Read on Twitter
1/. Exactly one year ago - on 3 February 2020 - @BorisJohnson made THIS speech:
“There’s a risk new diseases such as #coronavirus could trigger a panic that goes beyond what is medically rational, to the point of doing real & unnecessary economic damage.”
“There’s a risk new diseases such as #coronavirus could trigger a panic that goes beyond what is medically rational, to the point of doing real & unnecessary economic damage.”
2/. The PM's #GreenwichSpeech was the first time he’d mentioned #COVID19 publicly & it’s clear that the govt already had a plan
“Medically irrational responses” causing "real & unnecessary economic damage” = LOCKDOWN
The Govt’s strategy = #HERDIMMUNITY!
“Medically irrational responses” causing "real & unnecessary economic damage” = LOCKDOWN
The Govt’s strategy = #HERDIMMUNITY!
3/. Whilst this was the first time that the PM mentioned #COVID19 publicly, he’d known about it “right at the start” of Jan.
@MattHancock warned him & recalls his surprise that MPs weren’t aware of “the single biggest issue that's about to come & hit us”.
@MattHancock warned him & recalls his surprise that MPs weren’t aware of “the single biggest issue that's about to come & hit us”.
4/. On 10 January, @WHO had warned the UK about the risk of human-to-human transmission of #COVID19
On 14 February, govt scientist, @neil_ferguson, warned that up to 400,000 people in the UK could die
NERVTAG put the worst case scenario at 1.3m deaths.
On 14 February, govt scientist, @neil_ferguson, warned that up to 400,000 people in the UK could die
NERVTAG put the worst case scenario at 1.3m deaths.
5/. On #ValentinesDay 2020, the same day that Prof Ferguson had warned 400,000 Britons might die, @BorisJohnson went away to the countryside for 12 days with his pregnant girlfriend
This was two weeks after @WHO had declared #COVID19 a "public health emergency of intn’l concern” https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1277155830467645441
This was two weeks after @WHO had declared #COVID19 a "public health emergency of intn’l concern” https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1277155830467645441
6/. In 2016, the govt undertook Exercise Cygnus – a drill to examine UK readiness to respond to a pandemic
It revealed major shortfalls
Cygnus wasn’t published & it’s recommendations were not implemented
Every minister asked about it, pleads ignorance or avoids a direct answer https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1255056502752194562
It revealed major shortfalls
Cygnus wasn’t published & it’s recommendations were not implemented
Every minister asked about it, pleads ignorance or avoids a direct answer https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1255056502752194562
7/. Britain was given the greatest gift any country could have wished for in the circumstances - a two-month head start - & our govt squandered it...deliberately
#COVID19 wasn’t “an invisible mugger”
We knew about COVID19 & asymptomatic spread in January
#COVID19 wasn’t “an invisible mugger”
We knew about COVID19 & asymptomatic spread in January
8/. There have been several "penny drop" moments in my investigation into #COVID19 strategy
Watching the #GreenwichSpeech on 16/4 was one of them
THIS was the STRATEGY
#TakeItOnTheChin had started my investigation
The #GreenwichSpeech opened new doors https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1252354324136521736
Watching the #GreenwichSpeech on 16/4 was one of them
THIS was the STRATEGY
#TakeItOnTheChin had started my investigation
The #GreenwichSpeech opened new doors https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1252354324136521736
