The UK HealthSec - paid £141k+expenses from taxpayers' £ - has chosen to put his #Coronavirus update behind a paywall.
For those of you who don't have a Telegraph subscription, here are the main points.
(Frankly, @MattHancock you should be ashamed of yourself.)
/1.
For those of you who don't have a Telegraph subscription, here are the main points.
(Frankly, @MattHancock you should be ashamed of yourself.)
/1.
"The coronavirus outbreak is the biggest public health emergency in a generation.
It calls for dramatic action, at home and abroad, of the kind not normally seen in peacetime."
Then goes on to express sadness at 21 deaths. All victims had underlying health conditions.
/2.
It calls for dramatic action, at home and abroad, of the kind not normally seen in peacetime."
Then goes on to express sadness at 21 deaths. All victims had underlying health conditions.
/2.
Hancock claims we have a plan "based on the expertise of world-leading scientists" and that #HerdImmunity is not a part of it.
"The over-riding objective is to protect life."
[Note: Telegraph earlier reported #coronavirusuk could be a way to *cull* the elderly...🙄)
/3.
"The over-riding objective is to protect life."
[Note: Telegraph earlier reported #coronavirusuk could be a way to *cull* the elderly...🙄)
/3.
"To protect life, we must protect the vulnerable, and protect the NHS and flatten the curve."
So far, so good.
There now follows a party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative Party ... which I'm not going to bother transcribing.
/4.
So far, so good.
There now follows a party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative Party ... which I'm not going to bother transcribing.
/4.
There'll be a national communications campaign so everyone knows what to do & how we can all play our part. [Hopefully better than the abysmal #GetReadyForBrexit ads.]
1. self-isolate for 7 days if you display symptoms
2. wash hands more often
3. ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’
/5.
1. self-isolate for 7 days if you display symptoms
2. wash hands more often
3. ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’
/5.
NEW: A call to arms to build the ventilators and other equipment the #NHS will need.
"We now need any manufacturers to transform their production lines to make ventilators. We cannot make too many."
[I could make a joke about fridges at this point, but I'll desist 😬]
/6.
"We now need any manufacturers to transform their production lines to make ventilators. We cannot make too many."
[I could make a joke about fridges at this point, but I'll desist 😬]
/6.
And now we get to the really important part, with the government trailing what it will do next — and it does seem to be confirming what #Peston said last night:
"...measures to ‘shield’ older and medically vulnerable people from the virus."
/7.
"...measures to ‘shield’ older and medically vulnerable people from the virus."
/7.
There's a call for us all to be community-spirited and help elderly people in lockdown. "Government, local councils, charities, friends and neighbours will need to be part of the national effort to support the shielded" so they're protected from consequences like loneliness.
/8.
/8.
And now for the scary bit:
Govt will publish an *emergency Bill* next week to give itself *temporary powers* to tackle #coronavirusuk.
Hancock says the measures in it allow for the worst case scenario, but hopefully won’t be needed.
What other countries are doing this?
/9.
Govt will publish an *emergency Bill* next week to give itself *temporary powers* to tackle #coronavirusuk.
Hancock says the measures in it allow for the worst case scenario, but hopefully won’t be needed.
What other countries are doing this?
/9.
Then there's an inappropriate WW2 allusion 🙄
Another call to pull together: "Everyone will be asked to make sacrifices, to protect themselves " others, especially those most vulnerable to this disease."
He ends on a note of optimism, that we can rise to this challenge.
/END
Another call to pull together: "Everyone will be asked to make sacrifices, to protect themselves " others, especially those most vulnerable to this disease."
He ends on a note of optimism, that we can rise to this challenge.
/END
