Monday January 3 2022 | thetimes.co.uk | No 73670Ministers have said there is “nothing”
in the data to support further Covid-
restrictions as scientists suggested that
infections may peak before new meas-
ures could have an impact.
A senior cabinet minister said that
the public had already made “signifi-
cant” changes to their behaviour to
protect themselves, while a health min-
ister said that any further restrictions
would be “the absolute last resort”.
Steve Barclay, chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster, who is part of the
core team of senior ministers assessing
the daily data on infections, hospital
admissions and deaths, said that minis-
ters “don’t think the data supports” new
curbs “at this stage”.
He said that the “plan B” measures
introduced last month, under which
people were urged to work from home
and facemasks were made compulsory
in many places indoors, had already
resulted in “significant behaviour
change”.
The bullish message was reinforced
by Edward Argar, a minister at the
Department of Health and Social Care,
who said he was “seeing nothing at the
moment in the data in front of me, in
the immediate situation, that suggests a
need for further restrictions”.
NHS services are struggling with
staff absence rates as high as one in ten,
with reports of long ambulance
response times, cancelled operations
and crowded A&E departments. Argar
told Times Radio: “We need cool, calm
heads. We need to look at the data and
A veteran of the Grenadier Guards has
become the first to go on record in call-
ing for the Duke of York to step down
from his role as colonel of the regiment.
Calls have grown for Prince Andrew
to give up his military titles after the
conviction of his friend Ghislaine
Maxwell for child sex-trafficking,
having groomed under-age victims for
her former partner and convicted sex
offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Julian Perreira, a former lance ser-
geant who served three tours of
Afghanistan in 2007, 2009 and 2012,
said the duke’s continued involvement
would “stain” the regiment’s history.
Andrew took on the ceremonial posi-
tion from his father, the Duke of Edin-
burgh, in 2017. Perreira said: “Being
allowed to retain his role as colonel of
the Grenadier Guards and other mili-
tary titles, Prince Andrew will put a
stain on the regiment’s proud history
and will devalue the hard work of past
and future generations of Grenadiers.
He must step down immediately.”
The duke holds nine military titles
and their withdrawal could come only
from the Queen. Richard Kemp, retired
colonel and former commander of Brit-
ish troops in Afghanistan, said he
believed that the Queen would put her
duty to the military before her family if
Andrew’s legal troubles intensified.
In a separate civil case Virginia Giuf-
fre, who settled a lawsuit with Epstein
in 2009, alleges that the duke sexually
abused her on three occasions when
she was 17. He denies the allegations.
He has been warned that the unseal-
ing of court documents critical to his
defence today will not be a “get out of
jail free card”. Giuffre, 38, signed a
sealed settlement agreement with
Epstein and the deal has a direct effect
on her lawsuit against Andrew, 61, as his
lawyers have claimed that its terms pro-
tect him from any litigation. It will be
unsealed today after federal judges said
they could see no reason why it should
remain private.
Officers ‘uncomfortable drinking to
duke’s health’, page 5
Spare a thought for family tainted by
Andrew, Libby Purves, page 23Henry Zeffman
Chief Political Correspondent
Kat Lay Health Editor
Rhys Blakely Science Correspondent
IN THE NEWS
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being identified due to the
apparent reluctance of
victims to support a
prosecution. Page 6Migrant deal on hold
The UK government has “all
but given up” hope of agreeing
a deal with France to solve the
Channel migrant crisis before
the French presidential
elections in April. Page 7Incel forums grow
The number of visits to
hate-filled incel forums where
users discuss raping women
has increased more than
sixfold in the past nine
months, data shows. Page 10Energy prices plea
Energy bosses have called on
Boris Johnson to spread the
burden of “very, very high”
price increases over several
years amid Tory unrest at the
rising cost of living. Page 14China ‘attacks firms’
Lithuania has accused China
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with Taiwan. Page 26Ashes morale ‘low’
England players on the Ashes
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Broad. Pages 50-51, 56£2.20 £1.45 to subscribers
(based on 7 Day Print Pack)First for football
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TimesCity go ten points clear as
Chelsea and Liverpool draw 2-
the
gameMinisters
confident
new curbs
not needed
we need to do everything possible to
avoid any restrictions. Restrictions or
curbs must be the absolute last resort.”
He added that Boris Johnson now
believes “we’ve got to learn to live with
this virus”.
In other developments:
6 Nadhim Zahawi, the education sec-
retary, said that head teachers should
send groups of children home and
merge classes if necessary to keep
schools open.
6 There was growing criticism of the
government’s strategy for distributing
lateral flow tests after it emerged that
the sole distributor to pharmacies
closed for several days shortly after
receiving 2.5 million tests.
6 A further 137,583 cases were reported
yesterday, a total that only included
positive tests from England and Wales.
Seventy-three deaths were reported
within 28 days of a positive test, also
excluding Scotland and Northern
Ireland.
6 Sir Frank Atherton, chief medical
officer for Wales, called for people with
colds to isolate from society “for a few
days” in future.
Ministers will review the plan B
measures and travel testing require-
ments this week. While the plan B re-
strictions are almost certain to stay in
force, the requirement for people to
take a pre-departure test before they
arrive in England is likely to be
dropped, The Times has learnt.
Since early last month travellers have
had to take a test in the two days before
their arrival, but senior figures believe
this measure is effectively redundant.
“Pre-departure tests were brought in to
try to slow the spread of Omicron and
Continued on page 2, col 3Veteran tells
Andrew to
step down
from Guards
Larisa Brown Defence Editor
Ben Ellery
Keiran Southern Los Angeles‘Nothing’ in latest Covid data to back restrictions
JONATHAN BRADY/PAPrince Andrew in 2019, two years after taking on the ceremonial role of colonel of
the Grenadier Guards. His presence now is said to “devalue” the regiment’s work2G