21 June removal of all legal limits is good news indeed.
21st June <<at the earliest>> though. It's not a firm commitment.
To be fair if vaccinations work as well as they seem to we might be able to go a little faster - but small steps first
Given all the dates we've now been given, it's not clear what "data not dates" is supposed to mean. It means I suppose that there could be postponements, but no chance I think of going faster -- unless some of those Tories kick up a bit of a fuss in due course,
What about lap-dancing clubs? Is there a Step for that?
'Organised indoor adult sport', presumably.
There was a distinguished Scottish judge some time ago now who had a reputation for sleeping with the wives of his colleagues. When he died the Scotsman obituary drily noted that he had distinguished himself in indoor sports.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Just give it a fecking rest cant you? The virus did this. Its a pandemic that kills around 1% of those who catch it. Yes the government made mistakes, so did other countries. Even the haloed Germany, lauded in the first wave, have had a horrible second wave.
He can't give it a rest, he's become a Victor Meldrew caricature when it comes to HMG.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
21 June removal of all legal limits is good news indeed.
21st June "at the earliest".
Freedom is always four months away...
Freedom being a complete lifting of all distancing laws.
That's a lot quicker than it could have been given millions won't have been vaccinated by then, I might not be still by that date but good not to wait for everyone to be done.
Well yes. But this feels like at least the fourth time we've been assured that it will all be fine in four month's time. (Admittedly with more detail this time.) If by the 21st of June we do lift all restrictions - we can go to the pub, each other's houses, up in a hot air balloon - I'll be very happy. But on past form I'm expecting 'at the earliest' to be doing a lot of work.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
The slowdown in case reduction is my oft repeated normal behaviour of R, where if one geography or sector or type of transmission is running a higher R than another, it will eventually come to dominate overall R.
In this case, R remains a little higher the further north you go, including NI and Scotland this time. As Southern cases get fewer and fewer, Northern R comes to dominate overall R and the curve shallows its descent a little. Hoping spring and vaccination will tip Northern R down faster than unlockdown pushes it back up.
21 June removal of all legal limits is good news indeed.
21st June <<at the earliest>> though. It's not a firm commitment.
To be fair if vaccinations work as well as they seem to we might be able to go a little faster - but small steps first
Given all the dates we've now been given, it's not clear what "data not dates" is supposed to mean. It means I suppose that there could be postponements, but no chance I think of going faster -- unless some of those Tories kick up a bit of a fuss in due course,
Depends. Are they really going to hold on if (if!) the numbers drop off a cliff over the next few weeks? It's four months until June 21st.
It does set the government a good target of getting every adult a first jab by May 31st, if June 21st is the full reopening. It's a really good target date to have in mind as well given the new supply of Moderna and Novavax we're getting in April.
Honestly I think the government has effectively set the 31st of May as an unofficial deadline to get all adults their first doses. We've brought the other target forwards by two weeks so it means there are 6 weeks, effectively, to get all under 50s their first doses. That's around 4m first doses per week, it is 100% possible to do that.
What are you thoughts on the lamentable vaccination stats today? The expected supply bottleneck (anticipated a few days ago) or something more sinister?
I hope there will be a question on that tonight: needs clarifying.
It's a sad, sad day when I have to agree with anything that that prat Blackford says but as for May, words just fail me, they really do.
I long thought she was bloody useless but that was flabbergasting even for me.
What did she say/ask?
Complaining about no commitments on international travel before the April review.
She said that the government took weeks to respond to the previous report -pointing out that the aviation industry requires 3 months notice from decision to implementation. So if the government responds immediately to the Task Force report in mid-April, normal(ish) business can resume in mid July - and delay in response simply puts back that date. Given a lot of her constituents are employed in aviation it's a reasonable point to make, given the government rarely has a handle on the practical challenges businesses face. Especially since the government has pencilled in (subject to review) international travel from mid-May - it won't happen on the government's timings.
