"When you have a large volume, a lot of disease, inevitably a lot of
people will suffer."
Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google
Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Johnson's comments are likely to reassure those in Whitehall who
wanted him to acknowledge that coronavirus was likely to be around for
some time to come as part of decision making over the lifting of lockdown.
The prime minister also said he wanted his lockdown-lifting plan to be a
"cautious but irreversible" approach.
HeartDoc Andrew
Feb 16, 2021, 12:12:17 AM2/16/21
to
>Podcasts,?Spotify,?Spreaker
>
>Mr Johnson's comments are likely to reassure those in Whitehall who
>wanted him to acknowledge that coronavirus was likely to be around for
>some time to come as part of decision making over the lifting of lockdown.
>
>The prime minister also said he wanted his lockdown-lifting plan to be a
>"cautious but irreversible" approach.
The only healthy way to stop the pandemic in the UK and other
>Mr Johnson's comments are likely to reassure those in Whitehall who
>wanted him to acknowledge that coronavirus was likely to be around for
>some time to come as part of decision making over the lifting of lockdown.
>
>The prime minister also said he wanted his lockdown-lifting plan to be a
>"cautious but irreversible" approach.
countries is by rapidly ( http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 ) finding
out at any given moment, including even while on-line, who among us
are unwittingly contagious (i.e pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic) in
order to http://bit.ly/ConvinceItForward (John 15:12) for them to call
their doctor and self-quarantine per their doctor in hopes of stopping
this pandemic. Thus, hoping for the best while preparing for the
worst-case scenario of the "UK variant mutations" **and** others like
the Brazilian, Californian, South African & "cluster-5 mink mutations"
(read more via Google) rendering current vaccines ineffective.
Indeed, I am wonderfully hungry ( http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 )
and hope you, Michael, also have a healthy appetite too.
So how are you ?
...because we mindfully choose to openly care with our heart,
HeartDoc Andrew <><
--
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Cardiologist with an http://bit.ly/EternalMedicalLicense
2016 & upwards non-partisan candidate for U.S. President:
http://bit.ly/WonderfullyHungryPresident
and author of the 2PD-OMER Approach:
http://bit.ly/HeartDocAndrewCare
which is the only **healthy** cure for the U.S. healthcare crisis
Michael Ejercito
Feb 16, 2021, 12:15:37 AM2/16/21
to
Michael
HeartDoc Andrew
Feb 16, 2021, 12:22:59 AM2/16/21
to
MichaelE wrote:
> I am wonderfully hungry!
While wonderfully hungry in the Holy Spirit, Who causes (Deuteronomy
8:3) us to hunger, I note that you, Michael, not only don't have
COVID-19 but are rapture (Luke 17:37) ready and pray (2 Chronicles
7:14) that our Everlasting (Isaiah 9:6) Father in Heaven continues to
give us "much more" (Luke 11:13) Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) so
that we'd have much more of His Help to always say/write that we're
"wonderfully hungry" in **all** ways including especially caring to
http://bit.ly/ConvinceItForward (John 15:12 as shown by
http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 ) with all glory (
http://bit.ly/Psalm117_ ) to GOD (aka HaShem, Elohim, Abba, DEO), in
the name (John 16:23) of LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.
Laus DEO !
Be hungrier, which really is wonderfully healthier especially for
diabetics and other heart disease patients:
http://bit.ly/HeartDocAndrewToutsHunger (Luke 6:21a) with all glory to
GOD, Who causes us to hunger (Deuteronomy 8:3) when He blesses us
right now (Luke 6:21a) thereby removing the http://bit.ly/HeartVAT
from around the heart
...because we mindfully choose to openly care with our heart,
HeartDoc Andrew <><
While wonderfully hungry in the Holy Spirit, Who causes (Deuteronomy
8:3) us to hunger, I note that you, Michael, not only don't have
COVID-19 but are rapture (Luke 17:37) ready and pray (2 Chronicles
7:14) that our Everlasting (Isaiah 9:6) Father in Heaven continues to
give us "much more" (Luke 11:13) Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) so
that we'd have much more of His Help to always say/write that we're
"wonderfully hungry" in **all** ways including especially caring to
http://bit.ly/ConvinceItForward (John 15:12 as shown by
http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 ) with all glory (
http://bit.ly/Psalm117_ ) to GOD (aka HaShem, Elohim, Abba, DEO), in
the name (John 16:23) of LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.
Laus DEO !
Be hungrier, which really is wonderfully healthier especially for
diabetics and other heart disease patients:
http://bit.ly/HeartDocAndrewToutsHunger (Luke 6:21a) with all glory to
GOD, Who causes us to hunger (Deuteronomy 8:3) when He blesses us
right now (Luke 6:21a) thereby removing the http://bit.ly/HeartVAT
from around the heart
...because we mindfully choose to openly care with our heart,
HeartDoc Andrew <><
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