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Covid: Lockdown easing in England to be delayed by four weeks
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Michael Ejercito
Jun 13, 2021, 11:15:07 PM6/13/21
to
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57464097
By Becky Morton
BBC News
Published31 minutes ago
Share
Related Topics
Coronavirus pandemic
Social distancing sign in London
IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
Senior ministers have signed off a decision to delay the lifting of all
coronavirus restrictions in England beyond 21 June.
Government sources have told the BBC most current rules will remain for
another four weeks after this date.
It means nightclubs will stay closed and people will be encouraged to
still work from home where possible.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to confirm the delay later at a
press conference.
The extension will be put to a Commons vote this month and could trigger
a sizeable Conservative backbench rebellion.
Lockdown lifting - the four key numbers
Why June 21 lockdown easing may have to wait
'We'll lose thousands if wedding rules don't change'
Stage four of the government's roadmap out of lockdown would see all
legal limits on social contact removed.
But many scientists have called for the reopening to be delayed to
enable more people to be vaccinated and receive second doses amid rising
cases of the Delta variant.
A delay would also allow for more work to be done on whether vaccines
are breaking, or simply weakening, the link between infections and
hospitalisations.
On Sunday Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a final decision on whether
the reopening should be paused had not yet been taken.
All areas of Scotland are due to move to Level Zero Covid restrictions
on 28 June - meaning bigger groups can gather in cafés, pubs and
restaurants, although they will still have to observe social distancing.
Limits on indoor gatherings in Northern Ireland are scheduled to be
relaxed on 21 June - when the current rules in Wales will also be reviewed.
'Break clause'
Former Conservative cabinet minister Damian Green told the BBC's
Westminster Hour that he wanted to see the decision to delay reviewed as
more data becomes available.
"I think if it is as long as a month then there should be a break clause
after two or maybe three weeks, to say that if we can tell by then that
the rise in cases is not leading to a sort of rise in the serious
illness that sends people into hospital, then we can unlock earlier," he
said.
On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC's Andrew Marr
Show the government "don't want to yo-yo in and out of measures".
He said the decision on postponing unlocking would depend on whether the
link between infections and hospital admissions had been severed.
Under stage four of the roadmap, venues and events would be allowed to
operate without capacity limits and the cap on guests at weddings would
also be lifted.
Even if these restrictions are removed, rules on face coverings and
social distancing could remain in place.
The prime minister has previously said the government must be cautious
so any easing of restrictions is irreversible.
Chart showing infections trend
Rising infections in the UK are being driven by the Delta variant, first
identified in India, which now accounts for 90% of infections.
It is believed to be around 60% more infectious than the Alpha variant -
which was first identified in Kent and was previously dominant in the UK
- and twice as likely to result in infected people being hospitalised.
Prof Andrew Hayward from University College London, who is a member of
the Sage group which advises the government, said easing more
restrictions would "fan the flames" of rising infections.
On Sunday, the UK recorded 7,490 new cases of Covid-19 and eight deaths
within 28 days of a positive test.
The seven-day average for cases in the UK is up 49% compared with the
seven days before.
line
Analysis box by Nick Triggle, health correspondent
If it wasn't for the Delta variant, the government would in all
likelihood be announcing the go-ahead for a full unlock.
But a more infectious variant against which one shot of the vaccine
works less well has created a problem.
That much can be seen from how quickly infection levels are rising. The
trajectory we are on means we could see January levels of infection by
the end of July.
Exactly what that means for hospital admissions is less clear. It is
already obvious that while the vaccines have weakened the link between
cases and serious illness they have not broken it completely -
admissions are rising after all.
Early data suggests less than 5% of cases are ending up in hospital -
half the rate seen previously.
But that still has the potential to cause 2,000 admissions a day if we
did reach January levels of infection - twice what the NHS would see for
all respiratory illnesses in a bad winter.
None of that is guaranteed, of course, and so a delay, government
scientists are arguing, gives them more time to work out with confidence
where we are heading - and it is even possible the immunity built up by
the vaccines will have started to halt the growth by then.
line
The government has set out four tests that must be met for the next
stage of easing restrictions to go ahead:
The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing
hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put
unsustainable pressure on the NHS
Its assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants
of concern
More than 41 million people in the UK have had a first dose of a
coronavirus vaccine, while nearly 30 million have had two doses.
