Omicron variant and the measures implemented in response to it

[yorkie]

More news coming out of South Africa which is promising

https://twitter.com/pieterstreicher/status/1469743320092102659

Gauteng, South Africa has peaked with case levels similar to Delta, but with deaths expected to be 25 times lower.

Mild, milder, extremely mild. As disease severity increases, the gap with Delta widens. Keep in mind that SA is extremely vulnerable to C-19 with an average IFR of 0.5%, and 230,000 excess deaths attributable to the virus. The IFR of #Omicron is estimated at 0.053%.

Gauteng cases have peaked already, and there is only a slight uptick in C-19 deaths. Total confirmed C-19 deaths from #Omicron is estimated at 640 for this wave. Gauteng had 15,400 confirmed C-19 deaths from Delta.

SA 1st wave - CFR ~4% ~20% infected. SA 2nd wave (Beta) - CFR ~4% ~45% infected. SA 3rd wave (Delta) - CFR ~3% ~70% infected. #Omicron - CFR ~0.42% ~80% infected (some reinfections) It is highly unlikely that the 7x drop in CFR is attributable to prior immunity.

Cases peaked 3 days earlier than expected. Hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilated beds are all tracking the projections reasonably well. I have now added a projection for deaths as well.

#Omicron is extremely mild. The rest of the world has nothing to fear. SA has high natural immunity levels (70%+) and low vaccination rates (25% of the population and 60% of 50+ are fully vaccinated).

Of course direct comparisons between South Africa and the UK are not easy due to major differences in the populations vaccination status and the age profile. We have a much higher proportion of our population vaccinated but this is a virus which disproportionately affects elderly people; we have many times more older people than South Africa does.

But it does sound promising.

A key point to remember is that a vaccinated individual exposed to Omicron is more likely to develop an infection compared to a vaccinated individual exposed to Delta, but this must NOT be seen as a failing of the vaccine as the vaccines remain highly effective at what they are intended to do, which is is to protect against serious illness. An infection in a vaccinated person with Omicron is likely to be mild.

The Government needs to axe the requirement for contacts of people who test positive for Omicron to isolate; if this is not done, and the likely predictions come true, our biggest problem will be a lack of workers to keep places open!

 

[adc82140]

More news coming out of South Africa which is promising

https://twitter.com/pieterstreicher/status/1469743320092102659

The rest if the world isn't fearing it. It's just some attention seeking academics here, egged on by a morally bankrupt media.

 

[BRX]

Well, if it's as accurate as all the other modelling that SAGE have done, we've nothing to worry about.

Can you be specific about which modelling you mean, what you think the modellers claimed to predict, and how it compared to the actual outcomes? Because I expect you will show me some graph where numbers are shown going way beyond what happens, but if we then dig into the detail of what that graph was showing, then it may be the upper range of possible outcomes and it might be graph the aim of which was to estimatee relative effectiveness of different measures, and was presented with many caveats about uncertainties.

It shouldn't be difficult for you to provide something, as your claim seems to be that "all" modelling has been so inaccurate as not to give us any useful information about what appropriate measures might be.

 

[adc82140]

100,000 cases a day after "Freedom Day". There you go.

 

[brad465]

The rest if the world isn't fearing it. It's just some attention seeking academics here, egged on by a morally bankrupt media.

And the rest of the world doesn't have a Government trying to distract from controversial legislation, general incompetence, and, most of all it turns out, law breaking Christmas gatherings last year in No.10.

 

[BRX]

Pfizer have data that says 3 doses affords as much protection as 2 doses did for Delta. Do you not believe them? What action do you think should be taken now?

I'm not sure why you think I don't believe the vaccines are effective.

What action do I think should be taken? I think we should protect against the worst effects of what is a plausible "bad" scenario by bringing certain restrictions back in, and they should be rapidly removed if and when it becomes apparent that such a scenario is unlikely to play out.

