Doctors prefer a series of short locks « to save time », as Rishi Sunak says multi-level regional action is best
Hospital doctors and public health experts have backed growing calls for a ‘circuit breaker’ to stem the resurgence of Covid-19 and protect the NHS, as new signs of a cabinet split appeared
As up to 95% of intensive care beds were full in some Liverpool hospitals – half with coronavirus patients – growing concerns have been raised over the NHS overrun This week, Liverpool said they would cut back on non-urgent operations
Labor on Tuesday backed the idea of a circuit breaker – a short lockdown cutting off some social contact – but cabinet ministers are reportedly divided over its effectiveness and desire to protect the economy
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday that a national lockdown of any length would have significant and potentially irreversible economic costs
Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Minister Michael Gove, who chairs the Covid-19 operations committee, are the most frightened by the increase in cases and the most open to a breaker New daily laboratory-confirmed infections in the UK hit a new high of 19,724 on Wednesday
There are fears that a shutdown will be extended beyond two weeks to improve its effectiveness, with high-level restrictions expected to continue in many parts of the UK thereafter
“It doesn’t change the fundamental path of the virus, it’s just a delay,” said a Whitehall source. “What you really need is to design a version of normal that will allow you to spend the winter «
Even the most skeptical of a circuit breaker agree that more drastic action may not be ruled out « It’s a last resort », said a minister
A source from the cabinet added: « No one is excited about this Everyone is worried about the lockdown, but also that the virus is out of control Cabinet camps are not simple »
The Association of Hospital Consultants and Specialists, which represents 3,500 senior hospital doctors, told The Guardian on Wednesday that a series of two to three week mini-lockdowns may be needed across the UK to allow the population to spend the winter without the NHS getting overwhelmed and buying time for a coronavirus vaccine
“We are in favor of a circuit breaker,” said Claudia Paoloni, association president and intensive care consultant in Bristol “Unfortunately, we find ourselves in an inimitable situation, because it is one thing that we can do to save time and reduce this to a more manageable level again
« Covid is increasing in all areas Therefore we have to brake everywhere to try to reduce the scale of the growth of Covid to a manageable level This would save us time to improve our testing capacity and allow us to keep hospital beds free for elective work «
Failure to urgently introduce a circuit breaker has put the government at risk of having to order an extended return to the type of full lockdown put in place in the spring, Paoloni added « Circuit breaker needs to start ASAP To help us get through the winter … you may need a series of circuit breakers to keep the transmission off »
The British Medical Association has said it supports a short-term temporary lockdown, but only as part of a new « robust prevention plan » involving stricter restrictions than the three-tier system announced this week by Boris Johnson and clearer public health messages to encourage compliance
Chaand Nagpaul, Chairman of the Board of the BMA, said: “The national lockdown was previously lifted without any strategy to contain the disease afterwards, so it is no surprise that the government and the country have come together again in this terrible position »
Sue Crossland, President of the Society for Acute Medicine, speaking in a personal capacity, said some hospitals were at a tipping point « A circuit breaker can act like a pressure valve to free up breathing space if needed «
The Royal Society for Public Health said circuit breaker would save many lives “The virus is out of control in much of England and the majority of scientific opinion is that action needs to be taken quickly – and are probably late – if we are to avoid thousands of unnecessary deaths, said Christina Marriott, its CEO
Katrina Stephens, director of public health for the borough of Oldham, where there is an upsurge in infections, said a circuit breaker was needed by mid-October « I think the infection rates have reached a level where the circuit breaker approach might be a good decision, » she said
However, health officials have acknowledged that time is running out to minimize disruption to schools when a circuit breaker is used Cabinet ministers highlighted Johnson’s pledge not to close schools and incompatibility with a breaker lasting longer than mid-term week Labor chief Keir Starmer said he would prefer that schools remain open
Speaking in the House of Commons, Sunak said any form of national lockdown would cause « significant damage » to lives and livelihoods. He said the evidence still supports a multi-level regional approach « The entire country would suffer, rather than targeting this support preventing a lockdown in areas of the country with low virus rates «
Circuit breaker
World News – GB – British doctors and health experts back Covid-19 ‘circuit breaker’
