I agree that the decision to administer to certain age groups wasnât govt led, however macron stating that the vaccine was quasi ineffective was: as was the EU commission defence of the EMA slow approval process by saying the UK was taking a more risky approach. The German media have also got stuck into the AZ vaccine and the German govt have failed to manage the messaging
Now that have millions of doses sat on the shelves because people have not heard their govts make positive noises about the AZ vaccines at a sufficient volume
The net effect is that the EU will be stuck in the lock down cycle far longer than necessary (some are saying at least two months) and that without considering the additional avoidable deaths this will cause. But hey, it is all in the name of solidarity
But the EMA were not âslowâ - they just maintained the same evaluation standards as expected. The UK expediated approval in all age groups by âignoringâ the issues with powering of the study in the over 65s.
Macron may have been a dick about it, but that does mot make the scientific evaluation any less credible
Iâm not questioning the medical evaluation - as for it being âslowâ - the German govt obviously thought it was given the pressure they put on it to pull its finger out.
My point is, by the various heads of state / Eu etc doing down the AZ vaccine they have created a problem which will cost people their lives
But this is the result if people being stupid/ not understanding the scientific process and reacting to political rhetoric as opposed to listening to experts⊠but them again the Frech and Germans dont have monopoly in that do they?
From 8 March - All schools will open with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed. Recreation in an outdoor public spaces - such as a park - will be allowed between two people, meaning they would be allowed to sit down for a coffee, drink or picnic
Secondary school pupils will be required to wear face coverings in classrooms and shared spaces like corridors.
The second step comes from 12 April would see major parts of the economy permitted to reopen:
Non-essential retail opens, hairdressers and public buildings like libraries and museums
Outdoor settings like alcohol takeaways, beer gardens, zoos and theme parks
Indoor leisure like swimming pools and gyms
Self-contained holiday accommodation, such as self-catering and camp sites
But wider social contact rules will continue to apply in all settings - meaning no indoor mixing between different households will be allowed.
Funerals continue with up to 30 people, and weddings with up to 15 guests.
The third step will come from 17 May - if the data allows - and will see the ârule of sixâ abolished for outdoor gatherings, replaced with a limit of 30 people:
Two households can mix indoors - with the rule of six applied in hospitality settings like pubs
Cinemas, hotels, performances and sporting events reopen - though social distancing remains
Up to 10,000 spectators can attend the very largest outdoor seated venues like football stadiums
Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes.
The fourth step from 21 June will potentially see all legal limits on social contact removed, with the final closed sectors of the economy reopened - such as nightclubs.
The government hopes that - from this date - restrictions on weddings and funerals will also be abolished.
The four conditions that must be met at each phase of lockdown easing are:
The coronavirus vaccine programme continues to go to plan
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently reducing the number of people dying with the virus or needing hospital treatment
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital admissions
New variants of the virus do not fundamentally change the risk of lifting restrictions
