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  4.  » Tier Four until EASTER: ‘Professor Lockdown’ warns draconian measures may be needed for months
  • ‘Professor Lockdown’ Neil Ferguson claimed the harshest curbs could ‘possibly’ have to stay until the spring
  • He warned that Britain’s situation was ‘not looking optimistic right now’ on BBC Radio 4’s today programme 
  • Matt Hancock has warned virus is ‘out of control’ and Tier Four restrictions could be extended across the UK
  • London and south east was plunged into new set of rules last night in U-turn by Boris Johnson over Christmas
  • Backbench Tories have accused ministers of delaying Saturday’s decision until MPs had left for festive break 
  • Comes as health officials recorded 35,928 positive cases – a new record – and another 326 deaths today

Stephen Matthews and Jason Groves – Daily Mail Dec 21, 2020

Millions of families face living under draconian Tier Four restrictions until Easter, according to the scientist whose grim modelling spooked No10 into sending Britain into its first lockdown back in March.

Prof. Neil Ferguson and his married lover, Antonia Staats. Click to enlarge

‘Professor Lockdown’ Neil Ferguson, an Imperial College London epidemiologist who quit his role as a Government adviser after breaking rules to see his married lover, today claimed the harshest curbs could ‘possibly’ have to stay until the spring and admitted Britain was now in a race to vaccinate people.

He warned Britain’s situation was ‘not looking optimistic right now’. It comes after Matt Hancock yesterday warned the Tier Four restrictions could be extended nationwide, after the Health Secretary said the virus was now ‘out of control’ following the emergence of a fast-spreading new variant.

Boris Johnson sparked fury on Saturday night after he cancelled Christmas for more than 16million people living in London and across the South East. Shops, gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons were ordered to shut again, with residents told not to leave Tier Four.

In his embarrassing U-turn, the Prime Minister – who last week claimed it would be ‘inhuman’ to cancel Christmas – also slashed a festive amnesty from five days to just one for the rest of the UK.

It comes after it was revealed yesterday that Professor Ferguson played a major role in researching the variant that triggered the dramatic cancellation of Christmas. He was among those attending a meeting of Nervtag – the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group – to discuss the new mutant strain on Friday.

The Imperial expert said it was now a simple race to ‘get vaccines in people’s arms’ because the virus couldn’t be stopped any other way. And a colleague of his, infectious diseases expert Professor Wendy Barclay, said it was possible that if the virus mutates enough the immunity produced by vaccines might not work, although there is no proof that this is true of the new strain.

Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine is being rolled out rapidly but it is complicated because it must be kept in specialist freezers. Regulators now face pressure to approve England’s own vaccine made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca – a decision is expected within the next week. Another completed vaccine by US company Moderna, which trials showed was 94.5 per cent effective, has been pre-ordered by the UK but won’t be available until the spring.

Dozens of countries have all already banned travel from Britain over fears the mutated strain of coronavirus could spread, with France last night causing chaos over the last minute decision to shut the border. Mr Johnson will hold crisis talks with Ministers today as he chairs the Government’s Cobra committee amid warnings of ‘significant disruption’ around the Channel ports in Kent.

Continues …

Also see:

Third lockdown may have to be toughest yet, says professor who designed first
https://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/?p=223526

Professor Neil Ferguson Is Hopeless – More Coronabollox!
https://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/?p=215214