“I think that would be a significant unlocking step and it would be very welcome,” he says.
“The real question is do we get to double that or even higher”, the professor adds, warning that this would lead to “major disruption” in the NHS.
“That means that they can conduct important government business, but they won’t be able to go out socialising”, he says.
The last year has been a national disaster for our young people. Never again should we shut our schools.
“We don’t expect that the whole country will return to their desk as one on Monday.”
Nadhim Zahawi also says the government is looking at test and release – upload 5 days of lateral flow tests to avoid isolation as piloted.
“If we can’t reopen our society in the next few weeks… then we must ask ourselves when will we be able to return to normal.”
“Legally enforced restrictions… inevitably take their toll on people’s lives and livelihoods”.
But with the Prime Minister digging in on testing and isolating in schools, can we be sure this will actually happen?
The industry has gone to huge efforts to become Covid secure, and contributes a huge amount in tax.
There are dozens of policies, tax changes and other levers that government can pull to climate proof our homes.
The former Work and Pensions Secretary suggests the appointment will shift the balance of the argument inside the Government.
The Chairman of the Covid Recovery Group is concerned that data which might have supported reopening went unpublished.
Most of the action has been over Covid-related divisions. And most of the dissenters are from older intakes.
There comes a point where lockdown is only delaying an inevitable exit wave, not preventing it. This is the right time for ‘step four’.