21 June removal of all legal limits is good news indeed.
21st June "at the earliest".
Freedom is always four months away...
Yes, all dates are given "at the earliest".
Which everyone will edit out.
Well yes but given how well the vaccination programme is going and the near certainty that the figures that matter (hospitalisations/deaths) will continue to fall I`d put money on those dates being adhered to.
Not too much I hope. Not cos I disagree with you. But purely that this virus has been so brutal, it seems unwise for my mental health to get my hopes up so high.
My daughters are delighted they are going back to school 8 March. Great to see them smiling. That`s the biggest plus today for us.
Also, they can look forward to outdoor house parties from 17 May (30 people limit).
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
Yeah, but the vaccine is not fully effective, and you risk mutations if you let it spread rampant.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
It matters to some degree, but is of far lesser importance than hospitalisations IMO.
It does set the government a good target of getting every adult a first jab by May 31st, if June 21st is the full reopening. It's a really good target date to have in mind as well given the new supply of Moderna and Novavax we're getting in April.
Honestly I think the government has effectively set the 31st of May as an unofficial deadline to get all adults their first doses. We've brought the other target forwards by two weeks so it means there are 6 weeks, effectively, to get all under 50s their first doses. That's around 4m first doses per week, it is 100% possible to do that.
What are you thoughts on the lamentable vaccination stats today? The expected supply bottleneck (anticipated a few days ago) or something more sinister?
As drama queen I can see why you think its sinister but reality is this is the expected supply bottleneck attached to the fact as you move to a different target group you need to wait for them to receive the appropriate communication (text, email, letter) and start booking appointments.
If I wanted to be a "drama queen" I can assure you, I would write something much more luridly, manically, knicker-soppingly hysterical than the polite question, "is this something more sinister".
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
Post of the day? It literally added nothing to the conversation.
The stuff about legal action against AZ was all bollocks. The EU knew this, yet still made threats. Remarkable.
"Brussels last month plunged itself into the centre of an extraordinary row with AstraZeneca over jab supply shortages. The bloc furiously released a redacted version of its contract with the company amid threats of legal action.
"But a full version of the contract has been published by Italian broadcaster RAI which shows the European Commission and member states waived the right to sue the pharmaceutical giant over any delivery delays."
That is just astonishing. No doubt there will be a vote of no confidence in the relevant democratic body after she has been properly held to account by answering all the relevant questions.
Removal by vote of the European Parliament, you mean? (That's the mechanism [1]). Well, imho there should be, but then I also think the US senate should have convicted Trump, so what do I know?
So - all normal by the summer solstice. I think I might actually tick off the bucket list item and do Stonehenge this year. It will have some very considerable significance, seeing that sunrise....
Hmm perhaps they should push back Ascot by a week...
Need to push back Ascot and do something about the big Euro 2021 England vs Scotland match at Wembley (which is just three days' too early), although they could potentially do a vax-only crowd for the football.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
Yeah, but the vaccine is not fully effective, and you risk mutations if you let it spread rampant.
By that logic there will never be a time where we stop testing for COVID because it's not going to disappear in the short term.
I thought the whole point of vaccines was that we turn it into a flu-type illness, and we don't routinely test for flu.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
Yeah, but the vaccine is not fully effective, and you risk mutations if you let it spread rampant.
By that logic there will never be a time where we stop testing for COVID because it's not going to disappear in the short term.
I thought the whole point of vaccines was that we turn it into a flu-type illness, and we don't routinely test for flu.
It's been discussed in the context of the third step, right? This is when we're still coming off the peak of the last wave. You can understand why they'd want to do everything with an abundance of caution.
21 June is the summer solstice and has huge psychological importance in the eyes of the British as the traditional first day of summer.
Will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the government to roll back on IMO.
More likely to be brought forward IMO in time for Euro 2020.
Especially if that becomes UK 2021 as it probably should.
