Unions and scientists have denounced Boris Johnson's announcement that self-isolation rules will end, as a poll shows three quarters of the public want them to continue, half say forever, while just 17% support the move.
For the last year in Austria, the hypocrisy, discrimination and name-calling have risen to levels that haven’t been seen in a long time – and now the vaccine is mandatory. It's not a good country to be unvaccinated.
The Scottish Government has said its Covid powers – including mask mandates and vaccine passports – are to be extended for a further six months. Was it inspired by Boris announcing the lifting of restrictions in England?
We're publishing a "Postcard From Ireland" by longstanding contributor Dr. Sinéad Murphy, an Associate Researcher in Philosophy at Newcastle University. Her first visit to the home country for the first time in two years was both heartening and depressing, as she makes clear. Here is an extract: Two years of the most turmoil the world had ever known, and the Republic somehow unchanged.There were masks, yes. Oh my, were there masks. On the day before Christmas Eve, I sat in the car for a full hour-and-a-half just outside the entrance to Dunnes Stores supermarket, waiting while my sister queued outside to get in and then queued inside to get out again. I may have seen as many as 500 people as I waited, queueing outside to get in and then inside to get out again. How many went without a mask? Aside from very young children, not one. The Irish mask like no one else on earth – with the possible exception of the residents of Cambridge, Massachusetts.But staring so long at such total compliance produced a kind of optical illusion. Though there was not a single face on show, I began to imagine that there was or to forget that there was not. I began to see faces. The horror of Covid masking somehow retreated. How could this be?Nobody ...
Boris deserves little credit for not following the advice of SAGE scientists and imposing tighter Covid restrictions over Christmas. He was planning to, but was thwarted by a Cabinet coup, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said mask rules could remain in place for years as they are "not the biggest handicap" people are having to endure. Will she ever let it be over?
Boris all but ruled out another lockdown in the House of Commons earlier and held out the prospect of a return "closer to normality" within weeks, hinting at the abandonment of 'Plan B' by February.
At the Downing Street press conference, Boris said he was going to recommend to Cabinet tomorrow that we stick to 'Plan B', i.e. not impose any more Covid restrictions – and it seems unlikely he'll change his mind.
We're publishing a guest post on the Daily Sceptic by two Scottish academics asking why the Scots have proved so willing to comply with the Nicola Sturgeon's ludicrously over-the-top, draconian Covid restrictions.
As the people of England wake up with a bad hangover, Sajid Javid says additional Covid restrictions are unlikely
