He told Lady Hallett’s inquiry: “Social measures, many of which are longstanding – quarantine, individual isolation, closing schools, many of these go back to the Middle Ages or beyond – these are not new ideas, however the very big new idea was the idea of a lockdown, I am talking here very very specifically about the state saying people have to go home and stay at home… It’s a very radical thing to do.”
Archiv: Chris Whitty
Lockdown was ‚very radical thing to do‘ – Whitty to Covid inquiry
. The chief medical adviser, Sir Chris Whitty, tells the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that lockdown was a „very radical thing to do“
– He calls the lockdown „extraordinarily major“ and a „big new idea“ that wasn‘t considered in advance
– He also says he saw the damage from the disease „first-hand“ as a working medic
– Earlier, Cobra chief Roger Hargreaves talked about the emergency regulations in the Civil Contingencies Act never being used
– The government‘s chief scientific adviser during the pandemic, Sir Patrick Vallance, is due to give evidence later
– zYou can watch the hearings by pressing play at the top of the page
Liz will deliver. As Prime Minister, I will deliver for the British people so we can succeed like never before
I may have gone over the top about Rishi’s clothes… But I don’t want my party to be fooled by appearances the way many of the Cabinet were, writes NADINE DORRIES
My comments were widely interpreted to be anti-aspirational and it was suggested that I was seeking revenge against the man who, while Chancellor, had been planning a coup for a very long time and who had ruthlessly and metaphorically stabbed Boris Johnson in the back.
Rishi had been plotting against the most electorally successful Prime Minister the Conservative Party has known since the days of Margaret Thatcher. His actions made Michael Gove’s betrayal of Boris Johnson during the 2016 leadership campaign appear like a rank amateur rehearsing for the role of Brutus in a village hall play.
(…)
I wanted to highlight Rishi’s misguided sartorial style in order to alert Tory members not to be taken in by appearances in the way that happened to many of us who served with the Chancellor in Cabinet. The assassin’s gleaming smile, his gentle voice and even his diminutive stature had many of us well and truly fooled.
Britische Ministerin empört mit „Attentäter“-Sager
In einem Beitrag für die Zeitung „Mail on Sunday“ warnte Dorries die Mitglieder der Konservativen Partei vor dem früheren Finanzminister: „Das strahlende Lächeln des Attentäters, seine sanfte Stimme und sogar seine winzige Statur haben viele von uns wirklich getäuscht“, schrieb Dorries. Zudem retweetete sie ein Bild, das zeigt, wie Sunak als Brutus den Premier als Julius Cäsar von hinten ersticht.
Our acceptance of a mass lock-in is more dangerous than any party
Let’s put aside for the moment the immediate furore over Boris Johnson’s future and the further flood of Downing Street festivity stories which may not be finished yet. We need to ask the question that must, given what has prevailed in our lives for the past two years, be most serious. How on earth did we get to a point where events and decisions which would once have been regarded as commonplace, even virtuous – an employer expressing good wishes to staff at a party, a child embracing elderly grandparents, a relative making regular visits to a dying hospital patient – became illegal?
Im guessing whitty and most of SAGE will disappear too they where only safe whilst Boris was P.M. Van-Tam is sensing the end of the Boris Johnson regime it will be like rats jumping ship now !
#BorisResign #BorisOut #BorisJohnson #BorisMustGo
We surrendered our freedom to lockdown – the state must never hold such control over our lives again
We know that the trajectory of the virus has been indistinguishable between North Dakota (with masks and distancing in restaurants) and South Dakota (without restrictions). We know that California, which locked down and closed schools, seems to have fared worse than Florida, which did not. We can see that the picture in Belgium with its hard lockdowns has now converged with that in Sweden which famously took a voluntary approach. Similarly, the ‘second wave’ trajectory in Japan is remarkably similar to that of the UK.
I know, I know, fascinating stuff…. but let’s leave all that for the public inquiry.
DEADLY DATA: Plan to lift lockdown by Easter ‘was canned after Sage scientists warned it would cause 91,000 more deaths
Models predicted it would lead to nearly 60,000 Covid patients in hospital by June, compared to last month‘s high of 39,000.
Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance spoke of his support for the gradual approach taken by PM Boris Johnson, saying: „The sooner you open up everything, the higher the risk of a bigger resurgence.