Let's forget Euro 2020 and just have a round robin group England, Scotland and Wales. We'll let NI join in too. Hell, Ireland can play if they've got their boots.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
Yeah, but the vaccine is not fully effective, and you risk mutations if you let it spread rampant.
By that logic there will never be a time where we stop testing for COVID because it's not going to disappear in the short term.
I thought the whole point of vaccines was that we turn it into a flu-type illness, and we don't routinely test for flu.
It's been discussed in the context of the third step, right? This is when we're still coming off the peak of the last wave. You can understand why they'd want to do everything with an abundance of caution.
I was just musing about the worthwhileness of mass-testing in a post-vaccination environment.
I hope there's still work being done on less-intrusive, more accurate, and faster COVID testing because I personally hate the nasal swab.
21 June removal of all legal limits is good news indeed.
21st June "at the earliest".
Freedom is always four months away...
Yes, all dates are given "at the earliest".
Which everyone will edit out.
Well yes but given how well the vaccination programme is going and the near certainty that the figures that matter (hospitalisations/deaths) will continue to fall I`d put money on those dates being adhered to.
Not too much I hope. Not cos I disagree with you. But purely that this virus has been so brutal, it seems unwise for my mental health to get my hopes up so high.
My daughters are delighted they are going back to school 8 March. Great to see them smiling. That`s the biggest plus today for us.
Also, they can look forward to outdoor house parties from 17 May (30 people limit).
Al we need is some weather.
Here's to a bright spring and a long, warm summer.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
Yeah, but the vaccine is not fully effective, and you risk mutations if you let it spread rampant.
By that logic there will never be a time where we stop testing for COVID because it's not going to disappear in the short term.
I thought the whole point of vaccines was that we turn it into a flu-type illness, and we don't routinely test for flu.
It's been discussed in the context of the third step, right? This is when we're still coming off the peak of the last wave. You can understand why they'd want to do everything with an abundance of caution.
I was just musing about the worthwhileness of mass-testing in a post-vaccination environment.
I hope there's still work being done on less-intrusive, more accurate, and faster COVID testing because I personally hate the nasal swab.
OK, you had mentioned it in the context of "Boris going on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres", which I think happens at the third step. I don't think you can read much into the long-term implications quite yet.
So - all normal by the summer solstice. I think I might actually tick off the bucket list item and do Stonehenge this year. It will have some very considerable significance, seeing that sunrise....
Hmm perhaps they should push back Ascot by a week...
Need to push back Ascot and do something about the big Euro 2021 England vs Scotland match at Wembley (which is just three days' too early), although they could potentially do a vax-only crowd for the football.
Feeling pretty chipper now after waking to the depths of depression this morning and barely sleeping last night, worried about weeks more indoors. The mood swings associated with lockdown and lockdown politics are terrifying.
21 June removal of all legal limits is good news indeed.
21st June "at the earliest".
Freedom is always four months away...
Yes, all dates are given "at the earliest".
Which everyone will edit out.
Well yes but given how well the vaccination programme is going and the near certainty that the figures that matter (hospitalisations/deaths) will continue to fall I`d put money on those dates being adhered to.
Not too much I hope. Not cos I disagree with you. But purely that this virus has been so brutal, it seems unwise for my mental health to get my hopes up so high.
My daughters are delighted they are going back to school 8 March. Great to see them smiling. That`s the biggest plus today for us.
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
It does set the government a good target of getting every adult a first jab by May 31st, if June 21st is the full reopening. It's a really good target date to have in mind as well given the new supply of Moderna and Novavax we're getting in April.
Honestly I think the government has effectively set the 31st of May as an unofficial deadline to get all adults their first doses. We've brought the other target forwards by two weeks so it means there are 6 weeks, effectively, to get all under 50s their first doses. That's around 4m first doses per week, it is 100% possible to do that.
