Whitty’s summer of fun
Professor Chris Whitty has signalled his support for lifting all lockdown restrictions on 19 July. During a Cabinet briefing on Monday, England’s Chief Medical officer encouraged ministers to “get as much open this summer as possible before winter.”
The latest NHS figures are cause for cautious optimism. Just one in every 100 NHS beds in England were occupied by Covid patients last week. By comparison, in December, Covid patients were filling one in six beds across the country.
Covid cases are continuing to rise, but the fact that we aren’t seeing the same corresponding spike in hospitalisations witnessed during the first wave is a sure sign that our vaccines are working.
The pattern emerging lends weight to the line we keep hearing the government peddling – that the virus is something we must now “learn to live with”. The data is piling pressure on them to ministers to put their money where their mouth is – firstly, by re-thinking existing quarantine policies.
Since April, the government has been running a pilot trial of stringent testing measures as a replacement for self-isolation. It’s predicted that the easing of lockdown next month will include a change in policy for double-vaccinated Brits, meaning they’ll no longer be required to self-isolate for 10 days if they come into contact with a positive Covid case. Instead, they’ll have to take daily lateral flow tests, and wait 20 minutes for a negative result, in order to leave the house.
Others, however, believe the change of rules must be extended to a wider pool of people, and that the switch-up cannot come soon enough.
A number of parents and teachers are urging the government to scrap school bubbles immediately, in a bid to curb the surge in Covid-related pupil absences.
Hospitality chiefs are also hoping for a rapid switch to the testing system. Many pubs and restaurants, which have already been hit by labour shortages, are now being forced to close at short notice because of staff being contacted by the Track and Trace app and made to self-isolate.
Canada melts
Canada is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, which has smashed temperature records in the country for a third day straight.
Yesterday, the small mountain town of Lytton in British Columbia recorded a temperature of 49.6C (121.3F). Before Sunday, temperatures in Canada had never passed 45C.
Police in the Vancouver area have recorded over 130 sudden deaths since Friday, mainly among the elderly. In many cases, the intense heat was a contributing factor.
Firefighters are concerned about the possibility of wild fires and flood warnings are in effect for the river valleys downstream of Lytton, as dramatic snow and ice melt has created a torrent of rushing water.
The temperatures over western parts of Canada and the US has been caused by a high pressure “heat dome” stretching from California to the Arctic territories.
Some residents have resorted to staying in air conditioned hotels – which are said to be selling out fast.
Parts of the US North-West are also recording record highs. In Portland, Oregon, where the mercury hit 46.1C, some businesses have shut because the heat has been intense enough to melt cables. In Seattle, Washington, residents have flocked to pop-up “cooling centres”, one of which has been erected in Amazon’s headquarters.
Roman holiday
England’s jubilant football team will travel to Rome on Saturday to face off against Ukraine in a bid to reach the semi-finals of the Euro 2020 tournament for the first time in 25 years.
And some die-hard fans are plotting ways to cheer on the three lions in person.
Italian officials have warned Brits that it’s too late to hop on a last minute plane. Even those who touched down in the capital today would be watching the game from a hotel room thanks to Italy’s five-day isolation policy for UK travellers. And anyone who flouts the rules could be subject to a hefty €450 fine.
Some fans, however, have stumbled upon a loophole: if they arrive by car, they may still be able to watch the match in-person. Under Italy’s Covid restrictions, anyone entering the country by road is allowed to stay for a 36-hour period without isolating.
It’s worth pointing out, of course, that a car drive from London to Rome takes about 20 hours. And Italy’s firm place on the UK’s amber list would mean a 10-day isolation upon return. It seems this is a loophole for very committed fans only.
Caitlin Allen,
Reaction Reporter