SAGE s Patrick Vallance rolled his eyes at advisers who questioned if masks were needed in schools dailymail.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymail.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Rebutting his former Chancellor s claim that lockdown decisions did not consider trade-offs, Boris Johnson told reporters in Surrey today that he was very confident decisions made were the right ones .
Why the Kent Covid variant may be more lethal than the first strain
Scientists think some of the behaviours that make the new strain more easy to transmit may also make it more deadly
When news emerged last December of a new, far more contagious coronavirus mutation spreading across Britain, there was only one positive straw at which to clutch.
There was no evidence, scientists said, that what became known as the Kent variant was more deadly than the original strain.
But at the end of January, Boris Johnson was shown a paper by the Government s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Group that appeared to destroy even that shred of hope.
Secondary schools may stay shut as ministers look to expand Tier 4
Covid-O committee meeting paves way for major extension of restrictions and delay to school reopenings
29 December 2020 • 10:00pm
Boris Johnson held a key Covid-O committee meeting on Tuesday night
Credit: Toby Melville/Reuters
Secondary schools are on course not to open as planned next week as ministers prepare to push far more areas into a Tier 4 lockdown on Wednesday.
Mr Johnson is expected to chair a meeting on Wednesday to decide whether delaying the opening of secondary schools to all pupils for just a week until January 18 will be sufficient to stem the virus.