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On Monday, Sage’s minutes revealed that the body had called for a “circuit breaker” shutdown three weeks ago. It also emerged earlier this week that government scientific advisers had said “circuit breakers” should be planned for all school holidays.
On Friday, the government’s top scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, suggested that “additional measures” would be needed in addition to those required at the highest level of restrictions. He said at a Downing Street news conference: “Baseline Level 3 conditions alone are almost certainly not enough to get the ‘R’ below one.”
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labor leader, and Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, have called for a “circuit breaker,” calling for the national measure in their dispute with the government over whether the region should face tougher restrictions. It has also been endorsed by NHS Providers, which represents the leaders of the NHS Trust.
Johnson said at the Downing Street press conference: “Some have argued that we should introduce a national lockdown rather than specific local action, and I disagree. Closing business in Cornwall, where transmission is low, will not cut off transmission. in Manchester.
“So, although I cannot rule out anything, if possible, I want to avoid another national blockade, with the harmful health, economic and social effects that it would have.”
A government spokesperson said: “Schools have put in place a number of protective measures, endorsed by Public Health England, to reduce the risk of transmission.
“The chief and deputy chief medical officer have repeatedly confirmed that children do not transmit infections in the community in the same way as with other infections such as flu.
“Their assessment remains that the risks to the education and well-being of children from not attending school outweigh all other risks. Any decision to restrict school seats would be made only as a last resort.”