Graph showing number of patients in hospital in the UK with Covid-19
starting to rise
The Night Time Industries Association has warned any delay beyond 21
June would be "catastrophic" for sectors like nightclubs which have been
forced to close since March last year.
It said businesses had already spent millions preparing to reopen on
that date.
The UK Weddings Taskforce, an industry group, estimates that 50,000
weddings planned in the four weeks from 21 June could be cancelled if
the lifting of restrictions is pushed back and that the industry would
lose lose £325m for every week of delay.
Currently the number of guests allowed at weddings and other life events
is limited to 30.
Some Conservative MPs also oppose a delay to easing restrictions,
including members of the Covid Recovery Group of backbenchers.
The group's chairman, former minister Mark Harper, said any postponement
would be a "political choice".
He warned that if the unlocking did not go ahead as planned,
restrictions could carry on through the autumn and into the winter as
other respiratory infections picked up.
"The effectiveness of our vaccines at preventing hospitalisation means
unlocking on 21 June could proceed safely. Any decision to delay will be
a political choice," he said.
"Variants and mutations will appear for the rest of time. We have to
learn to live with it.
"If our very effective vaccines cannot deliver us freedom from
restrictions, then nothing ever will."
Steve Baker, the CRG deputy chairman, questioned how long the country
could "fumble along" with restrictions that had such "devastating
consequences" for both business and people's mental health.
Labour's Emily Thornberry said the decision over stage four of the
roadmap was "the last chance" for the government to follow the science
and communicate clearly with the public.
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com
By Becky Morton
BBC News
Published31 minutes ago
Share
Related Topics
Coronavirus pandemic
Social distancing sign in London
IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
Senior ministers have signed off a decision to delay the lifting of all
coronavirus restrictions in England beyond 21 June.
Government sources have told the BBC most current rules will remain for
another four weeks after this date.
It means nightclubs will stay closed and people will be encouraged to
still work from home where possible.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to confirm the delay later at a
press conference.
The extension will be put to a Commons vote this month and could trigger
a sizeable Conservative backbench rebellion.
Lockdown lifting - the four key numbers
Why June 21 lockdown easing may have to wait
'We'll lose thousands if wedding rules don't change'
Stage four of the government's roadmap out of lockdown would see all
legal limits on social contact removed.
But many scientists have called for the reopening to be delayed to
enable more people to be vaccinated and receive second doses amid rising
cases of the Delta variant.
A delay would also allow for more work to be done on whether vaccines
are breaking, or simply weakening, the link between infections and
hospitalisations.
On Sunday Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a final decision on whether
the reopening should be paused had not yet been taken.
All areas of Scotland are due to move to Level Zero Covid restrictions
on 28 June - meaning bigger groups can gather in cafés, pubs and
restaurants, although they will still have to observe social distancing.
Limits on indoor gatherings in Northern Ireland are scheduled to be
relaxed on 21 June - when the current rules in Wales will also be reviewed.
'Break clause'
Former Conservative cabinet minister Damian Green told the BBC's
Westminster Hour that he wanted to see the decision to delay reviewed as
more data becomes available.
"I think if it is as long as a month then there should be a break clause
after two or maybe three weeks, to say that if we can tell by then that
the rise in cases is not leading to a sort of rise in the serious
illness that sends people into hospital, then we can unlock earlier," he
said.
On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC's Andrew Marr
Show the government "don't want to yo-yo in and out of measures".
He said the decision on postponing unlocking would depend on whether the
link between infections and hospital admissions had been severed.
Under stage four of the roadmap, venues and events would be allowed to
operate without capacity limits and the cap on guests at weddings would
also be lifted.
Even if these restrictions are removed, rules on face coverings and
social distancing could remain in place.
The prime minister has previously said the government must be cautious
so any easing of restrictions is irreversible.
Chart showing infections trend
Rising infections in the UK are being driven by the Delta variant, first
identified in India, which now accounts for 90% of infections.
