SAGE says ministers should be more precise about what could trigger ‘Plan B’ restrictions this winter and believes that telling the public to work from home again is one of the most effective measures it should prepare to reintroduce. The Times has the story.
SAGE noted that only about half the workforce had the option to stay at home but urged ministers to prepare for the “rapid deployment” of new measures if infections continue to surge.
Facemask mandates and vaccination passports are also options but are considered to be less effective.
The advisers have also urged Boris Johnson to decide what circumstances would trigger his ‘Plan B’. “Identifying early warning metrics and triggers for intervening is key to responding rapidly,” they said. …
New modelling from SAGE suggests that hospital admissions are unlikely to hit the peaks seen in January, when 4,000 people a day were admitted. But there are concerns that Covid cases could combine with a nasty flu season to drive hospitals closer to the edge.
“Even if peak [Covid] admission levels remain well below those of January 2021, this could still put health and care settings under significant pressure, particularly if this coincides with high numbers of patients with other respiratory infections,” SAGE advisers have told ministers in the past week.
It echoes past comments made by Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, who has said that the Prime Minister must “go hard and go early” with winter restrictions if there is a surge in cases. …
The SAGE documents also include the suggestion that a campaign, coupled with practical and financial support, may be needed to encourage people to stay home if they have cold or flu symptoms, even if they have a negative PCR test for the coronavirus.
The experts are concerned that the pandemic has entered a highly unpredictable phase where small changes in public behaviour, or the effectiveness of vaccines, could have a large impact.
Worth reading in full.
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Pet hate – the use of the word envision when strictly envisage is more appropriate.
Yes, envision is all about imagination…in other words, something plucked from the air without real research.
Even worse is ‘reimagining’ and don’t get me started on all the idiots who want to ‘reach out’ and those who use ‘can I get’ instead of the correct ‘please may I have’.
The days of teaching correct grammar are
long gone sadly. It wasn’t too long ago I read that a university in the north east wasn’t too concerned about it in student applications. Apparently, correct grammar was ‘elitist’.
Not just applications but the actual coursework too. Go into any uni and notice-boards are crammed with interpreter services – which translates as people being paid to write coursework for students from overseas. If they don’t have the English skills these students should not be accessing courses delivered in English and provided by British unis.
Correct grammar allows the precise expression of complex ideas. Lack of verbal clarity impedes communication and allows muddy thinking.
Universities really should care, but it’s clear they’re all corrupted by nonsense.
Would you want a surgeon to use a spoon instead of a scalpel?
Pet hate 2 – spending money on topics like this when farmers are being pilloried over the cost of just one of these ridiculous projects. These are keeping frankly useless academics employed when blaming the farmers for NHS funding shortages.
Excellent summary of the ‘youth’ (our current uniparty governments) mispending our hard earned taxes on rubbish. Many of these fundings seem to have been going on for years. WTF or should that be WEF?
Self-perpetuating PhDs on the back of much of this ‘research’. Oh, but if you cancel this funding my PhD student won’t be able to continue with his/her/its work. Laughable, if it wasn’t for our money being wasted on these projects.
Self-generated madness.
An abuse of the word ‘doctor’.
The tinkling and sounding of cymbals (and symbols) signifying nothing.
Usual story – hold accountable Education, Education, Education.
Talking about education – recent news about Ofsted:
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/sir-hamid-patel-appointed-interim-ofsted-chair/
He will serve as interim chair of the Ofsted board for up to five months, until a new chair is appointed.
Woman of indigenous ethnicity replaced by turbaned Knight of the Realm. Watch this space for the permanent appointment.
Another institution marched in to?
Most probably. Easy transition from interim to permanent.
An actual ‘chair’ would be preferable
Ah, there is always money for these causes.
Just like there is money to put up migrants in hotels but no money for pensioners to heat their homes.
Just like there is always money to wage wars but not to fill in potholes.
Yep. You’re right.
Two Tier Never Here Kier can’t swan around saving Ukraine and Europe if he just fills in potholes and recall that when asked he preferred Fascist Central Davos as opposed to Westminster.
Possibly they reckon the people on welfare will always vote Labour regardless so they can afford to piss them off, whereas the wokesters might go to Illiberal Undemocrats or Fake Greens or whatever.
In the ‘revised’ world of Labour benefits claimants are undeserving. The Browns, Gays, and Trans are deserving.
Strange how Labour have morphed into conservatism, but political parties do this over time.
Excellent research, Charlotte Gill. I’m extremely concerned at the way our nation is undermined by such quangos. And we are forced to fund them via shady grants donated to them by our governments. We can’t afford to do this. There seems to be no sense of restraint or objectivity given to these bodies. I bet if any from the uni-party are reading this clearly written article, rather than react with outrage at the expose, they will bristle and regard critics of these donations as their enemies – to be quashed or discarded. The rot runs very deep. Starmer says he will tackle this but that remains to be seen.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
A great article – thank you Charlotte.
OT – but is it just me, or does Rachel Reeve have an incredibly unpleasant voice? I can’t listen to her.
Yess sh an absolutely hideous voice talks nothing but bollocks (and sorry) a face made for radio.
She has always been after the disabled. During the time when Miliband was leader she talked about knocking them into shape. The difficulty now is that their number has grown hugely since 2021 and these are serious disabilities. You wouldn’t want such people in the workplace. And many of those who aren’t classed as disabled are just dragging themselves into work and doing a crap job andhoping that they feel better at some indeterminate point in the future.. Any redemptive change starts with acknowledgment of reality. Our society is now a disability based culture. Very difficult to manage on a financial level. The future promises even greater levels of sickness and disability. Withdrawal of benefits will mean in a lot of cases the need for residential care and that costs a lot more.
Fear not, Kim Leadbeater’s euthanasia programme / assisted
murderdying bill is being hatched as we speak. They just need to minimise any legal safeguards before giving it the go ahead. TPTB will be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of all the benefit monies saved.