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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

25 Jan

The PM's Covid-O committee meets on Tuesday afternoon to agree enforced hotel quarantining for arrivals in the UK - British and foreign - for 10 days. A huge move that "pretty much closes the borders”, says one Govt source. But I'm told much still to be decided on the details (1)

The biggest unresolved issue among Cabinet ministers is who must quarantine? The options are down to two. 1. Targeted: only travellers who've been in high risk countries - backed by Raab and Shapps - or 2. Blanket: all coming into the UK - favoured by Patel and Hancock (2)

But there are many other questions also vexing ministers tonight. High among them, how long should it last? Ensuring a vaccine exists for every variant first could mean a very, very long time. Some ministers tonight want a defined exit strategy to stop it being never-ending (3)

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

20 Jan

"Congratulations Mr President". Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Listen to his inauguration speech live here:
thetimes.co.uk/radio/live

President Biden: "We've learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. But at this hour, democracy has prevailed".

Biden: "The forces that divide us are deep and real. But let's start afresh - all of us. Hear one another, listen to one another again. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a force for total war".

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

20 Jan

Why have 1st dose vaccinations dropped by a third down to 200,000 a day this week? That rate means the PM will miss his Feb 15 target. There is serious concern in Govt over Pfizer's announced delay to supply as it reorganises production. But I'm told that is not the reason (1)

Instead, there has been a big push to finish vaccinating care homes, and they take more time (4 to 6 hours each), hence slowing the overall effort. No10 has been promised that vaccination numbers will go up again today to closer to 300k again (2)

Ministers also think they CAN now mitigate the temporary Pfizer supply lull - which hasn't kicked in yet - with increased supply from AstraZeneca. One senior source says it will be “very very tight”, but they should “just be ok” (3)

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

18 Jan

Will Easter be the new Xmas, albeit a thin one? This is the PM's new hope, I'm told. He has privately shared an aspiration to see restrictions begin to ease by Good Friday (April 2), to allow families some small contact again. But there is tension with Chris Whitty though (1)

It is weeks away yet, but ministers have begun to put together a plan for the unlock. The CMO is adamant any end to the lockdown must be 1. conditions dependent (deaths down, pressure off the NHS etc), and 2. very careful and in slow degrees with pauses to test them (2)

That means no dates stated, and no promise of Easter offered. This tension emerged briefly during last Friday's press conference when Whitty and Johnson clashed briefly in public over the definition of 'Spring' - is it pre or post Easter (3)

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

12 Jan

Rules about exercise is today's lockdown row, but the rate by which hospital admissions are now increasing all over the UK feels altogether more worrying. A brief thread... (1)

@chrishopson

NHS Providers CEO @chrishopson warned the Health Committee this morning he now fears this wave's peak will no longer subside in Janaury, but now extend into early or mid February because of the increased transmissibility of the new strain (2)

@davewwest

Rates of increase are now slowing in London, the SE and East of England to only(!) 3% more admissions daily now, but they are rocketing in the Midlands, NW and SW. In the NW alone, daily growth rate in hospital admissions now above 7%. ht @davewwest for this graph (3)

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

10 Jan

@TimesRadio

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Netherton, National Police Lead for Civil Contingencies, tells G&T: "As we left the previous lockdowns and went into tiers, the message was confusing. The pubic thought 'oh, I can do more. Now everybody knows what the rules are".
@TimesRadio

Do the police have enough powers to enforce lockdown? Paul Netherton: "There is no power to stop people travelling, or walking down the street. But we can stop people to ask them what they're doing".

Are you concerned not enough people are abiding by the lockdown rules at the moment? Paul Netherton: "Yes, I am. We need to get the R rate down".

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