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New plans to allow students a one-week window to travel home at Christmas are “riddled with holes,” the government warned.
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), highlighted the tight schedule for a mass movement of people, adding: “Leaving just one week for about a million students to travel across the country leaves little room for error”.
The government promised that Covid-19 testing will be offered to as many students as possible before they return home, but according to an executive dean at Durham University, this will be a “massive undertaking” for campuses across the Kingdom. United.
The criticism comes when Russia confirms, through early data from its first 16,000 trial participants, that the Sputnik V Covid vaccine is now 92% effective.
The announcement follows results published earlier this week by vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech, who said their vaccine between the United States and Germany was more than 90 percent effective in preventing disease.
Check out live updates and coverage from The Independent below.
Conservative MPs form an auxiliary group to fight against more blockades
Around 50 conservative MPs have formed a secondary group to fight against more blockades, arguing that “they run the risk of being worse than the disease.”
Covid Recovery Group requires Boris Johnson to release a broader health and economic cost cost-benefit analysis of restrictions that continue beyond the December 2 expiration date.
The prime minister is also urged to end the “monopoly” of advice given by government scientists, while a third demand is to improve measures already in place to combat the virus, such as revamping the very much test and trace system. criticized.
The independentthe political deputy director, Rob merrick, reports:
Sam hancock11 November 2020 09:24
‘Vaccines are exceptionally safe drugs’, an infectious disease expert warns anti-vaccines
Professor Robin Shattock, from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London, said that the long-term side effects of Covid-19 are “much more dramatic” than those of a vaccine.
He told BBC Breakfast: “The current vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine, has been studied in 43,000 people, so we know that it is safe in terms of not causing any acute problems.
Long-term side effects will be studied for the next two years. I think they are likely to be rare, but it is something that will be followed very carefully.
“And it’s always worth putting it in context: The long-term side effects of Covid-19 are far more dramatic than anything we get from a vaccine.
“So when you are balancing that risk, you are obviously preventing you from getting Covid-19 and avoiding all the risks of prolonged Covid or a serious illness.”
Professor Shattock added: “So that equation is very clear in my mind. Vaccines are exceptionally safe drugs and they prevent really serious diseases. “
Sam hancock11 November 2020 09:16
Sputnik V Covid Vaccine 92% Effective, Russia Claims
The Russian Sputnik V Covid vaccine is 92% effective, according to its sovereign wealth fund.
The announcement follows results published Monday by vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech, who said their jab between the United States and Germany was more than 90 percent effective in preventing disease.
Follow Samuel Lovett for the latest updates:
Sam hancock11 November 2020 09:32
Barnaby Fournier, a student at the University of Manchester, said Zoe tidman:
“Personally, I am very angry about the decision to send us home early. We’re already missing a lot of the traditional college experience, so sending us home early is another blow. I doubt that we will get refunds for accommodation during the time they send us home.
“Our tuition also pays for things like access to study spaces in the library that we don’t have at home. Some roommates live in France and Belfast. They have already booked flights home for the deadline on the 19th. “
Sam hancock11 November 2020 09:05
Parents react to news from the week-long window for students to come home
Parents have taken to Twitter to react to the news this morning that students will have staggered schedules, within a week-long period, to return home for Christmas.
One mother said she was “relieved”, but others were not so happy. One said that her daughter had already booked her trip home and asked if the university she was studying at intended to reimburse her for having to change her travel plans.
Another Twitter user wondered how much the universities themselves had contributed to the latest decision and what will happen in January, when students must return to campus.
With a version of the popular phrase, used to warn parents not to give dogs as a Christmas gift, he used the hashtag: “#astudentisnotjustforchristmas.”
Sam hancock11 November 2020 08:49
Christmas travel plan for students ‘riddled with holes’, government warned
Plans to create a travel window for students to return home at Christmas are “riddled with holes,” the government has been told.
Universities in England have been told to switch from face-to-face teaching to online classes in early December and set staggered release dates between December 3-9 to allow families to reunite.
Jo Grady, secretary general of the University and University Union, highlighted the tight schedule for a mass movement of people, adding: “Leaving just one week for around a million students to travel across the country leaves little room for error.” .
The government said Covid-19 testing will be offered to as many students as possible before they travel home, but establishing testing capacity will be a “massive undertaking,” said an executive dean at Durham University.
Students will have enough time to complete the period of self-isolation and return home by Christmas if they test positive for Covid-19 before the travel window.
But if a student decides to stay on campus later in the month, they will need to remain in self-isolation in their student accommodation for 10 days if they test positive for coronavirus.
Colleges will be asked to provide additional help and support, including affordable food, to students who remain on campus over Christmas.
Dr. Grady said the plans were “riddled with holes” and “raise as many questions as answers.”
He added: “If the government instead told universities to get online now, it would give them much more time to stagger the movement of students and better protect the health of staff, students and their wider communities.”
The “student travel window” will begin just as the UK shutdown ends on December 2 and this is expected to reduce the risk of transmission.
Dr. Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer, said: “The massive movement of students across the country at the end of the quarter presents a really significant challenge within the Covid-19 response.
“The measures announced today will help minimize that risk and help students return home to their families as safely as possible by Christmas. It is crucial that students follow the guidance to protect their families and the communities they serve. they return. “
Durham University is already running a pilot project for rapid tests for Covid-19, including identifying those that may be infectious but have no symptoms.
Lateral flow tests, which provide results in just 30 minutes, use a nose and throat swab and are self-administered.
After a voluntary pilot test, the university is now exploring whether it is feasible to implement mass testing throughout the institution before Christmas.
On the government’s plans to establish a massive testing capacity on campuses, Professor Jacqui Ramagge, Executive Dean of Science at Durham University and a sponsor of the project, said: “I don’t think many [universities] He’ll be prepared for this because I think it’s a huge company.
Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said: “We know this Christmas will feel different and, after this incredibly difficult year, we are fulfilling our commitment to have students return to their loved ones in the safest possible way during the holidays.
“We have worked very hard to find a way to do this for students, while limiting the risk of transmission.
“It is now vital that they follow these steps to protect their families and communities, and that colleges ensure that students have all the wellness support they need, especially those who remain on campus during vacation.”
Sam hancock11 November 2020 08:52
The daily death toll in the UK rises by 532 in 24 hours
The death toll from coronavirus in the UK has risen by 532 over the last 24-hour period, and the number of new cases increased by 20,412.
Tuesday’s surge in deaths from Covid-19, the highest figure reported in a single day since May 12, means that so far this year, there have been 65,231 Covid-19-related deaths in the UK. .
The latest figures were made public when new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the number of recorded weekly deaths from coronavirus in England and Wales surpassed 1,000 for the first time since June.
Tom batchelor has the full story:
Sam hancock11 November 2020 08:33
Students were told to go home for Christmas as soon as the lockdown was over
College students in England are now being told they can go home for Christmas as soon as the lockdown ends next month.
Face-to-face learning should end on December 9, a new guide suggests, while a one-week “student travel window” will be established, starting December 3, so colleges can set staggered exit dates to ease pressure on public transport.
The guide follows the furor over suggestions that students could be trapped in their residences during the holiday period, to prevent them from spreading the virus across the country.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson took a step back from such a move after facing mounting criticism about the “disgusting” conditions students had been subjected to since September.
The independentit is Rob merrick Y Zoe tidman report:
Sam hancock11 November 2020 08:12
Hello and welcome to The independentContinued coverage of the coronavirus crisis.
Sam hancockNovember 11, 2020 7:41 AM
