Whitty and Vallance spoke after the prime minister’s press conference
Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance have warned us of the potency of future covid variants, emphasising that the pandemic is far from over.
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson revoked the rest of the covid restrictions on Monday, he said the UK should be proud as we: “emerged from the teeth of the pandemic before many others, retaining one of the most open economies and societies in Europe.”
After Johnson’s speech, where he also announced new boosters for the elderly and vulnerable, the briefing changed tone as both Whitty and Vallance warned of possible futures. Whitty said: “This pandemic is not over and it’s carrying on around the world and we’re not out of it here yet.”
"We need to target lockdowns to the vulnerable, the elderly, and the Labour front bench."
Tory MP Lee Anderson claims that Boris Johnson got everything right during the Covid pandemic. pic.twitter.com/WR1Q55d0Ws
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) February 21, 2022
Vallance said it was “absolutely essential” to continue monitoring infections while also maintaining the testing capacity to respond rapidly to new variants. “You can celebrate when the sun is shining, but take an umbrella with you,” he added.
On the possibility of new variants, Whitty said: “We all expect that there will be new variants and… some of them will cause significant problems. They could be either more vaccine-escaping but as severe as Omicron… or they could be more intrinsically severe.
“We could certainly end up with something which is more likely to lead to hospitalisations than Omicron.”
Barefaced contempt for frontline NHS staff from Andrew Bridgen pic.twitter.com/7A2huIIPXw
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) February 21, 2022
The British Medical Association branded the PM’s plan for “living with covid” as “premature.” SAGE member Dr Stephen Griffin also disagrees, he told the Express: “It’s going to generate a two-tier society in terms of [people’s] ability to be aware of their status.
“Wealthy people, well-supported people, will understand if they have an infection.”
He added that the majority consensus in the independent SAGE group was that “you’re going to have to choose between heating your house, eating or testing for covid now.
“And that’s ridiculous.”
Boris Johnson's announcement is completely reckless.
It has nothing to do with public health and everything to do with saving money and appeasing his backbenches.
Up to 500,000 people are clinically extremely vulnerable. Imagine how they must feel right now.
— Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) February 21, 2022
Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: “Boris Johnson’s announcement is completely reckless.
“It has nothing to do with public health and everything to do with saving money and appeasing his backbenchers.
“Up to 500,000 people are clinically extremely vulnerable. Imagine how they must feel right now.”
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