‘I think it’s dangerous – we are not at the place we need to be’
Microbiologist Dr Arthur Hosie has outlined some concerns over ‘freedom day’ on July 19
EXPERTS have spoken of their concerns following Boris Johnson’s announcement that the Government is set to end coronavirus restrictions.
The Prime Minister announced this week that July 19 will be the day when the majority of coronavirus rules will be scrapped.
It means people will no longer have to wear a face mask and social distancing will be a thing of the past.
Although these huge changes will allow theatres and nightclubs to open their doors to the public, a Staffordshire University academic says it’s too soon.
Microbiologist Dr Arthur Hosie has branded the decision as ‘dangerous’ and believes the rules should remain in place for at least another month.
Here he shares his thoughts with The Sentinel...
What are your views on face masks no longer being required?
“I think it’s dangerous, to be frank. We are not at the place we need to be in terms of immunisations. We know that you require two doses to be protected against the delta variant. Sixty-four per cent of the population has been immunised.
“We can’t just rely on vaccines alone, we need other mitigations to actually enable us to have wider freedom. To remove face masks at a time where they are asking people to go back to normality is concerning.”
What are your views on social distancing being scrapped?
“We’ve got a number of mitigations in place that are required to try to contain the transmission of the virus. Not one of these mitigations alone is sufficient.
The vaccine is having an impact upon transmission but we don’t know how much.
“To remove social distancing, especially in indoor environments, and at the same time removing mask wearing is worrying.
“It was very telling when the Prime Minister made his announcement that the data seemed to be at the forefront. He seemed to have ignored the data and very much focused on
the date.
“I didn’t fully understand the logic of why it had to be now. If we actually delayed removing mask wearing and social distancing for perhaps another month we will be closer to what we need to get to in terms of the threshold for the vaccine programme. We would have been in a better position to go about more freedoms.
“We need to use the mask wearing
and social distancing alongside the immunisation programme. It was good they said they were going to reduce the time for the second dose to eight weeks but we need as much of the population as possible to be immunised.
“At least 80 per cent of the adult population should be vaccinated before we can hope that we have reached herd immunity.”
What are your views on the abolition of the rule-of-six in homes?
“Of course it’s not so much what you do, it’s how you do it. Ultimately if you are in a household of people who have met up with lots of other people recently and they haven’t had a test for a while, it is a risk.
“I think we need to, rather than talking about individual responsibility, think about social responsibility. How do we protect ourselves and each other.
“It’s really important the Government has clear public health messaging at this time and to remove the legal obligations and then give strong guidance to continue to do the same thing is mixed messaging and will result in social tension.
“There are people who are going to comply and people who are not. It’s going to be problematic in the coming months.”
What advice would you give to the public?
“We have to make the best of the decision made. I would encourage the public to be wearing their masks indoors, especially when they are meeting people they do not come into contact with.
“Get your immunisation as fast as possible. If you are hesitating for any reason, ask for advice. We need to try to get as many people double immunised as possible.
“We need to have patience with each other and if you think people are going to be anxious about you not wearing a mask then perhaps you need to consider whether it’s right not to do so.
“On public transport and in shops I’d encourage people to continue to wear masks until we have reached a level where society is more fully protected. Think about others, not just yourself.”