 

[adc82140]

I'm not sure why you think I don't believe the vaccines are effective.

What action do I think should be taken? I think we should protect against the worst effects of what is a plausible "bad" scenario by bringing certain restrictions back in, and they should be rapidly removed if and when it becomes apparent that such a scenario is unlikely to play out.

Which restrictions? They can't impact on any businesses as there is no more money for furlough.

 

[nw1]

100,000 cases a day after "Freedom Day". There you go.

Also 1,000 deaths per day in August, though I can't be certain if that was Sage or someone else as the source of that prediction. I know the media were banging on about that though in late June/early July or so - neglecting to mention that this was presumably a worst-case, doomsday scenario. Reported internationally too, which must have made other countries believe the UK was much worse than it was.

Yet more media scare tactics.

 

[Watershed]

I think we should protect against the worst effects of what is a plausible "bad" scenario by bringing certain restrictions back in

Is it really plausible? What restrictions should we be bringing in that we don't already have?

they should be rapidly removed

Funny how the mere possibility of a bad outcome leads to instant restrictions, yet when the data showed decreasing or level case rates/hospitalisations/deaths at the start of the year, we had to wait 5 weeks for each step of the lockdown easing.

if and when it becomes apparent that such a scenario is unlikely to play out.

Yet presumably reintroduced at the first hint of potential trouble with the next variant? And if so - what is the endgame? Being in and out of lockdowns/restrictions for years?

 

[BRX]

100,000 cases a day after "Freedom Day". There you go.

Is this supposed to be an example of a way-off modelling projection?

Because in the July peak we went up to about 40 or 50k positive test results per day. And it's entirely plausible that only half (or fewer) of cases are detected and reported in a test. In fact, if you look at the current ZOE project numbers (which are an attempt to estimate the number of current infections by self-reported symptoms) they reckon on about 80,000 new cases per day right now, and things have been very broadly around those kinds of numbers since July. So a prediction of c100k cases per day following "freedom day" doesn't seem too bad.

 

[yorkie]

Is this supposed to be an example of a way-off modelling projection?

Because in the July peak we went up to about 40 or 50k positive test results per day. And it's entirely plausible that only half (or fewer) of cases are detected and reported in a test. In fact, if you look at the current ZOE project numbers (which are an attempt to estimate the number of current infections by self-reported symptoms) they reckon on about 80,000 new cases per day right now, and things have been very broadly around those kinds of numbers since July. So a prediction of c100k cases per day following "freedom day" doesn't seem too bad.

You miss the point: after 19th July, cases actually reduced.

As for the Zoe data, it used to be an early source of changing trends but this ceased to be the case in the past few months, when the main driver of infections has been groups for which very few people are providing data (e.g. school children / unvaccinated adults) and they now retrospectively change data and change methodology in order to catch up with changes which have already been detected from other sources.

The two measures you compare are not actually measuring the same thing anyway. Zoe is measuring symptomatic Covid (which could be anything from mild to severe symptoms) while positive tests can include asymptomatics who would not be counted in the Zoe data.

The number of people exposed to the virus will be massive but the vast majority of people are not infected. Of those who are infected, the majority are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms (so would just think they had a Cold)

The concept of a case is becoming less and less relevant over time and if current predictions come true, then once Omicron has had time to get established it will soon become utterly irrelevant in my opinion.

 

[BRX]

Yet presumably reintroduced at the first hint of potential trouble with the next variant? And if so - what is the endgame? Being in and out of lockdowns/restrictions for years?

No, proportionate restrictions put in place at any time where there's plausible evidence that it's reasonably likely (not certain) something very bad is going to happen. We don't get to choose the "endgame" - we just have to hope that this particular pandemic will soon fizzle out and stop presenting us with these scenarios. Based on past pandemics, it seems hopeful that this will indeed happen fairly soon.

The bad news is, of course, that nasty pandemics are quite likely to increasingly become part of our future, and there's every possibility that we will experience something worse within the lifetimes of people living today.

