Independent SAGE will be calling on the government to take urgent action TODAY. At 1.30pm, Prof @chrischirp will present latest data showing situation in north of England is rapidly worsening. Hospital admissions rising fast. Urgent action required now
This is why we believe the government must take action ***today***.
Latest figures show we are days away from levels we saw when London locked down. We need press, public & government to understand the extreme seriousness of the situation. Please join us, 1.30pm today
Latest figures show we are days away from levels we saw when London locked down. We need press, public & government to understand the extreme seriousness of the situation. Please join us, 1.30pm today
Welcome, we are live and Professor Christina Pagel is beginning her presentation of the week's figures
We are seeing high cases in a lot of different places over the UK, not just the north and Northern Ireland
Professor Christina Pagel: within a week hospital admission rates in the north will be at the level seen in London on March 23rd
Why the north/south divide in infection rates? Dr Zubaida Haque says it's a 'perfect storm of overcrowded housing, multi-generational households & deprivation'
Approximately one third of Covid hospitalisations cases come from within the BAME community, which begs the question: 'Why hasn't more been done to protect these vulnerable communities?'
Professor Stephen Reicher: every single significant scientific organisation rejects the herd immunity approach. Science is not split: it's just a fringe minority that supports herd immunity
Prof Gabriel Scally: herd immunity is an absolutely bonkers idea to anyone who understands public health
Prof Anthony Costello: it's not a choice between libertarianism or lockdown. If we had fixed Find, Test, Trace & Isolate when we had the chance, we wouldn't be in this situation and it's a national shame that we are.
Dr Tolullah Oni: local authorities in most deprived areas have seen the biggest cuts in recent years. We need to urgently address the growing health inequality across the country as a matter of urgency and make population health more resilient
Prof Anthony Costello: the data looks dire and I suspect the govt will have to introduce some kind of lockdown
Sir David King: We went into lockdown on 23 March because the govt abandoned Test & Trace. Here we are, once again, with the T&T system day by day getting worse, discussing lockdowns and circuit breakers
Sir David King's message to the prime minister: Don't waste a moment, take the steps necessary to slow down the pandemic in its tracks today. Please introduce the policy, whether it's a lockdown or circuit break, with clarity and introduce it right away
Sir David King: the two private companies put in place have totally failed to deliver. We now have to go back to the public health system and put money into it so they have the capacity to deliver locally
It's a wrap. Thank you for joining us. Same time next week.
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