It is believed to be around 60% more infectious than the Alpha variant -
which was first identified in Kent and was previously dominant in the UK
- and twice as likely to result in infected people being hospitalised.
Prof Andrew Hayward from University College London, who is a member of
the Sage group which advises the government, said easing more
restrictions would "fan the flames" of rising infections.
On Sunday, the UK recorded 7,490 new cases of Covid-19 and eight deaths
within 28 days of a positive test.
The seven-day average for cases in the UK is up 49% compared with the
seven days before.
line
Analysis box by Nick Triggle, health correspondent
If it wasn't for the Delta variant, the government would in all
likelihood be announcing the go-ahead for a full unlock.
But a more infectious variant against which one shot of the vaccine
works less well has created a problem.
That much can be seen from how quickly infection levels are rising. The
trajectory we are on means we could see January levels of infection by
the end of July.
Exactly what that means for hospital admissions is less clear. It is
already obvious that while the vaccines have weakened the link between
cases and serious illness they have not broken it completely -
admissions are rising after all.
Early data suggests less than 5% of cases are ending up in hospital -
half the rate seen previously.
But that still has the potential to cause 2,000 admissions a day if we
did reach January levels of infection - twice what the NHS would see for
all respiratory illnesses in a bad winter.
None of that is guaranteed, of course, and so a delay, government
scientists are arguing, gives them more time to work out with confidence
where we are heading - and it is even possible the immunity built up by
the vaccines will have started to halt the growth by then.
line
The government has set out four tests that must be met for the next
stage of easing restrictions to go ahead:
The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing
hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put
unsustainable pressure on the NHS
Its assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants
of concern
More than 41 million people in the UK have had a first dose of a
coronavirus vaccine, while nearly 30 million have had two doses.
Graph showing number of patients in hospital in the UK with Covid-19
starting to rise
The Night Time Industries Association has warned any delay beyond 21
June would be "catastrophic" for sectors like nightclubs which have been
forced to close since March last year.
It said businesses had already spent millions preparing to reopen on
that date.
The UK Weddings Taskforce, an industry group, estimates that 50,000
weddings planned in the four weeks from 21 June could be cancelled if
the lifting of restrictions is pushed back and that the industry would
lose lose £325m for every week of delay.
Currently the number of guests allowed at weddings and other life events
is limited to 30.
Some Conservative MPs also oppose a delay to easing restrictions,
including members of the Covid Recovery Group of backbenchers.
The group's chairman, former minister Mark Harper, said any postponement
would be a "political choice".
He warned that if the unlocking did not go ahead as planned,
restrictions could carry on through the autumn and into the winter as
other respiratory infections picked up.
"The effectiveness of our vaccines at preventing hospitalisation means
unlocking on 21 June could proceed safely. Any decision to delay will be
a political choice," he said.
"Variants and mutations will appear for the rest of time. We have to
learn to live with it.
"If our very effective vaccines cannot deliver us freedom from
restrictions, then nothing ever will."
Steve Baker, the CRG deputy chairman, questioned how long the country
could "fumble along" with restrictions that had such "devastating
consequences" for both business and people's mental health.
Labour's Emily Thornberry said the decision over stage four of the
roadmap was "the last chance" for the government to follow the science
and communicate clearly with the public.
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com
HeartDoc Andrew
Jun 14, 2021, 6:12:30 AM6/14/21
to
the U.K. & elsewhere 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/convince_it_forward (John
15:12) for them to call their doctor and self-quarantine per their
doctor in hopes of stopping this pandemic. Thus, we're hoping for the
best while preparing for the worse-case scenario of the Alpha lineage
mutations and others like the Gamma, Beta, Epsilon, Iota, & Delta
lineage mutations combining to form hybrids that render current COVID
vaccines no longer effective.
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
Jun 14, 2021, 9:22:55 AM6/14/21
to
Michael
HeartDoc Andrew
Jun 14, 2021, 9:30:32 AM6/14/21
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/convince_it_forward (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://HeartMDPhD.com/VAT
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/convince_it_forward (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://HeartMDPhD.com/VAT
from around the heart
...because we mindfully choose to openly care with our heart,
HeartDoc Andrew <><
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