So, instead of going into denial about the dangers of infectious disease, we ought to be getting better prepared than we were for this one. That would be my aim for an "endgame" - being prepared for a quick response, to try and stop something like this happening again. A rapid response not only could have saved us a load of deaths but it could have saved us from the lengthy lockdowns we've had to endure.

 

[Eyersey468]

No, proportionate restrictions put in place at any time where there's plausible evidence that it's reasonably likely (not certain) something very bad is going to happen. We don't get to choose the "endgame" - we just have to hope that this particular pandemic will soon fizzle out and stop presenting us with these scenarios. Based on past pandemics, it seems hopeful that this will indeed happen fairly soon.

The bad news is, of course, that nasty pandemics are quite likely to increasingly become part of our future, and there's every possibility that we will experience something worse within the lifetimes of people living today.

So, instead of going into denial about the dangers of infectious disease, we ought to be getting better prepared than we were for this one. That would be my aim for an "endgame" - being prepared for a quick response, to try and stop something like this happening again. A rapid response not only could have saved us a load of deaths but it could have saved us from the lengthy lockdowns we've had to endure.

I agree lessons must be learned from this and we must have a better plan for next time. One thing that has concerned me is at some point something really nasty that we can't make a vaccine for will come along and based on the last 2 years I worry about what we will do

 

[BRX]

You miss the point: after 19th July, cases actually reduced.

Anyone paying attention throughout the last couple of years knows that the effects of changes in rules take a couple of weeks to show up in the positive test numbers. What was happening at the moment of "freedom day" was led by what had been happening in the previous weeks, and restrictions weren't all lifted on one day on the 19th July, things had been being progressively relaxed prior to that. A couple of weeks after the 19th we did see cases start to rise again, they have continued to rise since then, but thankfully without a parallel rise in deaths and hospitalisations.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2021 ==

I agree lessons must be learned from this and we must have a better plan for next time. One thing that has concerned me is at some point something really nasty that we can't make a vaccine for will come along and based on the last 2 years I worry about what we will do

Well, then our best chance is a very rapid reaction in an attempt to then contain it (which is kind of what has happened to some extent with, say, Ebola).

But doing that will inevitably involve a number of reactions that turn out to have been unnecessary, reactions that will get loads of criticism from the same people who want to jump to the conclusion that the warnings about the potential for Omicron are over-hyped and some kind of conspiracy of academics/government/communists/take your pick.

 

[Eyersey468]

Anyone paying attention throughout the last couple of years knows that the effects of changes in rules take a couple of weeks to show up in the positive test numbers. What was happening at the moment of "freedom day" was led by what had been happening in the previous weeks, and restrictions weren't all lifted on one day on the 19th July, things had been being progressively relaxed prior to that. A couple of weeks after the 19th we did see cases start to rise again, they have continued to rise since then, but thankfully without a parallel rise in deaths and hospitalisations.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2021 ==


Well, then our best chance is a very rapid reaction in an attempt to then contain it (which is kind of what has happened to some extent with, say, Ebola).

But doing that will inevitably involve a number of reactions that turn out to have been unnecessary, reactions that will get loads of criticism from the same people who want to jump to the conclusion that the warnings about the potential for Omicron are over-hyped and some kind of conspiracy of academics/government/communists/take your pick.

I think a lot of our reaction this time was driven by panic and by our government not wanting to be seen to be doing things differently to other countries, once one country brought a restriction in the next felt they had to do it, then the next and so on.

 

[ChrisC]

I can assure you that as a Baby Boomer (born 1963) I am very much against any further restrictions, and I know the long term effect of the restrictions on younger generations.

I am now retired, and it is soul destroying sitting at home with nothing to do because all the things you use to occupy your time have been closed due to a pointless lockdown.

I don't want to be "protected" if it means that other people have to suffer. I would rather have a better quality of life than just living as long as possible for the sake of it.

