(Yes, I know this should belong in the CV sub-forum, but I think it's a discussion that might best live here, for a while at least, given its significance)
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/coronavirus-uk-lockdown-three-stage-exit-plan
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/coronavirus-uk-lockdown-three-stage-exit-plan
As ministers publicly remained tight-lipped about a so-called “exit strategy” for lockdown — and some in cabinet complained that they were being kept out of the loop on Downing Street’s plans — BuzzFeed News can reveal:
A “best case scenario” being worked on by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) hopes to end lockdown restrictions for certain non-essential shops and industries in the short-term, from early to mid-May.
Some social distancing measures could then gradually be relaxed in the medium-term, in June and July, eventually leading to the reopening of pubs and restaurants towards the end of the summer.
Long-term “shielding” for elderly and vulnerable people could mean the public being told they face limits on seeing over-70s parents or grandparents for as long as 12-18 months until a vaccine is found.
The timeline relies on SAGE scientists calculating how many new COVID-19 infections per day the UK’s test and trace capabilities can manage, and an “impossible” political decision for Downing Street on how many deaths per day they are willing to accept in order to be able to lift some restrictions before there is a vaccine.
A “best case scenario” being worked on by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) hopes to end lockdown restrictions for certain non-essential shops and industries in the short-term, from early to mid-May.
Some social distancing measures could then gradually be relaxed in the medium-term, in June and July, eventually leading to the reopening of pubs and restaurants towards the end of the summer.
Long-term “shielding” for elderly and vulnerable people could mean the public being told they face limits on seeing over-70s parents or grandparents for as long as 12-18 months until a vaccine is found.
The timeline relies on SAGE scientists calculating how many new COVID-19 infections per day the UK’s test and trace capabilities can manage, and an “impossible” political decision for Downing Street on how many deaths per day they are willing to accept in order to be able to lift some restrictions before there is a vaccine.