Prof Chris Whitty in front of the Health Select Committee. He's asked if the Government really did "follow the science" in relation to lockdown in March.
He says yes, broadly. Ministers followed the advice of SAGE "with a delay that was no more than you would reasonably expect"
He says yes, broadly. Ministers followed the advice of SAGE "with a delay that was no more than you would reasonably expect"
Hunt asks why SAGE advice didn't follow South Korean example of test and trace?
Whitty says "we had no capacity to do it on scale that would have been needed."
Hunt says but we got capacity in a month in April. If SAGE had advised in Jan, could have had capacity by February.
Whitty says "we had no capacity to do it on scale that would have been needed."
Hunt says but we got capacity in a month in April. If SAGE had advised in Jan, could have had capacity by February.
On COVID transmission in hospitals, Prof Whitty says there is "reasonable evidence" that a lot of transmission was from care staff and health staff to one another. As much as between staff and patients.
So there is "just as much risk to staff in the break room as on wards."
So there is "just as much risk to staff in the break room as on wards."
Chris Whitty not in a very good mood today. He keeps repeating that he prepared for a "forward looking" hearing and seems to resent being asked questions about what decisions SAGE took and when.
Whitty asked if he agrees with PM's comments that procedures weren't followed in care homes. Says he doesn't like blame.
But that some "obvious points" were missed: "people working in multiple homes, people not paid sick leave, that these were major risks in care settings"
But that some "obvious points" were missed: "people working in multiple homes, people not paid sick leave, that these were major risks in care settings"
We may not need to vaccinate everybody against coronavirus.
Prof Van Tam tells the Health Select Committee that if we could vaccinate a relatively small proportion of people, the very highest risk patients, you could deal with a "very large amount" of the death risks.
Prof Van Tam tells the Health Select Committee that if we could vaccinate a relatively small proportion of people, the very highest risk patients, you could deal with a "very large amount" of the death risks.
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