„The slower you do it, the better.“
Covid cases are UP for first time in SIX WEEKS with 10,641 new infections while deaths tumble to 178 in lowest toll since December 13 – and Britain dishes out just 150,000 vaccines in worst performance since inoculation drive started
– Department of Health figures show infections are 9 per cent up on last Monday, when 9,765 were declared
– But laboratory-confirmed coronavirus fatalities have dropped by almost a quarter, from 230 last Monday
– Britain dished out 150,000 vaccines yesterday, in worst daily toll since roll-out began to speed up last month
Boris, Whitty and Vallance dismiss Tory and business fury at ultra-cautious lockdown ‚roadmap‘ saying the country wants ‚certainty not urgency‘ – with shops, salons and drinks outside from April 12 but no foreign travel before mid-MAY or hugs until June
Social distancing rules will stay in force until June 21 at the minimum, with a government review to decide their future after that. The decision means that grandparents face months of waiting before they can hug their grandchildren – even though millions have already been vaccinated.
Corona-Lockerungen in England: Auf der „Einbahnstraße in Richtung Freiheit“
Die Kurve der Neuinfektionen geht in Großbritannien langsam, aber dennoch deutlich zurück, 124 neue Fälle pro 100.000 Einwohner waren es in den vergangen sieben Tagen. Immerhin schon 17 Millionen Menschen erhielten eine erste Corona-Impfdosis.
UK Covid: ‚we want this lockdown to be the last,‘ says Boris Johnson, as he calls for ‚optimism and patience‘ – as it happened
The level of coronavirus infections is still high and the number of hospitalisations higher than they were during the first peak, Chris Whitty said.
Exclusive: Boris Johnson pushes to reopen schools as Covid cases fall
(today)
Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to ramp up preparations for reopening schools after being told the UK is now past the peak of the current wave of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister has made it clear that the Government’s immediate focus must be on education and is expected to announce further measures to help children catch up after almost a year of disruption.
Demoralising the NHS?
(17.01.2021)
I have been criticised by a family doctor on the grounds that a question I put to the PM in Parliament was ‘demoralising for NHS staff’.
I am at a loss as to how this could be the case.
The question to the PM was this:
“Pubs cannot compete with supermarkets for off-sales. Even within a household, people cannot play tennis or golf. Notwithstanding the assault on liberty and livelihoods, why are the regulations pervaded by a pettifogging malice?”
COVID-19: Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne urged anti-vaxxers to ‚persist‘ against COVID restrictions
A senior Conservative MP urged anti-vaccination campaigners to keep going with their fight against government restrictions and told them NHS capacity figures were being „manipulated“ to exaggerate the scale of coronavirus, Sky News can reveal.
Vaccines WILL limit the spread of coronavirus – but we won’t know by how much until mid-February, experts say
Another burning question which will determine how gung-ho ministers can be with easing restriction is to what extent the vaccines stop people from spreading Covid.
The Government has commissioned a study to investigate the vaccines and their role on transmission, which is being overseen by Public Health England. It is focused on frontline healthcare workers who‘ve been jabbed.
COVID-19: PM criticised for being too secretive about scientific advice that led to tiers and lockdowns in England
(08.01.2021)
The MPs also express concern about the government presenting statistics in a misleading way, and urge ministers to take care to maintain public confidence in them.
„There is nothing to fear from openness,“ said Tory MP Greg Clark, who chairs the committee.
London is burning in lockdown – and if it falls, so will the rest of the UK
London is burning. There are no flames but, make no mistake, it is burning. Instead of fighting the fire, the government and its ineffectual mayor are pouring fuel on it.
Revealed: SAGE warning that says scientists are only 50% sure Kent strain is more deadly in evidence that was handed to ministers just hours before ‚scaremongering‘ press conference
A SAGE warning revealing that scientists are only 50% sure the Kent strain of coronavirus could be more deadly was handed to ministers just hours before last night‘s ‚scare-mongering‘ press conference, it has been revealed.
Ministers were only informed about the development yesterday morning after scientists on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), a subcommittee of Sage, discussed the issue on Thursday.
The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal
(May 30, 2020)
Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.
Boris Johnson, Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance make shock claim the Kent mutant coronavirus MIGHT be 30-40% more deadly but provide no evidence at all – as Covid cases fall AGAIN by 30% to 40,261 and R number drops below 1
Boris Johnson and his top scientific advisers tonight sensationally claimed the Kent coronavirus variant could be up to 40 per cent deadlier – but sparked fury by not providing the public any evidence for their doom-mongering.