There is hope though in The Telegraph story today in that Boris Johnson faces a Cabinet revolt against introducing Plan C without any evidence that there is a significantly higher risk of hospitalisation from Omicron. There will be an even bigger revolt from the rest of the Conservative party in these circumstances.

I was born in 1956, so definitely can be classed as a Baby Boomer. I am also against any further restrictions that would further harm the economy or the mental health of people. As a retired teacher I would also not want to see education or the general lives of younger people disrupted any further. At the other end of the age range older people, especially those suffering with conditions like dementia should not have to shut themselves away, disrupting routines, and not socialising.

Last year was a very difficult year for me, having to care for my mother in her mid 80’s who had completely lost her short term memory due to dementia. Having to try to explain to her several times every day, day after day for nearly a year, why she couldn’t go to see her friends, go out for a meal or for weeks couldn’t even see her own daughter who lived 40 miles away and so not part of her household. After caring for her all year she had a stroke just after last Christmas and I waved her off in an ambulance and didn’t see her again for the 7 weeks that she was in hospital before she died. Then followed a funeral which only about 12 people could attend.

For all of last year I followed the rules, wore a mask, didn’t see any of my friends, didn’t have anyone come inside the house, even my sister. On the couple of occasions when we did break the rules and my sister came over and we met in the garden my mum never understood why she couldn’t come into the house. Therefore you can imagine my thoughts on that deceitful lying toad called Boris and the antics of this government and their Christmas parties! Don’t get me started on what I think of the Labour Party and their wanting even more restrictions.

I am not looking for sympathy. I’m over it all now and in the end it was a blessing that my mum died when she did as she would have hated being in a nursing home. However, I am not now going to follow any more restrictions. The tv news is almost frightening to watch with all the scaremongering. The weather forecast for the next week is good with dry mild weather and so I have booked a few day away in Yorkshire. I thought I’d better do it now just in case the hotels are closed again. I will not be hiding away avoiding people but will be travelling on trains and buses visiting places like Skipton, Haworth, Saltaire, Hebden Bridge and Ilkley. I’ve had my vaccinations including the booster and I want to now get on with enjoying my retirement.

 

[GC class B1]

You miss the point: after 19th July, cases actually reduced.

As for the Zoe data, it used to be an early source of changing trends but this ceased to be the case in the past few months, when the main driver of infections has been groups for which very few people are providing data (e.g. school children / unvaccinated adults) and they now retrospectively change data and change methodology in order to catch up with changes which have already been detected from other sources.

The two measures you compare are not actually measuring the same thing anyway. Zoe is measuring symptomatic Covid (which could be anything from mild to severe symptoms) while positive tests can include asymptomatics who would not be counted in the Zoe data.

The number of people exposed to the virus will be massive but the vast majority of people are not infected. Of those who are infected, the majority are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms (so would just think they had a Cold)

The concept of a case is becoming less and less relevant over time and if current predictions come true, then once Omicron has had time to get established it will soon become utterly irrelevant in my opinion.

I agree completely . I have been thinking for some time that it is time to stop recording cases. Quoting large numbers of daily cases continues to give the impression that it is a major concern when what matters is the number in hospital. Also the number of people in hospital falls into two group. The concern is only about those who are hospitalised as a result of having COVID, those who were admitted for other reasons I.e. they would be in hospital without a covid outbreak and have either already had covid and been detected in hospital or have caught it in hospital . It would be relevant to know the relevant figures for people hospitalised by COVID and those in hospital with COVID. This distinction is relevant but not made clear in the figures being used to justify restrictions.

 

[ChrisC]

Sorry posted twice and couldn’t delete it!

 

[Eyersey468]

I was born in 1956, so definitely can be classed as a Baby Boomer. I am also against any further restrictions that would further harm the economy or the mental health of people. As a retired teacher I would also not want to see education or the general lives of younger people disrupted any further. At the other end of the age range older people, especially those suffering with conditions like dementia should not have to shut themselves away, disrupting routines, and not socialising.

