PM sticks to plan despite warnings
BORIS JOHNSON has insisted he would not deviate from his road map out of lockdown despite warnings from scientific advisers that the plan could result in a third wave of coronavirus cases and deaths.
The Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M) group, which advises the Government, produced a paper dated March 31 showing an increase in hospital admissions and fatalities is “highly likely” during the later stages of the UK’s road map out of lockdown.
The Prime Minister defended his approach, insisting there was nothing in the data so far to persuade him to ditch his plans, which will see further easing of restrictions in England in stages on May 17 and June 21 at the earliest.
Mr Johnson has already confirmed April 12 will see the next step along the road map, with shops, pub beer gardens, gyms and hairdressers among premises allowed to reopen.
The Spi-M panel’s assessment was that any resurgence in hospital admissions and deaths following next Monday’s easing of lockdown was “highly unlikely” to put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
But “it is highly likely that there will be a further resurgence in hospitalisations and deaths after the later steps” of the road map, the Spi-M assessment said.
In most of the scenarios the experts looked at, the peak of a new wave would be lower than in January 2021 but modelling based on “pessimistic but plausible” assumptions about the efficacy of vaccines suggested a resurgence of hospital admissions on a similar scale to the crisis in the winter.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to an AstraZeneca plant in Macclesfield, Mr Johnson said: “I just think it’s important we take each step on the road map as it comes and continue to roll out the vaccine, build up our defences, build up the natural resistance of our whole population in the way that we are and then continue to look at the data in the intervals that we’ve set out.
“So we are going to see exactly what happens from the April 12 to May 17 openings and thereafter through to June 21.”
But he added: “At the moment, as I look at all the data, I can’t see any reason for us to deviate from the road map that we have set out, we are sticking to it.”
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson sought to calm fears over the introduction of “vaccine passports” for people to demonstrate their Covid-19 status, highlighting the importance of testing rather than simply whether someone had received a jab.
A Government review into “Covid status certification” found they could “potentially play a role” in settings such as theatres, nightclubs and mass events, and might also be used in pubs and restaurants to reduce social distancing restrictions.
The potential use of certificates – which would include vaccination status, test results or evidence of someone having contracted and recovered from Covid-19 – is opposed by at least 40 Conservative MPs.