Critics argued No10‘s bold claim – based on findings by three academic groups – were reminiscent of ‚Project Fear‘, accusing ministers of managing to find a ‚new twist‘ in Britain‘s crisis whenever hopes are raised that lockdown could be eased.
In these grim times we all need a saviour and right now it is Chris Whitty
(11.01.2021)
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. In these exceptionally grim times we’re all – Boris Johnson included – looking for a saviour to rise from these streets. And right now that salvation appears to be the England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty. Just about the only person left whom anyone can trust to tell the country the naked truth about coronavirus.
The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal
(30.05.2020)
Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.
I’d love to ignore ‘Covid sceptics’ and their tall tales. But they make a splash and have no shame
They rubbished those who knew what they were talking about. Professors Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance were “Messrs Doom and Gloom”, “fear-mongering” and “self-serving”. That Whitty and Jonathan Van-Tam used their tiny amount of spare time to volunteer in hospitals suggests that’s not true. Now, as the death toll still rises, the same people crawl from the woodwork to demand we lift all restrictions as soon as the most vulnerable are vaccinated.
The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal
(30.05.2020)
Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.
Government‘s chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance warns UK is in for ‚a pretty grim period‘ for Covid deaths which won‘t reduce ‚for some weeks‘ even if lockdown measures bring infections down – as Britain sees daily record of 1,564 fatalities
Department of Health figures show the daily laboratory-confirmed death toll has risen 50 per cent week-on-week, with data suggesting the total number of coronavirus victims — both suspected and confirmed — has now passed the 100,000 mark.
UK science advisers: publish evidence behind COVID vaccine changes
Pfizer–BioNTech say they do not have evidence of what happens to immunity beyond 21 days after the first dose.
(…)
The JCVI adds that: “Protective immunity from the first dose likely lasts for a duration of 12 weeks.” But it has not published evidence to support this.
No 10 considers a tougher lockdown ‚with curfews, exercise limits, compulsory masks outside, no support bubbles and nurseries shut‘ if Covid cases keep rising‘ – amid suggestion ‚people may only be allowed to leave home ONCE a week‘
– The Cabinet Office refused to deny that the draconian new laws were incoming after UK‘s streets were busy
– They instead pointed to Matt Hancock‘s vague statement on rules earlier today: ‚Follow the rules we‘ve got‘
– Hancock refused to speculate when asked if harsher measures coming, such as curfews and closing nurseries
– Whitehall source said potential changes included introducing ban on people leaving their homes more than once a week
NHS could vaccinate UK against Covid in five days, says Oxford professor
Sir John Bell, regius chair of medicine at the University of Oxford, said stubborn NHS bureaucrats were standing in the way of a high-speed mass inoculation programme that could prevent many further deaths.
“The NHS has the theoretical capacity to immunise everybody in five days if they want to, but I don’t get the sense they are really motivated,” Bell told the Times.
No10 is examining plans to keep bars closed for FIVE MONTHS with full lockdown until late March as Covid death toll passes 80,000
Prof Whitty commended the public for their efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19 and noted the hope offered by various vaccines, but he echoed other experts in saying it would be some weeks before the jabs start to reduce the number of people taken to hospital.
Covid-19: the problems with case counting
(03 September 2020)
At the moment it seems that a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive result is the only criterion required for a case to be recognised.
“In any other disease we would have a clearly defined specification that would usually involve signs, symptoms, and a test result,” says Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford and the editor of BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. “We are moving into a biotech world where the norms of clinical reasoning are going out of the window. A PCR test does not equal covid-19; it should not, but in some definitions it does.”
The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal
(30.05.2020)
Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.
Enough and no more. Never in history have we behaved like this. This is psychological warfare and gaslighting. Whitty and the rest are drunk on power. I‘m not complying with this nonsense. I‘m not complying with this once great country becoming a totalitarian dictatorship.
Now scientists call for ‚lax‘ third lockdown to be made even TOUGHER: SAGE expert says new coronavirus variant cannot be contained by current restrictions as terrifying Chris Whitty adverts try to scare of Brits into staying at home
As a result, ministers are considering introducing tougher measures as part of the crackdown, including possibly making face masks mandatory in busy outdoor areas.
England‘s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty has appeared in adverts urging us to stay at home as the new variant of the virus rips across the country.
‘No hard evidence on curfew’ admits Gov adviser Vallance
(09 Dec 2020)
Vallance and chief medical officer Chris Whitty were asked if there was something that could be done in the structure in scientific advice that could be a bit more forensic about those restrictions on the sector that have a very big impact on certain people. The scientific advisers said they are trying very hard to get data but can´t give specific data on it, and nor can anyone else across the world.