Last year was a very difficult year for me, having to care for my mother in her mid 80’s who had completely lost her short term memory due to dementia. Having to try to explain to her several times every day, day after day for nearly a year, why she couldn’t go to see her friends, go out for a meal or for weeks couldn’t even see her own daughter who lived 40 miles away and so not part of her household. After caring for her all year she had a stroke just after last Christmas and I waved her off in an ambulance and didn’t see her again for the 7 weeks that she was in hospital before she died. Then followed a funeral which only about 12 people could attend.

For all of last year I followed the rules, wore a mask, didn’t see any of my friends, didn’t have anyone come inside the house, even my sister. On the couple of occasions when we did break the rules and my sister came over and we met in the garden my mum never understood why she couldn’t come into the house. Therefore you can imagine my thoughts on that deceitful lying toad called Boris and the antics of this government and their Christmas parties! Don’t get me started on what I think of the Labour Party and their wanting even more restrictions.

I am not looking for sympathy. I’m over it all now and in the end it was a blessing that my mum died when she did as she would have hated being in a nursing home. However, I am not now going to follow any more restrictions. The tv news is almost frightening to watch with all the scaremongering. The weather forecast for the next week is good with dry mild weather and so I have booked a few day away in Yorkshire. I thought I’d better do it now just in case the hotels are closed again. I will not be hiding away avoiding people but will be travelling on trains and buses visiting places like Skipton, Haworth, Saltaire, Hebden Bridge and Ilkley. I’ve had my vaccinations including the booster and I want to now get on with enjoying my retirement.

My condolences about your mum. I don't blame you for saying you are done with all these restrictions (I paraphrase). This government has long since squandered the goodwill I had and I will now do no more than the bare minimum.

 

[yorksrob]

The bad news is, of course, that nasty pandemics are quite likely to increasingly become part of our future, and there's every possibility that we will experience something worse within the lifetimes of people living today.

Well, if that is the case, shutting down society for a virus varient which presents cold like symptoms for the vast majority of people who have any symptoms at all, clearly isn't going to be sustainable.

 

[Watershed]

No, proportionate restrictions put in place at any time where there's plausible evidence that it's reasonably likely (not certain) something very bad is going to happen.

I suspect your idea of "proportionate" vastly differs from mine! Were lockdown restrictions "proportionate" in February, March or April this year?

The evidence currently shows that the Omicron variant leads to very mild disease with a very low IFR compared to the Beta or Delta variants. So how can that possibly justify any restrictions at all? As usual, the focus is all on the worst possible scenario rather than what's actually likely.

We don't get to choose the "endgame"

Yes we do. We can decide what our response is to the situation. Clearly, your idea of an "endgame" is that "Covid is over when it's over". I'm afraid to say I don't fancy wasting decades of my life enduring such a policy, and if you put it to the public like that, I suspect the vast majority of people would agree.

we just have to hope that this particular pandemic will soon fizzle out and stop presenting us with these scenarios

Ah, the familiar 'my hands are tied' refrain. Awfully convenient how that can be used to justify abhorrent restrictions.

It'd be a little more honest to say "we just have to hope that things work out well, otherwise our approach will be revealed as having wasted years of people's lives".

Based on past pandemics, it seems hopeful that this will indeed happen fairly soon.

Maybe. Or maybe not.

So, instead of going into denial about the dangers of infectious disease

Who is in denial? Everyone knows the dangers of Covid perfectly well. Or is this just an unwarranted dig at "Freedom Day"?

we ought to be getting better prepared than we were for this one

This is the only part of your post I can agree with. Frankly, I'd say there's no limit to the price worth paying to give the NHS extra capacity, so that it can never again be "on the brink of being overwhelmed" as soon as it gets a few extra patients.

Yet here we are, nearly 2 years on, and the situation is worse if anything. Where we need more staff than ever, they are being threatened with being sacked if they don't comply with the latest diktats.

