WINTER'S COMING
Patrick Vallance warns of England winter lockdown despite Boris Johnson saying life could be back to normal by Christmas
SIR Patrick Vallance today warned England may be forced into another lockdown this winter - despite Boris Johnson saying life could be back to normal by Christmas.
The UK's chief scientist disagreed with the PM's comments about life returning to normal by the end of December.
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"As you release measures it is inevitable as you get more contacts that you will see more cases... Come winter, the challenges will be very much greater and of course there is a risk that this could need national measures," Sir Patrick told the House of Lords this afternoon.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty also said winter will be challenging as coronavirus is expected to thrive in the colder weather.
He added: "It may be that in winter this is more difficult because winter so benefits respiratory viruses - that's why we get the flus and the colds and coughs in winter.
"So we do have to accept we may be able to do things for a period; it's possible that in winter we may have to do some other things and I think we just have to be honest about that and the Prime Minister, I think, made that very clear this morning."
Professor Whitty added that social distancing measures are likely to be around for a long time.
He said: "There are some things which we started right at the beginning, which absolutely have to continue for a prolonged period of time, washing hands, isolation, household isolation.
"And there are issues of, and issues around distancing, which have been varied but the reality is distancing remains an important part of this mix and how it's interpreted in different governments has evolved.
"But it has not gone away. So, all of those need to continue for a long period of time."
It comes after the Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference that the government would only be able to scrap social distancing "by November at the earliest".
GROWING RIFT
Sir Patrick's comments are the latest in a growing rift between him and the Prime Minister in recent days.
The chief scientist yesterday contradicted Boris's assurances that workers will be able to return to offices.
Speaking to MPs, Sir Patrick said he could see “absolutely no reason” why millions of Brits should not continue to work from home to limit the spread of Covid-19.
Addressing the Common’s Science and Technology Committee, he said other Government advisers shared his concerns.
Sir Patrick said: “My view on this and I think this is a view shared by SAGE, is that we're still at a time when distancing measures are important.
“And of the various distancing measures, working from home for many companies remains a perfectly good option because it's easy to do."
But Sir Patrick was not finished there. He also delivered a scathing assessment on the timing of the UK's lockdown and Number 10's overall handling of the deadly pandemic.
He said lockdown measures should have been in place a week earlier while the outcome of the coronavirus “has not been good for the UK.”
Boris Johnson today called on bosses to get Brits back to work - and claimed life could be back to normal by Christmas.
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