Thread by @IndependentSage

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Gabriel Scally is presenting this week's numbers.

The number of positive tests has gone up 27%. That's a substantial increase.

Independent Sage are extremely concerned about the abolition of PHE. We do not regard this as a suitable time to abolish a body playing an important role, in particular at a local level. We regard this as a highly disruptive intervention.

This week's theme is introduced by Ann Phoenix

Summary:

UCU President, Vicky Blake. We can learn a lot from what's happening in the US.

Government advice has been consistently unclear and confusing. A lot of people I know have had coronavirus and I see that in higher education generally.

Neil Budworth, Loughborough University. Universities are looking at a balance of risks.

It's important to acknowledge that universities have already made extraordinary strides developing online practice.

We fully support any recommendations for the safety of students and staff as the highest priority.

Nobody wants to stop students having fun but we're asking for collective responsibility

Don't underestimate how dangerous this disease is. The headline of this whole pandemic is that the majority young people have observed restrictions for the communal good and we should acknowledge that.

People need to know the levels of transmission at their university, when it's getting risky, when to curtail their behaviour.

There is quite comprehensive support for international students in place from UCU - with guidance on quarantine

Universities such as Yale in the UD are making a mandatory quarantine of two weeks for those coming to the university from other parts of the UD with a high prevalence of infection.

Long term effects of Covid are a huge problem from breathlessness to psychosis. We need to know by age group how common these problems are.

There are massive issues of equality here that the government needs deal with now that could be even worse in a year's time.

Local public health directors should be involved in discussion with universities. There's also a huge burden falling on student health services who have been massively deprived of resources in recent years.

WE nee dot innovate so we can safely socialise in new ways, in breakout groups. It can be quite exciting to innovate.

Schools and universities are not in a social vacuum. We have to think about the effect on the local community and work very closely with local public health teams.

We are pushing government to do everything they can before we open schools to reduce the level infectivity in the population at large. I would close pubs and restaurants rather than risk having to close schools.

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