- “Boris Johnson hails end of Covid curbs after two years” – Boris Johnson last night heralded an end to nearly two years of Covid curbs, declaring that it is time for the public to take personal responsibility for their health – rather than relying on the state, the Mail reports.
- “Over-80s set to get free Covid tests as they are scrapped for majority of public” – The PM is expected to confirm on Monday that universal free lateral flow and PCR tests are to end, likely from April, according to the Telegraph.
- “End mass Covid testing in schools now, MPs and peers tell Government” – The Prime Minister faces a backbench rebellion over the decision to keep mass testing in place for secondary pupils for the time being, reports the Telegraph.
- “Irresponsible to scrap free testing, says SNP’s Blackford” – SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford says ending free tests and self-isolation puts health at risk, reports BBC News.
- “Minister in push to axe tourist forms in time for Easter holidays” – The Telegraph reports that the Transport Secretary wants to see the end of passenger locator forms (PLF) by the start of April, making it easier for families to fly off on a break. Read also Airlines U.K. boss Tim Alderslade in the Mail.
- “The Government terrified us into wearing masks. Now it should persuade us to take them off” – Boris Johnson should use his talents to persuade the country that liberty is something to be celebrated, writes Tim Stanley in the Telegraph.
- “Covid infections plummet by 37% in a week as PM plans Freedom Day” – Case rates reported by the U.K. Health Security Agency on Sunday fell by 37% on last week to 25,696 cases – the lowest figure since August last year, reports the Mail.
- “Emergencies Act Backlash: Conservatives Surge, Liberals Trail By Eight Points, and Majority Want Restrictions Ended As Backlash Against Trudeau grows” – Last month, the Liberals and Conservatives were tied in the polls, but now the pro-trucker Conservatives lead the anti-trucker Liberals by 39% to 31%, reports Spencer Fernando.
- “Not Going to Be a ‘Punching Bag’ for the Police: Freedom Convoy Spokesman Announces Peaceful Withdrawal From Ottawa” – As police in Ottawa escalated operations against the Freedom Convoy protesters for two days straight, a spokesman for the movement has called for a peaceful withdrawal, saying they are not going to be a “human punching bag” for law enforcement, reports the Epoch Times. Also in the Mail.
- “Capitol fence will be reinstalled ahead of Biden’s State of the Union” – Fencing that surrounded the Capitol for much of 2021 will be reinstalled next week as Capitol Police secure the complex ahead of Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address on March 1st and the truckers’ Freedom Convoy heads for Washington, reports the Mail.
- “Group of Doctors, Scientists Call for Immediate Removal of All COVID-19 Restrictions” – The Epoch Times reports on a group of leading scientists, doctors and policy professionals who say it is time to end all COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine mandates and passports across Canada right now.
- “Bill Gates: Omicron is a Vaccine” – Bill Gates, a major investor in vaccine and surveillance technologies, on Friday acknowledged to attendees of Germany’s annual Munich Security Conference that natural immunity provides powerful protection against coronavirus and that Omicron has exceeded the ability of vaccines to confer that protection to a large swath of humanity, reports TrialSite News.
- “The pointless tyranny of Italy’s Covid pass” – Nicholas Farrell in the Spectator with an exquisite demolition of Italy’s vaccine passports.
- “How we have mischaracterised climate risk” – The UN is promoting a solution to an exceedingly complex, uncertain and ambiguous problem, without the context of an adequate risk assessment that references the wider ethical issues and political and practical feasibility, writes Judith Curry on Climate Etc.
- “The school board recalls that shook San Francisco” – Backlash against wokery and excessive Covid measures such as remote learning were part of the trigger for the political earthquake in San Francisco last week, writes Gilbert T. Sewall in the Spectator.
- “It’s absurd to claim women aren’t taken seriously” – Proposals for more sex segregated book prizes are painfully misplaced, writes Zoe Strimpel in the Telegraph.
- “The British state is institutionally woke” – Civil servants are pursuing an identitarian agenda behind ministers’ backs, writes Frank Furedi in Spiked.
- “We do need to get back to normal. We need to be treated like adults” – Paul Embery welcomes Boris Johnson’s plan to end the Covid restrictions this week on GB News.
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By Will Jones / 21 February 2022 • 01.34
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