COVID-19: Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warns coronavirus vaccine shortages will last months
(01.01.2021)
„At the moment it doesn‘t look good – a hole is appearing because there‘s a lack of other approved vaccines and we have to fill the gap with our own vaccine,“ BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told news weekly Spiegel.
COVID-19: Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warns coronavirus vaccine shortages will last months
„At the moment it doesn‘t look good – a hole is appearing because there‘s a lack of other approved vaccines and we have to fill the gap with our own vaccine,“ BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told news weekly Spiegel.
What‘s the update on the Oxford vaccine Mr Hancock
Fantastic to see Margaret Keenan receive her second dose of the @Pfizer /@BioNTech_Group #coronavirus vaccine
Covid: Millions more braced for tougher rules in England
Government sources have indicated an announcement later will see more areas move into tier four – „stay at home“.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to detail the changes – which could be introduced within days – in the House of Commons after 14:30 GMT.
Still no Oxford vaccine emergency approval. Unbelievable.
(23.12.2020)
How many willing to bet that this case is part of pharma wars to sabotage Oxford vaccine?
(28.11.2020)
Who knew what and when about Britain‘s Covid mutation? PHE first discovered the fast-spreading variant in October but didn‘t raise the alarm until last week – amid claims scientists held back discovery to bounce No10 into Tier Four
At the start of the month information about VUI-202012/01 was passed to the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Advisory Group (NERVTAG) committee, which advises England‘s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty. The group first discussed the strain at a December 11 meeting and began modelling its severity on the UK‘s epidemic.
Ministers were not made aware of the variant until last Monday, almost two months after its initial discovery, when they were told it was more infectious and probably behind the continued rise in cases in London and the South East.
It felt like a meeting of horror movie scriptwriters: GLEN OWEN tells the inside story of how a libertarian PM ended up feeling he had no choice but to cancel Christmas
The grim countenances of Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance told the story before they even started talking – Christmas was off. As Boris Johnson sat in the Cabinet Room at 5pm on Friday, Whitty and Vallance appeared on the Zoom monitors and started reeling off increasingly alarming data about the new mutant strain of the coronavirus…
Researchers looking at new coronavirus strain, says health minister
Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, told a press conference that London was being moved to more stringent Tier 3 restrictions because cases were surging in and around the capital — and not directly in response to the discovery of the new variant.
Covid-19: politicisation, “corruption,” and suppression of science
Science is being suppressed for political and financial gain. Covid-19 has unleashed state corruption on a grand scale, and it is harmful to public health.1 Politicians and industry are responsible for this opportunistic embezzlement. So too are scientists and health experts. The pandemic has revealed how the medical-political complex can be manipulated in an emergency—a time when it is even more important to safeguard science.
The UK’s pandemic response provides at least four examples of suppression of science or scientists. First, the membership, research, and deliberations of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) were initially secret until a press leak forced transparency.
Downing Street REJECTS calls to end lockdown despite four more sets of real-world data showing second wave of Covid was dropping and R rate was stable BEFORE crippling restrictions based on flawed projections
Downing Street today refused calls for England‘s second lockdown to be cut short and insisted it will run until December 2, despite four more sets of real-world data that show the second wave was already shrinking before the Government pushed the panic button on a drastic month-long shutdown.
Promising figures published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – which runs a massive government surveillance scheme that randomly swabs tens of thousands of people to track the size of the outbreak – suggest that the country‘s coronavirus outbreak has shrunk.
Exclusive: ‚Covid graphs were wrong in suggesting daily deaths would soon surpass first wave‘
Official projections which pushed the country into a second lockdown have been quietly revised to no longer suggest deaths could soon overtake those at the peak of the first wave, The Telegraph has learned.
More proof England‘s lockdown was premature? Top researchers say R rate has dropped to 1 as Oxford expert claims Covid infections are ‚flatlining‘ and the ‚4,000 deaths‘ graph used to justify restrictions has ‚proven to be incorrect‘
– King‘s College London said cases were now ‚plateauing‘ and there was a ‚slight fall‘ in infections across UK
– Oxford‘s Carl Heneghan said told how coronavirus hospital admissions, cases and ‚in effect‘ deaths in retreat
– It comes as Sir Patrick Vallance and Prof Chris Whitty face questions from MPs over the 4,000 deaths figure