A leading British scientist called for an early end to the lockdown in England because deaths and case numbers are falling faster than expected.
The decline in the death rate is about three weeks ahead of the projections used by the UK government to help guide the country out of lockdown.
According to the most recent projections from the government's modelling committee on February 10, estimates showed daily Covid-19 deaths in England would not fall below 200 until mid-March, but that milestone was reached on February 25.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would be driven by "data and not dates" when easing restrictions.
Prof Mark Woolhouse from the University of Edinburgh, a member of the UK government’s coronavirus modelling group, said Mr Johnson should be looking to unlock the economy faster, based on current evidence.
"The data are indeed looking better than the models were predicting and – to the best of my knowledge – better than anyone was expecting,” Prof Woolhouse said.
“If the phrase ‘data-driven, not date-driven’ has any meaning, it must allow for the schedule for relaxing restrictions to be brought forward if the data is better than expected, not just putting the schedule back if the data is worse than expected.
“If we unlock too far, too quickly, we risk a resurgence. However, given the data, I’d hope that the government is actively considering unlocking just as cautiously but appreciably less slowly.
"Lockdown continues to be just as harmful as ever, so there is a public health imperative to relax measures as soon as it is safe to do so. An overabundance of caution is not a cost-free option."
The UK’s coronavirus modelling could have underestimated the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the death rate.
According to real-world data from Public Health England, a single shot of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines reduces the chance of needing hospital treatment by more than 80 per cent.
More than 20 million people across the UK have received their first dose of vaccine, government statistics show.
Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter from the University of Cambridge said the death rate was halving every week.
"We all sort of hoped something like this might happen, but frankly it is better than anyone expected, I think,” he said.
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Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
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(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
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(Unanimous decision)
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Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
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Welterweight:
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(TKO)
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Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
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Melville House
Motori Profile
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Investors: Safe City Group
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Scoreline
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')
Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')
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May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