What are you thoughts on the lamentable vaccination stats today? The expected supply bottleneck (anticipated a few days ago) or something more sinister?
As drama queen I can see why you think its sinister but reality is this is the expected supply bottleneck attached to the fact as you move to a different target group you need to wait for them to receive the appropriate communication (text, email, letter) and start booking appointments.
If I wanted to be a "drama queen" I can assure you, I would write something much more luridly, manically, knicker-soppingly hysterical than the polite question, "is this something more sinister".
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
Because bringing forward dates of relaxations in response to data, is going to be one hell of a lot easier than pushing them back.
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
Because bringing forward dates of relaxations in response to data, is going to be one hell of a lot easier than pushing them back.
That`s not what Johnson said. Wish he had said that.
So - all normal by the summer solstice. I think I might actually tick off the bucket list item and do Stonehenge this year. It will have some very considerable significance, seeing that sunrise....
Hmm perhaps they should push back Ascot by a week...
Need to push back Ascot and do something about the big Euro 2021 England vs Scotland match at Wembley (which is just three days' too early), although they could potentially do a vax-only crowd for the football.
Health workers. Fully vaccinated after all. See also the end of the Premiership season.
In Step 2 is says "Self-contained accommodation (household only)" - does this mean UK holiday lets are on from that date? If not - what does it mean?
I think you can stay away yes, but only in your own household. Worth looking into as the week is week two of the easter holidays –– and beer gardens will be open.
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
It's easy to underestimate how difficult it is to get the right balance. If people go back to normal while everyone under 50 is not vaccinated, you would get an R rate of ~3 and a massive surge in cases, which wouldn't all be mild and would seep through into people in vulnerable groups who weren't vaccinated. Every day where we vaccinate more people while continuing to suppress the virus puts us in a stronger position.
Is the school opening still going ahead in West Lothian? I mean, the rest OK, but is it wise there? (Or is it another prison outbreak that - you hope- doesn't reach those not incarcerated?)
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
Yeah, but the vaccine is not fully effective, and you risk mutations if you let it spread rampant.
By that logic there will never be a time where we stop testing for COVID because it's not going to disappear in the short term.
I thought the whole point of vaccines was that we turn it into a flu-type illness, and we don't routinely test for flu.
It's been discussed in the context of the third step, right? This is when we're still coming off the peak of the last wave. You can understand why they'd want to do everything with an abundance of caution.
I was just musing about the worthwhileness of mass-testing in a post-vaccination environment.
I hope there's still work being done on less-intrusive, more accurate, and faster COVID testing because I personally hate the nasal swab.
OK, you had mentioned it in the context of "Boris going on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres", which I think happens at the third step. I don't think you can read much into the long-term implications quite yet.
The 5-minute Avacta test still requires a nasopharyngeal swab.
It does set the government a good target of getting every adult a first jab by May 31st, if June 21st is the full reopening. It's a really good target date to have in mind as well given the new supply of Moderna and Novavax we're getting in April.
Honestly I think the government has effectively set the 31st of May as an unofficial deadline to get all adults their first doses. We've brought the other target forwards by two weeks so it means there are 6 weeks, effectively, to get all under 50s their first doses. That's around 4m first doses per week, it is 100% possible to do that.
What are you thoughts on the lamentable vaccination stats today? The expected supply bottleneck (anticipated a few days ago) or something more sinister?
I expect Pfizer doses are being held back right now to build a buffer, maybe around 100k per day for two weeks or so.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
Post of the day? It literally added nothing to the conversation.
It did (on context) but that's not why I selected it. I chose it for its calculated "less is more" impact. Alastair Meeks, here, on this thread, on which he will not post again, was like McQueen in The Magnificent Seven - hardly in it yet usurping Brynner as the star; stealing scenes with just a faraway stare and a twitch of the eyebrows. That is POTD in my book and it should be in yours too.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Feeling pretty chipper now after waking to the depths of depression this morning and barely sleeping last night, worried about weeks more indoors. The mood swings associated with lockdown and lockdown politics are terrifying.
