‘Wilfully negligent’: Govt attacked for refusing to move to Plan B, as doctors warn action needed now
The government is being “wilfully negligent” by refusing to enforce its Plan B strategy for tackling rising COVID infections, doctors have claimed.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed yesterday that additional coronavirus restrictions – which could include face coverings becoming mandatory in some public places – are not going to be introduced in England.
But the British Medical Association has warned that Plan B needs to be activated now, with rising infection rates putting the NHS under pressure.
During a Downing Street news conference yesterday, Mr Javid said the UK could see 100,000 coronavirus cases a day – and he stressed that the pandemic is ‘not over’
BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul added: “By the health secretary’s own admission we could soon see 100,000 cases a day, and we now have the same number of weekly COVID deaths as we has during March, when the country was in lockdown.
“It is therefore incredibly concerning that he is not willing to take immediate action to save lives and protect the NHS.”
Under Plan B, people could also be urged to work from home once again – and vaccine passports could be introduced in certain venues.
Dr Nagpaul claimed the government has “taken its foot off the brake, giving the impression that the pandemic is behind us and that life has returned to normal”.
By contrast, the doctor warned that COVID-19 infections, hospital admissions and deaths are currently at an “unacceptable” level that is “unheard of in similar European nations”.
He said: “It is wilfully negligent of the Westminster government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces.
“These are measures that are the norm in many other nations.”
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Analysis of UK’s COVID data
During a Downing Street news conference yesterday, Mr Javid said the UK could see 100,000 coronavirus cases a day – and he stressed that the pandemic is “not over”.
“We must all remember that this virus will be with us for the long term and remains a threat to our loved ones, and a threat to the progress that we’ve made in getting our nation closer to normal life,” he added.
On Wednesday, the UK recorded 49,139 new COVID-19 cases – the eighth day in a row that infections have been above 40,000 – and 179 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
Mr Javid said current COVID deaths “remain mercifully low” – an assertion later questioned by one SAGE scientist – and the health secretary added he does not believe the current pressures on the NHS are “unsustainable”.
While he said that Plan B won’t be introduced in England at this point, the health secretary added: “We’ll be staying vigilant, preparing for all eventualities, while strengthening our vital defences that can help us fight back against this virus.”
He went on to encourage Britons to meet others outdoors where possible, voluntarily wear masks in crowded spaces, take regular lateral flow tests, and receive a booster coronavirus vaccine if they are eligible for one.
“If we all play our part, then we can give ourselves the best possible chance in this race, get through this winter, and enjoy Christmas with our loved ones,” Mr Javid said.
Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said the UK is going into the colder months with a “really high level” of COVID cases.
She added: “What we can see is that the cases now are almost as high as they were in July and actually not far off where they were last winter. What we are not seeing is that dip down again at the other side of the peak.”
Dr Harries went on to say: “Fortunately, that is not currently working through into serious disease and deaths.”
In other developments, Tony Blair is calling on ministers to set a target of delivering 500,000 coronavirus boosters per day.
The former prime minister said the government needs to act “rapidly and decisively” to avoid the need for another lockdown.
His think tank, the Tony Blair Institute, has made 12 key recommendations for cutting the spread of COVID-19.
They include setting a target of vaccinating 50% of 12 to 15-year-olds by 1 December, approving jabs for under 12s as a priority, providing clear guidance on vaccines for pregnant women, and ensuring NHS lateral flow tests remain free and readily available until the pandemic is over.
Former RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner James Lee Williams, known as The Vivienne, has died at the age of 32.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend.
“James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person.
“Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle. They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career.
“We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage said she was “utterly heartbroken” by the news.
Sharing photos of herself with The Vivienne, she said: “I don’t know how to say how I feel. My darling @thevivienne_ we go back to when I started coming over here to the UK.
“You were always there, always laughing, always giving, always on point. Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all.”
She added: “I love you my darling. You will be so missed my lovely. May your light shine fiercely, forever.”
The Vivienne had risen to prominence in 2015 after becoming the UK Drag Ambassador for the American series of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The show sees drag queens competing in front of a panel of judges to become the next drag superstar.
The Vivienne later competed in the first UK series of the show in 2019, going on to win it after lip-syncing in the final to the Wham! hit I’m Your Man.
Their drag name came from their love of designer Vivienne Westwood.
Williams, who was born in Wales, also came third on the 2023 series of Dancing On Ice.
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A host of celebrities and co-stars have paid tribute on social media, with former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts writing: “Omg! I can’t believe this. This is heartbreaking news.”
Shea Coulee, who won the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, said: “I am in complete and utter shock. This is so devastating.”
Another Drag Race star, Bimini Bon Boulash, wrote: “I’m so sorry. I’m in total shock.”
Williams’s publicist Simon Jones also described their “immense talent” and “comic genius and quick wit”.
Mr Jones wrote on Instagram: “These are words I never ever wanted to write. Viv was a close friend, a client and someone I loved very much.
“From the moment I met them in 2019 I knew we could create magic together and I became their manager. Their talent was immense and the light they brought to every room was astonishing. No-one has ever made me laugh in my life as much as Viv did. Their comic genius and quick wit was like no other.”
He said he was “heartbroken and devastated” by the news, adding: “RIP my wonderful friend. You left us way too soon.”
Mindy Kaling has praised the Duchess of Sussex’s culinary skills and said Prince Harry is “a pretty good cook” too.
The 45-year-old actress is a special guest on the royal’s forthcoming Netflix show – With Love, Meghan – which the streamer says “reimagines the genre of lifestyle”.
Kaling, who has three children – Katherine, seven, Spencer, four, and Anne, 11 months, told Deadline on the Golden Globes red carpet: “I was just in my maternity leave and Meghan texted me and said, ‘Hey do you want to come be in my show and come to Montecito and have me cook for you?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah that sounds perfect, I would love to do that’.”
She went on to shower praise on Meghan’s skills in the kitchen, saying: “I think of myself as kind of an okay cook, but she unsurprisingly blew me out of the water.
“The thing about her recipes and being there was that it was just really accessible. She has a garden from scratch which I could never do, and chickens. They would probably all die if I tried to take care of chickens.”
When asked about the Duke of Sussex, Kaling said: “Harry was there, but he didn’t cook for me. But I hear he’s actually a pretty good cook. He knows his way around a kitchen.”
Kaling on the Golden Globes red carpet. Pic: AP
Meghan announced her new show by returning to Instagram after four years away, posting a black and white video of her on a beach on New Year’s Day and writing 2025 in the sand with her finger.
She followed it up the next day with the trailer for the show, with the message: “I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it.”
Split into eight half-an-hour shows, other special guests include chefs Roy Choi and Alice Waters.
Kaling was at the Golden Globes on Sunday night presenting an award alongside Kate Hudson, who stars in her upcoming Netflix show Running Point, about an LA basketball team.
She is also a producer on the Oscar-shortlisted short film Anuja, about two young sisters working in a New Delhi sweatshop.
With Love, Meghan streams on Netflix from 15 January.
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