Since the inception of this pandemic, there has been a lot of contradictory messages and poor communication. Ministers and scientists too often have created confusion instead of providing clear, unambiguous guidance.
They were furious to be at each other again yesterday, arguing about how to handle the Omicron variant.
Gillian Keegan (Health minister) said that it was better for the Government to overreact than underreact. Instead, why not react proportionally? Why shouldn’t she just react proportionately?
Jenny Harries suggests that we not socialize ‘when it’s not particularly necessary to’. How does that even work?
Jenny Harries, public health chief Jenny Harries recommends that we not socialize ‘when it’s not particularly necessary to. How is this possible?
Her advice is not official policy and if people follow it, large swathes of the travel and hospitality industries – already struggling for survival – would be doomed.
We report that cancellations are occurring in these areas as a result of loose talk. Senior politicians should learn from their mistakes.
Gillian Keegan is the Health Minister. This photo was taken by Sky News.
The National Audit Office has released a report that exposes the terrible cost to national health lockdown.
Missing up to 740,000 cancer urgent referrals Nearly two-thirds of the population is still in waiting to have elective surgeries.
The total waiting list stands at 5.83 million. The NHS tended to coronavirus patients first, leaving non-Covid patients to suffer.
These waiting lists could get even longer, which is unbelievable. Even with £8billion of extra funding to help clear the backlog, the NAO believes at least seven million will be in the queue by 2025. It could even rise to 12million in the worst-case scenario.
A new study revealed that up to 740,000 cancer urgent referrals were not being received and almost two million people are still waiting for elective surgery.
The NHS is in danger of being overwhelmed – not by Covid, but the baleful legacy of lockdown.
Before we can even think about putting us back in the deep freeze over Omicron, ministers need to be forced to go through this entire report.
If this variant proves to be more hazardous than the ones we know, then current restrictions will suffice. This has not happened so far.
However, the question is why the Government placed the restrictions on Parliament before they were debated in Parliament. It’s certainly not the right way around. This seems autocratic.
The Daily Mail understands the fears over Omicron – but early indications are that it will not be a major threat.
The NAO report shows that lockdown restrictions are a cause of immense collateral damage. They should be a last resort – not a knee-jerk reaction to every Covid scare.
Dragon’s claws
Richard Moore, Britain’s spy chief, warns against the threat China is posing to the international order.
China is advancing huge loans to developing countries through its ‘belt-and-road’ strategy.
Richard Moore warned that China’s “belt-and-road” strategy is a threat to the global order.
While infrastructure improvements are good for poor countries, they can fall into the ‘debt trap’ that ties them economically to China. They can be forced to take China’s side in any dispute.
China is investing heavily in cyberwarfare. Many of the Chinese scientists are educated here, and they know our institutions well. We are therefore clearly at risk.
China will continue to be a significant trading partner. However, its devious maneuverings reveal the ignorance of British officials who tried to give it access to our most sensitive sectors.
Germany has been a shining example of financial discipline for so many years. However, Germany’s rising inflation rate is alarming. It is significantly higher than ours at 6 percent, which is a worrying figure. Germany, a member country of the Eurozone, doesn’t have any power to lower it by raising its interest rate unilaterally. It’s true! We are fortunate to have control of our financial future.