Good to know you are on the up. I know what you mean. The news on possible outdoor pubs has lifted me.
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
It's easy to underestimate how difficult it is to get the right balance. If people go back to normal while everyone under 50 is not vaccinated, you would get an R rate of ~3 and a massive surge in cases, which wouldn't all be mild and would seep through into people in vulnerable groups who weren't vaccinated. Every day where we vaccinate more people while continuing to suppress the virus puts us in a stronger position.
Yes I understand that but it`s a question of balance in the face of a reasonable interpretation of risk.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
Statistically, he is for at least one of us who posts here.....
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
As I understand it, not even the PM could say for sure where any poster under about 35 is concerned...
In Step 2 is says "Self-contained accommodation (household only)" - does this mean UK holiday lets are on from that date? If not - what does it mean?
I think you can stay away yes, but only in your own household. Worth looking into as the week is week two of the easter holidays –– and beer gardens will be open.
You mean only as one family unit in any self-catering let? Or do you mean only if the destination house is your own holiday home?
Feeling pretty chipper now after waking to the depths of depression this morning and barely sleeping last night, worried about weeks more indoors. The mood swings associated with lockdown and lockdown politics are terrifying.
Good to know you are on the up. I know what you mean. The news on possible outdoor pubs has lifted me.
It does set the government a good target of getting every adult a first jab by May 31st, if June 21st is the full reopening. It's a really good target date to have in mind as well given the new supply of Moderna and Novavax we're getting in April.
Honestly I think the government has effectively set the 31st of May as an unofficial deadline to get all adults their first doses. We've brought the other target forwards by two weeks so it means there are 6 weeks, effectively, to get all under 50s their first doses. That's around 4m first doses per week, it is 100% possible to do that.
What are you thoughts on the lamentable vaccination stats today? The expected supply bottleneck (anticipated a few days ago) or something more sinister?
I expect Pfizer doses are being held back right now to build a buffer, maybe around 100k per day for two weeks or so.
My wife and I have our second dose confirmed by text today for the 7th March, six weeks after the first
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
Because bringing forward dates of relaxations in response to data, is going to be one hell of a lot easier than pushing them back.
Agreed. But there must also be governmental will to do this. And it should be signalled if the will is there...
Yes, this seems sensible to be sending children back to school.
Cases or hospitalisations?
A pedant notes: positive tests, not cases. Though said pedant laments that battle was probably lost months ago.
That aside, rising cases or positive tests in no way means we should be keeping schools closed. The costs of keeping schools closed are high, the benefits in controlling the disease are questionable. Closing schools is a classic case of we-must-do-something this-is-something therefore let's-do-this. We need to get out of the mindset where every bit of bad news demands the nuclear option.
So - all normal by the summer solstice. I think I might actually tick off the bucket list item and do Stonehenge this year. It will have some very considerable significance, seeing that sunrise....
Hmm perhaps they should push back Ascot by a week...
Need to push back Ascot and do something about the big Euro 2021 England vs Scotland match at Wembley (which is just three days' too early), although they could potentially do a vax-only crowd for the football.
Health workers. Fully vaccinated after all. See also the end of the Premiership season.
Cases up 900 from a week ago. The tide has unfortunately turned on the day, almost the moment in fact, that easing of lockdown was announced. The unanswered question is whether this turnaround was caused by the very wintery weather or something else. One hopes it is the former but fears the latter.
I have a suspicion that some of this is the surge testing finding more asymptomatic cases. Or maybe I am just hoping its that.
Do cases matter that much now? Vaccinations will slash illness. Who cares if you get covid if it's a miles sniffle or less?
By that metric, why did Boris go on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres etc? Surely if everyone's vaccinated, and the vaccines are still working, it shouldn't matter if there's COVID circulating?
