News Round Up

“Hancock says jabs will be ‘paused’ for under-50s to mop up remaining over-50s” – MailOnline reports on Hancock’s press conference yesterday, the NHS warning about a reduction in vaccine deliveries, and the rollout shambles in Europe
“Is Matt Hancock trying to spin a vaccine supply crisis?” – Isabel Hardman provides some trenchant analysis of Hancock’s press conference yesterday, for the Spectator
“Ursula von der Leyen threatens to block Covid vaccine exports to UK” – The Telegraph reports on Ursula von der Leyen’s posturing about vaccine exports
“Do we have informed consent for asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in schools?” – As asymptomatic mass testing in schools began last week, Jac Dinnes and Clare Davenport have written a piece for the BMJ about how well the potential benefits and harms are communicated to parents
“Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman warns lockdown has created an ‘epidemic of demotivated children’” – Amanda Spielman addressed the Association of School and College Leaders, saying that some young children have lost skills as basic as “using a pencil” during months of home learning, according to MailOnline
“Why did the Government bin its own pandemic plan?” – “If they hadn’t,” writes Lucy Wyatt in the Conservative Woman, “we might still have a functioning economy and young people might feel they have a future worth living for”
“Trapped in a Covid dystopia… and we’re told to be grateful” – Gratitude is not Emily Sands-Bonin’s primary reaction to being locked down, according to her piece in the Conservative Woman
“Laws must be general, equal and certain. And yes, that applies to lockdown gatherings too” – “It’s ok for people to gather in crowds or it’s not,” says Lord Hannan of Kingsclere in Conservative Home
“Inflation and ‘taper tantrum’ now bigger fear than virus for investors” – Covid is no longer the biggest concern among fund managers, according to the Times
“Britons will go on £50bn spending spree when Covid rules are lifted – report” – The Guardian reports on new research which suggests that Brits will spend 26% of accumulated savings once lockdown restrictions are lifted, giving rise to fears of inflation
“Don’t bet on consumer spending for the Covid recovery” – Saving the economy might “not be as simple as just unleashing pent-up demand”, says Jack Barnett at CapX
“Were we too ready to surrender our freedom?” – The past year has set a “worrying precedent for handling of the next crisis”, argues Daniel Finkelstein in the Times
“PROTEST? You’re having a laugh!” – The latest episode of the Real Normal discusses goalpost shifting under the government’s “four tests”, Covid testing in schools and Meghan and Harry
“New coronavirus variant found in France is undetectable by PCR tests” – The Brussels Times reports on the existence of a new variant from Brittany, France which PCR tests failed to detect
“Has the EU lost its mind?” – In UnHerd, Peter Franklin tries to understand the EU’s increasingly erratic behaviour over vaccines and wonders if it might end up in a situation where the vulnerable are vaccinated and the rest are set free
“Brussels embraces vaccine nationalism” – Steerpike at the Spectator has a go at working out what’s going on in Brussels
“German ICU doctors call for ‘immediate return’ to lockdown as COVID-19 numbers rise” – The Local reports that a German doctor is calling for a return to partial lockdown
“Coronavirus: Knesset okays electronic bracelet for returnees from abroad” – The Knesset has approved the bill requiring Israelis returning from abroad to wear an electronic bracelet which ensures they isolate at home, or be quarantined in a hotel, the Jerusalem Post reports
“Israeli anti-vaxxers submit ethics complaint to ICC” – The Jerusalem Post reports that a group called Anshei Emet has filed a suit at the International Criminal Court contending that the Israeli Government’s administration of the coronavirus vaccine constitutes a “crime against humanity”
“Disneyland to reopen on April 30th, Disney CEO Bob Chapek says” – CNBC reports that the Disneyland parks in California are to reopen, though with capacity much reduced and mandatory face masks
“Travel Certificates Proposed in Europe in Hope of Saving Summer Season” – The New York Times reports on the EU’s proposed COVID-19 certificates
“More ‘Covid suicides’ than Covid deaths in kids” – Micha Gratz presents some grim statistics at AIER
“Moderna Is Testing Its COVID-19 Vaccine on Young Children” – A new trial will test the Moderna vaccine on children aged six months to 11 years, the Wall Street Journal reports
“Australian health minister in hospital after vaccination but link ruled out” – Reuters reports that Australian Minister Greg Hunt’s hospital stay is not connected to his having been vaccinated two days previously
“Five questions before you dare lock us down again” – Writing in Spectator Australia, James Allan lists five questions that must be answered “yes” for a lockdown to be justified: Question 1: Is the damage from lockdowns “ultimately less than the damage if you shunned lockdowns”
“Dr. Scott Atlas – Stanford College Republicans – Science, Politics, and COVID-19: Will Truth Prevail?” – Watch Scot Atlas’s lecture to Stanford College Republicans
Dr John Lee tells Julia Hartley-Brewer on talkRADIO that it isn’t just the EU that’s hamstrung by the precautionary principle

Dr John Lee, former NHS consultant in pathology: "The precautionary principle isn't about protecting people. It's about the deflection of political blame. When do we ever make personal risk decisions based on the worst based scenario?"

Watch in full ▼@JuliaHB1 pic.twitter.com/0VhAm7cbYz
— TalkTV (@TalkTV) March 17, 2021

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