"This has been such a tough year already. Tough beyond belief for millions across the country & across the world. My experience from other virus outbreaks is that the second wave is always harder." @wellcometrust statements #COVID19 since 10 January 2020
wellcome.org/press-release/…
wellcome.org/press-release/…
This isn’t decision any government would want to make. The sooner we act, sooner we start to recover. A very difficult few weeks now & no one can underestimate toll on people. But consequences of sticking with the current insufficient restrictions would have been much worse.
"I’d like nothing more than to have a normal family Christmas. If we can steel ourselves now for a few weeks of greater restrictions, there’s a chance we could ease up a little between Xmas-NY. But if we’d let it continue to multiply, we’d be in a terrible situation in December.
Current restrictions have not been enough to stop the virus spreading. Without change #NHS would have been overwhelmed within wks & it would have been difficult if not impossible to cope in winter with inevitable increase in caring for people covid as well as non-covid illnesses.
Only way to get things back to normal quickly is to get the virus under control as soon as possible. New measures if implemented & respected, will reduce transmission, get r<1 & reset us to earlier stage of pandemic.Buys us time before we start see treatments & vaccines early '21
We have to use this time. The T-T-I system remains critically important & needs all our support. We need enhanced capacity in #NHS, to protect vulnerable people, particularly #HCW & those in care homes, and continue to push on urgently to develop safe & effective drugs & vaccines
Measures have to be UK-wide to be effective. While the rates may be different across UK, the virus is escalating in all areas. Those areas which are not yet in crisis will in fact benefit most from greater restrictions now, before virus gets out of control locally.
Restrictions absolutely must come with the full & generous financial support people & businesses need to get through this and out the other side. We need public support for the restrictions to work, and we can’t expect that from people unless they themselves are being supported
The only choice for the government is between helping businesses stay afloat, or paying to pick up the pieces when they collapse. The sooner we bring the virus under control the sooner the economy can recover.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. I believe we can be in a much stronger position in early 2021 with rapid tests, drugs & vaccines. In the new year, I’m confident we’ll have turned a corner on preventing and treating the infection caused by this virus.
Our responsibility now individually & as a country is to respect & support measures, keep the virus under control, make sure as few people as possible suffer, support people & businesses until we can change the fundamentals of this pandemic with rapid tests, treatments & vaccines
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