Not everyone will be vaccinated with the booster at that point.
But everyone who's "vulnerable" will be long since vaccinated, surely?
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
Yeah, but the vaccine is not fully effective, and you risk mutations if you let it spread rampant.
By that logic there will never be a time where we stop testing for COVID because it's not going to disappear in the short term.
I thought the whole point of vaccines was that we turn it into a flu-type illness, and we don't routinely test for flu.
It's been discussed in the context of the third step, right? This is when we're still coming off the peak of the last wave. You can understand why they'd want to do everything with an abundance of caution.
I was just musing about the worthwhileness of mass-testing in a post-vaccination environment.
I hope there's still work being done on less-intrusive, more accurate, and faster COVID testing because I personally hate the nasal swab.
OK, you had mentioned it in the context of "Boris going on about rigorous testing regimes for theatres", which I think happens at the third step. I don't think you can read much into the long-term implications quite yet.
The 5-minute Avacta test still requires a nasopharyngeal swab.
TBH the wife has done 20-30 lateral flow tests (3 times a week). It generally takes no more than 10 mins, and closer to 5. I don't know where the 30 mins comes from.
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
Because bringing forward dates of relaxations in response to data, is going to be one hell of a lot easier than pushing them back.
That`s not what Johnson said. Wish he had said that.
I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re thinking in government, they don’t want to have to push any commitments so they’re being slightly pessimistic at the moment, while hoping to see cases fall sharply in the coming weeks.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
Post of the day? It literally added nothing to the conversation.
It did (on context) but that's not why I selected it. I chose it for its calculated "less is more" impact. Alastair Meeks, here, on this thread, on which he will not post again, was like McQueen in The Magnificent Seven - hardly in it yet usurping Brynner as the star; stealing scenes with just a faraway stare and a twitch of the eyebrows. That is POTD in my book and it should be in yours too.
You were saying something about - checks notes - frothing adulation ?
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
Strange, you moan even more when something good is said about him. Are you Keir Starmer's less interesting cousin?
In Step 2 is says "Self-contained accommodation (household only)" - does this mean UK holiday lets are on from that date? If not - what does it mean?
I think you can stay away yes, but only in your own household. Worth looking into as the week is week two of the easter holidays –– and beer gardens will be open.
You mean only as one family unit in any self-catering let? Or do you mean only if the destination house is your own holiday home?
I assumed the first but maybe it could be the second – hope not.
And now, the end is near And so I face, the final curtain
I prefer:
Where it began, I can't begin to knowing But then I know it's growing strong Was in the spring And spring became the summer Who'd have believed you'd come along
Hands, touching hands Reaching out, touching me, touching you
Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good I've been inclined To believe they never would
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
Strange, you moan even more when something good is said about him. Are you Keir Starmer's less interesting cousin?
I think it's safe to say Boris seems to have made a a fuller recovery from his Covid symptoms now. He couldn't do beyond half an hour in the Chamber last year, now he's coming up to two hours and still going strong.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
Strange, you moan even more when something good is said about him. Are you Keir Starmer's less interesting cousin?
Less interesting? that would mean he was dead........
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
There's a non-negligible chance of that for all of us under a certain age!
Feeling pretty chipper now after waking to the depths of depression this morning and barely sleeping last night, worried about weeks more indoors. The mood swings associated with lockdown and lockdown politics are terrifying.
Good to know you are on the up. I know what you mean. The news on possible outdoor pubs has lifted me.
Glad to hear that.
I really struggled to get out of bed today. Luckily hunger and the thought of a takeaway bacon roll did the trick. And the working week is actually a great distraction - I am very lucky to love what I do for a living.
Have got into the habit of playing online play money poker with mates, on pokerstars - for an hour or so last night I forgot all about the restrictions. It was fab.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
Strange, you moan even more when something good is said about him. Are you Keir Starmer's less interesting cousin?
Is that even possible?
