the times | Tuesday October 20 2020 2GM RK 9
News
closures prompted by the tighter lock-
down, Sir Richard argued. “Most people
who test positive are not getting partic-
ularly ill. They are not the problem.”
A government spokesman said: “It isMask disputes
fuel race hate
Rows over wearing facemasks are
driving up racist hate crimes, a
senior police officer said. Nick
Ephgrave, assistant commissioner
of the Metropolitan Police, said
that one of the most common
triggers for a racist attack was an
argument over the use or lack of a
masks. He told the London
Assembly’s police and crime
committee: “The vast majority of
the race crimes we are seeing now,
relate to what might be described
as localised neighbourhood
disputes, or strangers abusing
people on the street.
“Someone will challenge
someone, and in the course of an
interaction, will then use racist
language.” He added that the
crime was not related to any
particular community and “seems
to be fairly universal”.
Hate crime linked to race and
religion had risen by 17 per cent in
London in the past year, by 15 per
cent over sexual orientation, and
by 13 per cent because of disability.
There was a rise in hate crimes
directed to British Chinese and
southeast Asian people at the start
of the pandemic amid false
notions of the spread of Covid-19.A-level grades pledge
Students taking A-level resits this
autumn will benefit from the same
“generosity” as their peers whose
grades were set by teachers and
schools this summer, Ofqual, the
qualifications regulator, has said.
That system was put in place after
a government U-turn on the use
of an algorithm. Nearly 40 per
cent of candidates received an
A or A* this summer, compared
with 25 per cent in 2019.Halloween sales boom
Sales of pumpkins are rising fast
and Halloween decorations are in
huge demand, according to
retailers. Waitrose said this year
would be the “biggest yet”,
Hobbycraft said its ceramic and
papier-mâché pumpkins had sold
out and sales of carving kits at
Lakeland are up by a third.
Waitrose said: “The nation is still
preparing to have Halloween fun
around the house and garden.”Unpaid carers suffering
Unpaid carers are “on the brink”
and worried about how to cope
with further restrictions, a charity
has said. Of 5,904 people surveyed
by Carers UK, 80 per cent said
they were providing more care
than before lockdown. The added
burden has left 75 per cent feeling
exhausted, 64 per cent with
worsening mental health
and 58 per cent with declining
physical health.Black Death was slower
The plague spread across London
about four times faster in the 17th
century than in the 14th century,
researchers say. They analysed
documents from the Black Death
of 1348 to the Great Plague of
1665, and found that in the 14th
century infections doubled about
every 43 days. By the 17th century,
they were doubling every 11 days,
the study in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences said.coronavirus in brief
Vaccine ‘will
turn virus
into the flu’
Chris Smyth Whitehall Editor
A vaccine for coronavirus is unlikely to
be widely used before the spring and
will probably turn the disease into sea-
sonal flu rather than get rid of it com-
pletely, the chief scientific adviser says.
Sir Patrick Vallance said that the
government should not “over promise”
as he attempted to play down hopes for
a vaccine that would protect people
completely against catching Covid-19.
He told MPs and peers that he was
personally “uncomfortable” with being
the public face of the pandemic.
However, he denied that ministers had
used him and the Scientific Advisory
Group for Emergencies (Sage) as a
“shield” to hide from responsibility
when taking difficult decisions.
With the government saying that its
strategy is to suppress the virus until a
vaccine is available, Sir Patrick told
parliament’s joint committee on the
national security strategy that develop-
ment of a Covid-19 jab had been much
faster than any previous immunisation.
“There are a number of vaccines that
create an immune response — that’s
good news,” he said, adding it was clear
that some antibodies generated by the
jabs did kill the virus. “But that’s a
necessary step in vaccine production, it’s
not the answer. The answer comes from
the phase-three clinical trials when we
find out, do these things actually stop
you from getting infected? And, if so,
how effective are they? And we will
know that over the next few months.”
Sir Patrick said that “we can’t be cer-
tain, but I think it’s unlikely that we will
end up with a truly sterilising vaccine —
ie, something that completely stops
infection — and it’s likely that this
disease will circulate and be endemic”.
