CMO: Restrictions Shouldn't Be Eased Early Even If Vaccinations Progressing

Speaking to the House of Commons Science Select Committee, England's Chief Medical Office Prof. Chris Whitty says that COVID-19 restrictions should not be eased at a faster pace than that laid out in the gov'ts roadmap, even if new cases, hospitalisations, and deaths decline faster than expected and vaccinations progress faster than expected.

• Whitty says that "Things can go bad very quickly [...] A lot of people may think it's all over but I would encourage them to look at continental Europe right now, [it is] easy to forget how quickly things can turn bad if you don't keep an eye on them".
• Says the 5-week gaps between different stages must remain in place as each move is a 'significant release' and it will take that amount of time to measure the impact on transmission.
• This stance comes in stark contrast to advice from the Center for Disease Control in the United States yesterday, where the organisation's director said that those who have been fully vaccinated can meet small groups of other individuals indoors with no masks or social distancing.
• Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance says that the reopening of schools in England yesterday could boost the R-rate by 10%-50%.
• The slow road out of lockdown in England is causing some political tensions, with some of PM Boris Johnson's Conservative backbench MPs pushing for a quicker shift to normality given the UK's rapid rollout of the vaccine.