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The Regional Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is known to be considering regional blockades if the local “R” rate rises above one, and new figures show that such a policy would be possible and even useful in maintaining large parts of the economy. economy. open. However, Steve Brine, the former health minister, argued that the restrictions should be lifted for all areas at the same time.
“The country should move together,” he said. “This shows that the restrictions have had the desired effect: London is ahead of the rest of the country, so this is an encouraging sign.”
The figures also show that, by the time the country entered into a blockade, the “R” rate was already falling in London, possibly helped by social distancing and home work, which had been in place for at least a week before.
But the number of infected people was still high in the regions when the country closed. While the “R” rate was 2.3 in the capital on March 23, it was 3.41 in the North East and Yorkshire.
The report, released this week by the Biostatistics Unit of the Cambridge University Medical Research Councils, rather than the Government, has left some MPs questioning whether they are being shown all the evidence.
