A group of independent scientists has demanded that the whole of England go into the strictest lockdown level, Tier 4.
A scientist belonging to Independent SAGE has demanded that the entirety of England is put under the strictest conditions which prohibit socialising, bans ‘unnecessary’ travel, and forces so-called “non-essential” shops to close.
Independent SAGE is run by the government’s former scientific adviser, Sir David King, but is not affiliated with the government or its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
Dr Zubaida Haque of Independent SAGE said on Saturday: “Given that we surpassed 70,000 COVID-19 deaths in UK on Christmas Day, and there are now more patients with coronavirus in hospital than at any point in the pandemic, why hasn’t the government implemented Tier 4 restrictions everywhere in the UK? Independent Sage are very worried.”
“We need Tier 4 everywhere now to save lives,” Dr Haque added.
Following the end of the second lockdown, the government introduced in December a three-tiered system of restrictions that came into effect in early December, putting some 99 per cent of the population under the top two tiers.
While Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised that for five days over Christmas, rules would be relaxed so all Englishmen could enjoy family time over the festive period, the discovery of a new strain of the Chinese coronavirus resulted in the government inventing Tier 4 — with the toughest restrictions — imposed almost immediately on 16 million Britons in the south, banning gatherings and effectively cancelling family Christmases.
Scientists have said that while the new strain found in Britain is more contagious, it is not believed to be more deadly.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that from December 26th, Boxing Day, that Tier 4 would be extended into other parts of the south and east of England, but stopped far short of total nation-wide Tier 4 restrictions, meaning that most of the country could still enjoy limited time with loved ones over the holy period. Still, some 43 per cent of England’s population — 24 million people — are now living under Tier 4 restrictions.
However, even on Christmas Eve, Independent SAGE demanded that Christmas be ruined not just for those 16 million Englishmen, but for the entire country, telling the government to roll out Tier 4 and “ban household mixing on Christmas Day”.
The alternative scientific group added that the “devolved nations” of the United Kingdom — Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland — “should bring forward their own national lockdowns from Boxing Day to 24th December. Tier 4 should include enhanced travel restrictions.”
The government’s own SAGE scientists have also demanded that Christmas freedoms be curtailed, with some suggesting families should meet outside or people avoid hugging loved ones.
One member of NERVTAG, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, claimed that “kissing your grandparents may be delivering a deadly dose of the virus”, while the architect of the first lockdown, Neil Ferguson, alleged earlier in the year that “people will die” if families socialise at Christmas.
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