Route out of restrictions needs to look again at work

摘要

A group of scientists has criticised the government's roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions (see above), claiming that there are "clear deficits in the approach, which endanger its overall ambition of ensuring that the route out of lockdown is 'oneway' and irreversible". Among the group's recommendations is greater workplace protection. The report1 comes from the Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Independent SAGE), which is a separate body from the official SAGE that advises the government, David King, a former government chief scientific adviser, established Independent SAGE in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic amidst fears that the official SAGE was insufficiently independent of government. Independent SAGE welcomes the five weekly phasing of measures with data-informed reviews and the prioritisation of school opening but highlights three main weaknesses. First, there is an "absence of an overall strategy for pandemic control over and above vaccination". The Prime Minister and Chief Medical Officer, claims the report, were "clear that the strategy was one of containment, rather than one of maximum suppression as advocated in Scotland and Wales". This, however, risks the pandemic spiralling out of control and overwhelming the NHS, which would require the reimposition of restrictions. It would also cause unnecessary deaths and long-COVID ill health and increase the likelihood of new variants of the virus developing. The limitations include "an effective system (including legal enforcement) for ensuring COVID-safe environments in work, educational, and public spaces".