Cases are rising exponentially. Hospitalisations are rising exponentially. Double vaccinated people are catching it. 2.2 million clinically extremely vulnerable people have been told nothing.
This week's newsletter is dedicated to the clinically vulnerable people who have no voice & are dreading what's coming next. For the people who've had cancer treatment or are immunosuppressed or have had long Covid. "Freedom day" is a moment of dread
This just out. We are literally back to 'Stay Alert'. That's all they've got.
The new Covid catchphase is out: 'Remain vigilant'
No less than Dominic Lawson is 100% in agreement with me on this point. It's patently ludicrous that Boris Johnson is denying it's following a herd immunity strategy. And yet, he's created such a reality-warping forcefield that the words have been banished from public debate
A huge number of scientists, journalists & politicians are completely silent on govt’s plans for July 19.
Remember how wise everyone was *after* Johnson failed to lock down in mid March? If you don’t speak up now, I hope to God you shut the fuck up later
In March, a lot of people desperate to believe our leaders had this. Entire news orgs took view they had to back PM in national crisis *even though he ignored all @WHO advice*.
Exact same thing happening all over again. @WHO couldn’t be more clear
Another senior @WHO leader speaks out. ‘Immoral, unethical & unscientific’
NEW: more than 100 international scientists & doctors have signed letter in @TheLancet saying UK govt’s plans to lift all restrictions are ‘dangerous & premature’
‘Scientists & doctors from more than a dozen countries signed the letter, which states: “We believe the government is embarking on a dangerous & unethical experiment”
‘Signatories of the letter include Dr Chaand Naipaul, chair of BMA, prof Eric Topol of Scripps Research Translational Institute in California & Sir David King, former govt chief scientific adviser’
Can we please now call it by its name? A reckless deliberate population infection strategy with unknown consequences not being contemplated by any other country in the world
I really hope @SadiqKhan is immune from ridiculous ideological rhetoric around masks. The idea that ‘personal responsibility’ is going to ensure mask usage is something only an Old Etonian who never uses the Tube could dream up. Has he ever met the British public?
The plan, to be clear, is that your children catch Covid now because Johnson thinks it’s less disruptive than in autumn…
Who do you trust? Sajid Javid? Or @chrischirp? This was from @IndependentSage’s Friday briefing & she couldn’t have put it any clearer. The government’s plan is ‘a terrible plan’
The government has given up pretending it’s following the science. Today’s announcements are pure ideology. The decision to remove all mitigations even while cases are increasing exponentially is inexplicable. The only way it makes sense is if you believe masks inhibit ‘freedom’