Australia wasn’t really the point of my post though, I wasn’t the one who brought it up. I was just speculating on why new terminology is being used here in the UK, it may work for Australia and it might not.
exactly, seems they implemented everything and people followed, by the stories so far. I do really hope that the next couple of weeks still show it was successful.
Not that it’s realistic in today’s age, but I’d be so much happier if the limited vaccine supply were just left to countries who need it for the rest of the year, or at least until every country has the supply it can use.
Nobody even knows if a booster program is necessary, and yet we do know that supply limitations will mean many of the worlds vulnerable will die needlessly in 2021.
Looks like we’ll be seeing the end of lockdown in the very immediate future. With a lockdown sceptic now health secretary, even if 19th July isn’t bought forward today, I can’t see it being extended.
SAGE and the NHS really don’t want the date being brought forward. But you’re right about Javid, but all reports he’s keen to have everything lifted on the 19th. So it goes.
Latest vaccine news for boosters today is, they reckon just a 3rd shot of AZ is enough without having to tweak the vaccine
See what else comes from this, at least if it’s the same and not tweaked they save time having to mess about making up a different batch that targets it slightly differently.
But, unless new variants come, which are resistant to the existing vaccines, we unfortunately will have to treat it like we do with flu with an “accepted” level of deaths & regular booster/seasonal vaccines.
The cases vs deaths ratio is completely different now compared to previously.
I’m not confident in a lot the government say or do, but looking at the numbers, deaths/hospital admissions aren’t where they were previously, cases shouldn’t be used as a determining factor for lockdowns/restrictions.
(Personally, I wouldn’t be against masks being required inside shops etc, for a few months longer).
I don’t disagree with the need, but I feel another few weeks of understanding what that correlation looks like wouldn’t hurt before such final decisions are made.
Deaths do lag 2-4 weeks behind case numbers, which have only really leapt up hugely in the last two weeks or so. And it’s too early for excess deaths, Covid on the death certificate death counts etc. And the NHS are still worried -they are still very behind from the last wave.
The key thing here, is that the government saying this isn’t a change to any of the previous times they’ve said it. They’ve said in the past that the date is firm - the Prime Minister even said it about June 21st until about a week before.
They’ve said it’s irreversible all the way through, and there has already been warnings we may need lockdowns in Winter etc.
The phrasing used isn’t much different to in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s delayed, I wouldn’t mind if it’s delayed. I’m fairly privileged where the final stage of unlocking doesn’t really affect me - but I fully understand how it affects a lot of people in those jobs etc.
There needs to be a point at which lockdown gets lifted, but I agree with what’s said about the terming of “irreversible” being wrong.
Allowing the disease to spread too much is how you get variants. Not everyone over 18 has had their jabs yet, and then there’s schools. At the very least mitigation will still be needed, but the risk is the Delta variant mutates further in the wrong direction, and lifting restrictions while it’s still spreading rapidly is at the very least, risky.
Absolutely, just look at the Delta Plus variant that seems to be appearing - there’s fears that’s more resistant.
The good news today is that mixing vaccines isn’t a bad thing based on the research that’s come out. So there’s potential hope for the future booster plan too.
I can’t wait for no mask day, it’s going to be epic. I’m sure they’ll still recommend people wear them, but nah thanks it’s ditched as soon as it’s allowed.
I do have high hopes for Sajid Javid
Maybe with him as health secretary, we can once and for all get back to normal.
14 months of this is just too long.
Even some of the Government’s own evidence proves that the threat is now minimal.