I wasn't sure the laws of physics allowed it, but by God, MexicanPete is giving it a go and a half.
In Step 2 is says "Self-contained accommodation (household only)" - does this mean UK holiday lets are on from that date? If not - what does it mean?
I think you can stay away yes, but only in your own household. Worth looking into as the week is week two of the easter holidays –– and beer gardens will be open.
You mean only as one family unit in any self-catering let? Or do you mean only if the destination house is your own holiday home?
As I read it - one family unit in any self-catering let or accomodation where you are a single household. (ie I suspect that a Center Parcs chalet counts...)
Mark Harper asks why the need for any further restrictions at all when at end April all vaccination groups 1-9 will be done and these groups account for 99% of Covid deaths and 80% of Covid hospitalisations.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
It's easy to underestimate how difficult it is to get the right balance. If people go back to normal while everyone under 50 is not vaccinated, you would get an R rate of ~3 and a massive surge in cases, which wouldn't all be mild and would seep through into people in vulnerable groups who weren't vaccinated. Every day where we vaccinate more people while continuing to suppress the virus puts us in a stronger position.
Also, vaccine efficacy is not 100%, especially after a single dose.
"Early data suggests vaccinated people who go on to become infected are far less likely to die or be hospitalised. Overall, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 will be reduced by over 75% in those who have received a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The risk of dying in those aged over 80 is less than half (56%) in vaccinated cases compared to unvaccinated cases, at least 14 days after receiving the first dose."
Primary 1-3 were back at the school behind my house today. Lots of happy laughter, if not from the teachers.
It really seems to me that those spending so long in close proximity with children too young to understand social distancing ought to have been vaccinated before the schools went back.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Exactly! A real mood changer. We're on the same page. I was trying to be a bit more lyrical. Which I shouldn't. It's not my forte. So, yes, we go with this. Alastair has shat in your coffee. You'll have to boil the kettle again now.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
Strange, you moan even more when something good is said about him. Are you Keir Starmer's less interesting cousin?
Is the school opening still going ahead in West Lothian? I mean, the rest OK, but is it wise there? (Or is it another prison outbreak that - you hope- doesn't reach those not incarcerated?)
HMP Addiewell in West Lothian did report an outbreak last week - 90 cases.
Primary 1-3 were back at the school behind my house today. Lots of happy laughter, if not from the teachers.
It really seems to me that those spending so long in close proximity with children too young to understand social distancing ought to have been vaccinated before the schools went back.
Two issues with that: 1. as far as I understand, there is very little evident that children spread it significantly, and 2. any vaccination of a teacher in her 20s who is unlikely to suffer seriously with it pushes someone in his 60s who may become seriously ill or die back in the queue.
The argument isn't cut and dried either way, as far as I'm concerned. I'm just pointing out why the alternative approach might have a case too.
I think it's safe to say Boris seems to have made a a fuller recovery from his Covid symptoms now. He couldn't do beyond half an hour in the Chamber last year, now he's coming up to two hours and still going strong.
Yes, he's visibly aged during the pandemic (haven't we all) but he now looks fairly healthy. Older, but OK. That wobble in the voice has gone, as well
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
Post of the day? It literally added nothing to the conversation.
It did (on context) but that's not why I selected it. I chose it for its calculated "less is more" impact. Alastair Meeks, here, on this thread, on which he will not post again, was like McQueen in The Magnificent Seven - hardly in it yet usurping Brynner as the star; stealing scenes with just a faraway stare and a twitch of the eyebrows. That is POTD in my book and it should be in yours too.
You were saying something about - checks notes - frothing adulation ?
Yes, but only on this and for half an hour tops. I'm fickle.
Lots of man love ❤️ for Boris, for his roadmap and for his luxuriant hair on PB this afternoon. Some positive swooning. Bless.
And bloody well deserved too. We can all quibble over the exact speed of the unlocking, but we're now in a position to escape this thing faster than almost all countries that are not led by a certain Boris Johnson.
