[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

And of course the onward transmission group are largely double-jabbed.

Yes, however that only means they are at lower risk than previous waves. The risk across the whole population isn’t zero or even insignificant. Which is why we, and other countries, are approving booster doses.

My stance on mass infection at present is indeed as you say, but that was not the case prior to the vaccination programme.

I think you are mistaking what I said when the coronavirus was emerging in this country. I didn't say it was not a problem back then, but that we had to let it pass through the population because a lockdown would only pause the spread.

I think subsequent events have proved that lockdowns alone do not stamp out the virus.

Neither, evidently, does the vaccination campaign.

Hospitalisations have increased only marginally. Infections are already falling so far. Why the concern, other than to be argumentative?

As I say, where hospitals are cancelling all elective surgery, military supporting and telling people not to come to A&E is not indicative of a health service coping.

They are now in line with my point of view, and Prof Whitty is a person that most sensible people believe does not have an agenda as some of his colleagues do. That's why I mentioned him.

There’s no real reason to believe they are right because you agree. If anything, it makes me more concerned that you agree with them, not less.

You criticise those of us supporting the current government approach as 'hoping for the best'. However, you have presented very little in the way of figures to support your risk-averse approach. Clearly, you are 'hoping for the worst'.

Suggesting mitigation to avoid the worst is, self evidently, not hoping for the worst.

I’m not sure I need figures to evidence that mitigations work that we can look at the many countries who have successfully implemented them and look at their contrasting outcomes.

At least when Plan B is implemented, and all these mitigations are reintroduced, you will be on board because Whitty says so.