That would be my aim for an "endgame" - being prepared for a quick response, to try and stop something like this happening again. A rapid response not only could have saved us a load of deaths but it could have saved us from the lengthy lockdowns we've had to endure.

Ah yes, because the Australian approach really worked and there's no way they could have been in lockdown for longer than us

 

[BRX]

Well, if that is the case, shutting down society for a virus varient which presents cold like symptoms for the vast majority of people who have any symptoms at all, clearly isn't going to be sustainable.

How it presents for the majority of people is irrelevant, however appealing it sounds when used as rhetoric.

What we are interested in is whether it hospitalises 0.01%, 0.1% or 1% of those infected. The consequences of each of those rates range from something we can cope with (if we accept some people will die) and something where people are unable to get emergency hospital treatment.

 

[duncanp]

Well, if that is the case, shutting down society for a virus varient which presents cold like symptoms for the vast majority of people who have any symptoms at all, clearly isn't going to be sustainable.

If "nasty pandemics" are likely to occur more frequently in the future, we have to find a better way of dealing with them, as it is clearly unsustainable to keep shutting down large sections of society for any random virus that comes along.

A key part of a future strategy would be the sharing of information.

There is definitely a suspicion that China knew about COVID-19 well before it alerted the rest of the world, and we can only guess at their motives for the delay.

Look at the global effect of the SARS and MERS pandemics, which were much more contained geographically.

Secondly, all countries need to look at the resilience of their healthcare systems.

One of the key arguments for bringing in restrictions is to avoid "overwhleming the NHS". We need to define what is meant by "overwhelming the NHS" and how this is measured, and examine honestly how capacity can be increased in the short term in the event of a future pandemic.

Then we need to look at providing isolation facilities. One of the reasons for the spread of COVID in the UK is people living in multi generational low income households. If there were properly managed isolation facilities where someone who tests positive could go to, it could slow down the spread of the virus.

I think there should be a conference organised by the WHO in the next couple of years, at which countries can share their experiences of dealing with COVID-19, and work out a strategy for tackling a future pandemic at a global level.

 

[DustyBin]

My condolences about your mum. I don't blame you for saying you are done with all these restrictions (I paraphrase). This government has long since squandered the goodwill I had and I will now do no more than the bare minimum.

Seconded. People have acted in good faith and largely followed the rules, even under extremely difficult circumstances such as those experienced by @ChrisC. We’re now being taken for fools, enough is enough.

 

[yorksrob]

If "nasty pandemics" are likely to occur more frequently in the future, we have to find a better way of dealing with them, as it is clearly unsustainable to keep shutting down large sections of society for any random virus that comes along.

A key part of a future strategy would be the sharing of information.

There is definitely a suspicion that China knew about COVID-19 well before it alerted the rest of the world, and we can only guess at their motives for the delay.

Look at the global effect of the SARS and MERS pandemics, which were much more contained geographically.

Secondly, all countries need to look at the resilience of their healthcare systems.

One of the key arguments for bringing in restrictions is to avoid "overwhleming the NHS". We need to define what is meant by "overwhelming the NHS" and how this is measured, and examine honestly how capacity can be increased in the short term in the event of a future pandemic.

Then we need to look at providing isolation facilities. One of the reasons for the spread of COVID in the UK is people living in multi generational low income households. If there were properly managed isolation facilities where someone who tests positive could go to, it could slow down the spread of the virus.

I think there should be a conference organised by the WHO in the next couple of years, at which countries can share their experiences of dealing with COVID-19, and work out a strategy for tackling a future pandemic at a global level.

Yes, I agree with that. Having some spare capacity in the health service to deal with large scale casualties would also be something to be looked at.

 

[DustyBin]

I think there should be a conference organised by the WHO in the next couple of years, at which countries can share their experiences of dealing with COVID-19, and work out a strategy for tackling a future pandemic at a global level.