Before quibbling over the exact speed of the unlocking, you ought to take off your hat and bow your head for the tens of thousands killed by Boris Johnson's negligence to date.
Post of the day. A shard of ice in the cup of frothing adulation.
More like a dollop of pigeon shit in your morning coffee.
Why do you get so animated when posters critique Johnson.
Is he your dad?
Strange, you moan even more when something good is said about him. Are you Keir Starmer's less interesting cousin?
Primary 1-3 were back at the school behind my house today. Lots of happy laughter, if not from the teachers.
It really seems to me that those spending so long in close proximity with children too young to understand social distancing ought to have been vaccinated before the schools went back.
I just don't understand why they haven't been vaccinated. Apparently there's 50,000 teachers in Scotland across early learning, primary, and secondary, so that would have been one day's worth of vaccines when going at full tilt.
Comments
Yes, this seems sensible to be sending children back to school.
Will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the government to roll back on IMO. Will be all over the papers tomorrow, and that will be that.
And if the vaccines cut transmission, it would be much harder to catch if 80% of the audience is vaccinated in any case?
In this case, R remains a little higher the further north you go, including NI and Scotland this time. As Southern cases get fewer and fewer, Northern R comes to dominate overall R and the curve shallows its descent a little. Hoping spring and vaccination will tip Northern R down faster than unlockdown pushes it back up.
Especially if that becomes UK 2021 as it probably should.
[1] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/powers-and-procedures/supervisory-powers
Need to push back Ascot and do something about the big Euro 2021 England vs Scotland match at Wembley (which is just three days' too early), although they could potentially do a vax-only crowd for the football.
I thought the whole point of vaccines was that we turn it into a flu-type illness, and we don't routinely test for flu.
Looking like a wise move.
I hope there's still work being done on less-intrusive, more accurate, and faster COVID testing because I personally hate the nasal swab.
An excellent question because it strikes at the very legality of all this and Johnson's bumbling response - that not all will be vaccinated (i.e. younger people and vaccine-decliners) and some of those that have been jabbed will have insufficient protection - is simply not good enough in my opinion.
I'm investing in a Times Square-style countdown timer.
Cases or hospitalisations?
Is he your dad?
https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/3591320/embed
That aside, rising cases or positive tests in no way means we should be keeping schools closed. The costs of keeping schools closed are high, the benefits in controlling the disease are questionable. Closing schools is a classic case of we-must-do-something this-is-something therefore let's-do-this. We need to get out of the mindset where every bit of bad news demands the nuclear option.
Where it began, I can't begin to knowing
But then I know it's growing strong
Was in the spring
And spring became the summer
Who'd have believed you'd come along
Hands, touching hands
Reaching out, touching me, touching you
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would
Edit: Ah, you're quicker @MarqueeMark
I really struggled to get out of bed today. Luckily hunger and the thought of a takeaway bacon roll did the trick. And the working week is actually a great distraction - I am very lucky to love what I do for a living.
Have got into the habit of playing online play money poker with mates, on pokerstars - for an hour or so last night I forgot all about the restrictions. It was fab.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-real-world-uk-data-shows-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-provides-high-levels-of-protection-from-the-first-dose:
"Early data suggests vaccinated people who go on to become infected are far less likely to die or be hospitalised. Overall, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 will be reduced by over 75% in those who have received a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The risk of dying in those aged over 80 is less than half (56%) in vaccinated cases compared to unvaccinated cases, at least 14 days after receiving the first dose."
It really seems to me that those spending so long in close proximity with children too young to understand social distancing ought to have been vaccinated before the schools went back.
https://twitter.com/ChrisMusson/status/1363890935067783173?s=20
The argument isn't cut and dried either way, as far as I'm concerned. I'm just pointing out why the alternative approach might have a case too.
https://twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1363886211987865601