‘Zero-Covid’ scientists today demanded the Government activates its winter ‘Plan B’ to protect the NHS, despite the fact coronavirus cases and hospital admissions are falling.
Independent Sage, a pressure group of eminent experts who’ve pushed for an Australian-style virus elimination strategy, said compulsory masks and widespread WFH were ‘urgently’ needed to ‘save the NHS and Christmas’.
The group — which includes a former Government chief scientific adviser, a Communist Party member and some of No10’s own scientists — claimed the ‘very high levels of Covid’ were putting ‘extreme pressure’ on the health service.
Independent Sage’s call to action comes after a swathe of shocking statistics laid bare the extent of the crisis within the NHS, with waiting lists for routine care soaring to another high and 999 calls and ambulance waits hitting record levels.
Doctors said the NHS was being brought ‘to its knees’ with patients being left to die in the back of ambulances and waiting rooms because staff are so busy.
But other experts argue the current Covid situation doesn’t justify moving to Plan B, given that admissions for the virus have fallen for nearly a week straight and are projected to fall even more in the coming weeks.
Covid cases have also been trending down since October 24, in line with the country’s major surveillance study which found a 16 per cent weekly fall last week, and death rates have also started to follow suit.
