If Patrick Vallance doesn't take his mask off for less than 2m of social distancing then no one else should either.

[ChavvySexPond]

Patrick Vallance began his evidence to the Commons science committee wearing a mask, and only took it off when he was satisfied that everyone else was at least 2m away.

And he's had it hasn't he?

So how safe are pubs and restaurants and classrooms and workplaces and this nonsense of "one metre plus".

At an earlier health committee meeting didn't Patrick Vallance says that 2 metres was 10-30 times safer than 1 metre.

And they wonder why people are treating the advice like a pick 'n' mix

I agree.

Too much moaning about masks when other countries are just getting on with it.

Totally agree

Has he had the virus? I didn't realise that but yes, sick of the mask excuses 🙄

He has been pretty clear about 2m, as has Chris Whitty.

I agree.

I trust his opinion on this and the science is very clear.

I agree that he and Chris Whitty have been consistent throughout and quite clearly are concerned about the people infected in the coming months. Their jobs don’t require them to be concerned about the economy though.

Yanbu. Anyway, Johnson and Cummings don't care about pubs and restaurants. The little people are collateral damage to them, it's an experiment.

(Bought masks in February, I don't trust them an inch).

I don’t think he has had it, Chris Whitty has though.

I thought I remembered them both being ill about the same time that Boris had it, but I'm not certain.

Patrick Vallance is distancing himself from the government's decision making at any costs now. He knows what is likely to be heading our way due to the decisions that are being made and doesn't want any of the blame for it. He came out yesterday and said he told the government to lock down earlier than they did and that people should still work from home (which is against what BJ wants). The scientific community have realised they are fighting a losing battle in relation to this now and are protecting their reputation.

It's about time.

Allowing the government to say they were "following the science" when actually what the scientists could recommend was constrained by what was possible in the circumstances.

The circumstances being that the government did not prepare for this pandemic in any way even though we had weeks and months of notice.

Chris Whitty has often looked as if he doesn't agree with how things are being spun. And we haven't seen Van Tamm since he made the outrageous assertion that the rules apply to us all.

Harries unfortunately would tell you black was white.

“But then jockey club director, Dido Harding – soon to be chief executive of the track and trace system – had wanted the Cheltenham festival to go ahead and it would have been a shame for Carrie Symonds to have had to cancel her baby shower at Chequers. So all in all, it was probably worth the 20,000 extra deaths the week’s delay entailed.”

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/16/tired-of-being-boris-johnsons-patsy-patrick-vallance-fights-back?CMP=sharebtnntw&twitterrimpression=true

Good for him.

When it's over everyone will know who to blame. Johnson and his chums.