@Y0uCann0tBeSer10us
I've read the Lancet article by the indy SAGE people, and it's good that open discussion of the issues takes place. It's perfectly normal, and how science is supposed to work, especially in uncertain times like now. They seem to be suggesting that restrictions ( including bubbles) should remain in place not only until everyone is fully vaccinated, but also until "mitigation measures, especially adequate ventilation (through investment in CO2monitors and air filtration devices) and spacing (eg, by reducing class sizes), are in place in schools." In a lot of cases this would mean completely rebuilding schools and training up additional teachers! The damage done to society and children's education in the long time required to do this would be immense and unacceptable to most. Furthermore, they don't acknowledge non -COVID harms caused by restrictions anywhere, nor that timing the exit wave for the summer is a compromise position given the reality that you can't completely prevent morbidity from COVID. They don't say anything that hasn't already been addressed by the UK teams making decisions, and come across as extremist in their views.
Personally, for a balanced, less dogmatic view, I prefer to watch Tim Spector's updates ( from the Zoe app). He is broadly in favour of the July plan on balance overall, despite the long COVID cases that he expects will result, because it's necessary for life to get back to normal. Perhaps efforts would be better spent lobbying the SG to put in place long COVID clinics to deal with this. He did say he would continue to wear masks though 
WHO's Dr Mike Ryan: Letting Covid cases surge is 'epidemiological stupidity.
A TOP doctor at the World Health Organisation has warned countries against allowing coronavirus cases to spiral – calling the strategy “epidemiological stupidity”.
Dr Mike Ryan, the executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, was asked about states deciding to lift restrictions at this point in the pandemic.
Earlier this week Boris Johnson announced that masks and social distancing would be scrapped in England despite cases quickly increasing and fears over the Delta variant. Legal limits of meeting will also come to an end, while large events will be able to take place again.
Sajid Javid, the UK Government’s new Health Secretary, said ministers think cases could grow to 100,000 per day over the next few weeks – but are confident that vaccination has done enough to prevent a significant number of hospitalisations and deaths. However, Johnson warned the public to expect more deaths.
Dr Ryan, who leads the WHO team responsible for the international containment of Covid-19, hit out at the “moral emptiness” of allowing coronavirus cases to grow significantly. He warned it is a “dangerous assumption to assume everything is Kumbaya” even in European countries where most people have had at least one vaccination.
Asked by a BBC journalist about the logic of allowing more people to be infected, Dr Ryan responded: “I’m not aware that that’s the logic driving our colleagues in the United Kingdom. I suspect it is not.
“I would like to verify that is the logic but the logic of more people being infected is better, is I think logic that has proven its moral emptiness and its epidemiological stupidity previously.”
Meanwhile this morning the chief executive of NHS Providers said there are risks to the NHS if England eases coronavirus restriction this month.
Chris Hopson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We need to be realistic and we need to be open and honest about the fact that there are risks if we relax these restrictions and there will be consequences.
“The NHS won’t be able to do everything given the demand pressures it has got and the fact that we have got reduced capacity in terms of both beds and staff numbers.”
He said there would be “very significant” pressure on the NHS and “we will have to dial back on elective recovery”.
Hmm 