Saying that this was also the view of
his Sage colleagues, he added that as
vaccines and better treatments were
developed to reduce the risk of hospi-
talisation and death “this then starts to
look more like annual flu than anything
else. And that may be the direction we
end up going in.”
Some government scientists, includ-
ing Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy
chief medical officer for England, have
said a vaccine is likely to be approved
before Christmas. However, Sir Patrick
said that while a jab may be available
before the spring, people should not
hope for mass use over the winter.An MP from Greater Manchester is in
hospital after contracting coronavirus.
Yasmin Qureshi, 57, who is also the
shadow international development
minister, was admitted to hospital on
Saturday.
The MP for Bolton South East said
she began to feel unwell a fortnight ago.
Coronavirus cases are still rising in the
town and in the week ending October
14 it had an infection rate of 377 per
100,000 people.
Ms Qureshi posted on Facebook yes-
terday: “Two weeks ago, I began to feel
unwell. I then tested positive for Covid-
19, so my family and I immediately self-
isolated at home. I have not travelled to
Westminster or anywhere else.
“I continued to work as best I coulddisappointing that we have still not
been able to reach an agreement with
Greater Manchester, particularly as
Covid cases continue to rise in the area.
Extensive conversations have takenNews
impose Tier 3 restrictions
place over the last few days, but the
mayor is incorrect in claiming that offi-
cials made this proposal today.”
Mr Burnham wants a furlough
scheme for affected workers that covers
80 per cent of an employee’s regular
wage or at least the national minimum
wage. He has also requested additional
support for self-employed workers set
at 80 per cent of average monthly in-
come and an improved compensation
scheme for businesses. Many businesses
in the area have praised Mr Burnham
for taking a stand, having been under
local restrictions since July.
In Liverpool, Steve Rotheram, the re-
gional mayor, has faced accusations of
“rolling over” Tier 3 restrictions came
in. The pressure on the Liverpool city
region’s hospitals was severe and meas-
ures needed to be introduced quickly.
Earlier the government said that the
region’s intensive care capacity could beoverwhelmed by November 12 without
action. Mr Johnson’s official spokes-
man said that cases among over-60s
had tripled in the past 15 days.
The number of Covid-19 patients in
intensive care is about 40 per cent of
that seen at the peak of the first wave
but assuming a 14-day doubling time —
the “best case” according to the SPI-M
modelling group — all free intensive
care capacity would be used by October
28 and would pass the peak of the first
wave by November 2.
The Guardian reported that as of Fri-
day 82 per cent of Greater Manchester’s
supply of critical care beds were in use.
The statement from Mr Burnham
and Sir Richard said, however, that
Greater Manchester’s intensive-care
occupancy rate was comparable to that
of a year ago.
Johnson has eroded trust in politics,
Rachel Sylvester, page 27Waitresses made
their feelings clear
as hospitality
workers protested
outside Parliament
yesterdayIn Manchester, residents are bracing for the toughest level of restrictions
Bolton MP in hospital with pneumonia
The extra measures were introduced in
response to rising coronavirus cases
but were not replicated elsewhere
when other areas had similar rates.
Pubs, cafés and restaurants finally
reopened on October 3.
In the hours after her update was
posted, hundreds of residents sent mes-
sages of support.
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader,
tweeted: “My thoughts are with my
friend Yasmin Qureshi who has been
admitted to hospital after being diag-
nosed with Covid-19.
“My thanks go to the staff caring
for Yasmin at the Royal Bolton
Hospital, along with NHS staff
across the country on the front-
line against Covid-19.”remotely, attending virtual meetings
and doing casework, but after ten days,
I began to feel much worse and on
Saturday I was admitted to the Royal
Bolton Hospital with pneumonia.”
She said she was “being very well
looked after” and had “nothing but
praise and admiration for the wonder-
ful staff at the hospital”.
Ms Qureshi is one of the Greater
Manchester MPs opposed to tier three
restrictions for the area.
Last month had she warned about
conspiracy theories, saying that many
people in her constituency were con-
fused by the virus and that some did
not believe it was real.
She also repeatedly called on the
government to reopen Bolton’s
hospitality industry when the
town was the only place in the
country experiencing closures.Charlotte Wace
Northern CorrespondentYasmin Qureshi began to
feel unwell two weeks ago