On the face of it this is a very good idea, however in practice I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with it. There’s a fine line between having a sensible mitigation strategy and authoritarianism in the name of public health……

 

[NorthKent1989]

I was born in 1956, so definitely can be classed as a Baby Boomer. I am also against any further restrictions that would further harm the economy or the mental health of people. As a retired teacher I would also not want to see education or the general lives of younger people disrupted any further. At the other end of the age range older people, especially those suffering with conditions like dementia should not have to shut themselves away, disrupting routines, and not socialising.

Last year was a very difficult year for me, having to care for my mother in her mid 80’s who had completely lost her short term memory due to dementia. Having to try to explain to her several times every day, day after day for nearly a year, why she couldn’t go to see her friends, go out for a meal or for weeks couldn’t even see her own daughter who lived 40 miles away and so not part of her household. After caring for her all year she had a stroke just after last Christmas and I waved her off in an ambulance and didn’t see her again for the 7 weeks that she was in hospital before she died. Then followed a funeral which only about 12 people could attend.

For all of last year I followed the rules, wore a mask, didn’t see any of my friends, didn’t have anyone come inside the house, even my sister. On the couple of occasions when we did break the rules and my sister came over and we met in the garden my mum never understood why she couldn’t come into the house. Therefore you can imagine my thoughts on that deceitful lying toad called Boris and the antics of this government and their Christmas parties! Don’t get me started on what I think of the Labour Party and their wanting even more restrictions.

I am not looking for sympathy. I’m over it all now and in the end it was a blessing that my mum died when she did as she would have hated being in a nursing home. However, I am not now going to follow any more restrictions. The tv news is almost frightening to watch with all the scaremongering. The weather forecast for the next week is good with dry mild weather and so I have booked a few day away in Yorkshire. I thought I’d better do it now just in case the hotels are closed again. I will not be hiding away avoiding people but will be travelling on trains and buses visiting places like Skipton, Haworth, Saltaire, Hebden Bridge and Ilkley. I’ve had my vaccinations including the booster and I want to now get on with enjoying my retirement.

So sorry to hear this Chris, my condolences, yes live your life by all
Means!

 

[brad465]

The good old alert system and a televised PM statement have returned: we're now up to level 4 and at 8pm a TV statement from the PM is made, however apparently the focus is the booster programme:

Covid: UK alert level raised to four due to Omicron spread

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to give an update on the Covid booster programme at 20:00 GMT.

www.bbc.co.uk

The UK's coronavirus alert level has been raised to level four due to the spread of Omicron, the UK's chief medical officers have said.

The last time the UK was at level four was in May.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to make a televised statement on Covid at 20:00 GMT on Sunday.

He is expected to provide an update on the booster programme. The BBC understands there will not be any new restrictions imposed.

On Sunday evening, the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said they were recommending the coronavirus alert level is raised from level three to level four, which signifies Covid is spreading fast.

Risk levels are measured by a five-level, colour-coded alert system. Level four means a high or rising level of transmission.

None of this makes sense, firstly the alert system is out of date, because it was devised before zero-covid was ruled out as feasible, and in particular before vaccines existed. As for the address, I don't see the purpose if (thankfully) no new measures are being announced.

 

[DanNCL]

The good old alert system and a televised PM statement have returned: we're now up to level 4 and at 8pm a TV statement from the PM is made, however apparently the focus is the booster programme:

Covid: UK alert level raised to four due to Omicron spread

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to give an update on the Covid booster programme at 20:00 GMT.

www.bbc.co.uk

None of this makes sense, firstly the alert system is out of date, because it was devised before zero-covid was ruled out as feasible, and in particular before vaccines existed. As for the address, I don't see the purpose if (thankfully) no new measures are being announced.

I think we all know why it's a statement and not a press conference this time!

 

[adc82140]

The man is just so transparent. The booster programme would normally be discussed in a standard press conference. But he's trying to act all statesman like after the last week's revelations, and make himself look good.