Schools were open in November

[TeensWithCrackedScreens]

When the case rate was falling. So clearly the lockdown worked in November despite education continuing. What more will it take to get schools back then? Numbers are already falling again now but I've heard nothing on this. Setting a date or target rate after which they can reopen just doesn't seem to be a priority. So unfair on young people, who don't have the vote.

Have you seen the daily stats? We are in a much worse place than we were at the beginning of November. I would love my children to be back at school but we need a much stricter lockdown than we needed in November.

The new variant is much more prevalent now than in was in November. More infectious and more dangerous. It simply isn't equivalent. Fortunately the vaccines do so far seem to be effective against all variants so we just need to keep cautious while the vaccine programme rolls out and then we can start cautiously opening up again. We are nearly through this.

In november cases fell in most of uk but continued to rise in London and Kent. Unfortunately this was because the new variant is so infectious it could continue to spread despite a partial lockdown.

Unfortunately we now have 77 cases of the South african and 9 cases of the Brazilian variant in the UK confirmed. There are almost certainly many more given we only identify the variants of samples are fully genetically sequenced. We only sequence 5-10% of samples. It is likely there fore there are 700+ cases of the south african and 90+ cases of the Brazil variants inthe uk. Very early and unconfirmed data suggests these are as infectious as the new UK variant and the vaccine may be 50% less effective. If we let these get a foot hold we will be back to where we started a year ago.

It is good news scientists say they can tweakthe vaccine if needed BUT

1. This has not been achieved yet
2. If this is needed we will have to vaccinate everyone again
3. Doses of these new vaccines will have to be produced - and this will take several months.
4. Inthis timethe virus will probably mutate again

We need to eliminate the new variants in the UK.
Keep the case numbers down - which keeps the risk of more mutations down.
Vaccinate as quick as possible.

Releasing lockdown a month or2 early May lengthen this by a year.

It is all very frustrating.

We reopened in December at approximately 18k new cases per day, this is about the same new cases per day that triggered scientists to call for any kind of lockdown including a circuit breaker. As it turned out that was too high (imho setting an end date made the whole thing pointless) and obviously didn’t account for the new variants.

I wouldn’t expect to see much talk of anything reopening until we get cases down to the low teens and then it will be cautiously and in stages.

Apologies all - it seems Someone Else was (ahem) using my phone there.

However, I have just seen this: www.bbc.com/news/uk-55792649

And provided some much needed assurance that we will get through this. He that endures to the end will be saved!