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Ministers Plan for Schools to Reopen in Three Weeks' Time

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Ministers Plan for Schools to Reopen in Three Weeks' Time April 19, 2020 · Issue no 10,206 · thesundaytimes.co.uk £2.90 · only £2 to subscribers THE HISTORY FREE POSTER OF ART INSIDE Ministers plan for schools to reopen in three weeks’ time W Over-70s would be locked STONES STAR IN LIVING ROOM LIVE AID Revealed — how the down for more than a year government sleepwalked LD COMMUNICATIONS into pandemic catastrophe W PM to take final decision INSIGHT ment and did not initiate key parts Caroline Wheeler, Tim Shipman virus as a constant threat,” said of the official pandemic plan. A and Sian Griffiths David Nabarro of Imperial College senior Department of Health London, an envoy for the World The government ignored warnings insider who attended preparation Senior ministers have drawn up a Health Organisation on Covid-19. from scientists and lost a crucial meetings in February said: “I three-phase plan to lift the corona- “That is going to be the new five weeks in the fight to tackle the assumed we must not have been virus lockdown that would see normal.” coronavirus, despite being in a per- worried because we did nothing. schools reopen as early as May 11. Johnson will be given three ilously poor state of preparation We just watched. A pandemic was Under “traffic light” proposals dates for schools reopening: May for a pandemic, a Sunday Times always at the top of our national to be presented to Boris Johnson 11, June 1 or the start of September. investigation has found. risk register — always — but when it when he returns to work, schools If the reopening is delayed, pupils Government whistleblowers, came we just slowly watched.” would reopen in three weeks’ due to sit GCSE and A-levels next scientists and emergency planners The prime minister has been time, with pupils of different age year would have to go to school say there was complacency at the accused of a lack of leadership in groups taught for only part of the during the six-week summer holi- heart of the government in late Jan- the crucial weeks before March. week or every other week to aid days. Contingency plans are also in uary and February, when it should Boris Johnson did not attend any of social distancing. place to push back their exams by have been urgently replenishing the five virus meetings held by The first pupils invited back two months until July 2021. emergency stockpiles. Cobra, the emergency committee, would include primary school chil- The prime minister is receiving A senior Downing Street adviser in January and February, and spent dren and those in years 10 and 12 official papers at his Chequers said training for a pandemic had 12 days out of the public eye while who are due to sit GCSEs and A-lev- country retreat and has been call- been neglected for years, and on a “working” holiday at a grace- els next year. ing cabinet ministers to “catch up stockpiles of personal protective and-favour mansion in Kent. The first stage would also give a on developments”, but aides say equipment (PPE) were run down Instead, he left Matt Hancock, “green” light for non-essential he is not likely to resume full duties and out of date, contradicting the health secretary, to chair the shops such as clothes stores and until later this month. claims by the government that it meetings. Yesterday Hancock was garden centres to reopen where Plans to be presented to him on was well prepared. under pressure after NHS Provid- social distancing can be main- lifting the lockdown are being This was despite strong warn- ers, which represents healthcare tained, a return to full bus and rail drawn up by a “quad” of ministers ings from its scientific advisers as trusts across England, warned that services and the restart of elective who met for the first time on Tues- early as late January that the virus stocks of medical gowns and labo- surgery in the NHS. Commuters day: Dominic Raab, Michael Gove, had a comparable infection rate to ratory coats “will be exhausted in are likely to be asked to wear masks Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock. the 1918 Spanish flu that killed 50 the next 24 to 48 hours”. on public transport. Raab put Gove in charge of over- million people. The investigation has estab- The second “amber” phase, seeing those future plans. In a sign By late February, scientists were lished that the government failed beginning in late May or early June, that the toughest restrictions will warning policy-makers that the UK to make meaningful contact with- would see more shops and busi- end, Gove told Wednesday’s quad could suffer 380,000 deaths with- the key industry association repre- nesses reopen, all employees meeting that he had changed his out urgent intervention, and rec- senting British PPE manufacturers. urged to return to work and some position and now supported Sunak ommended a lockdown to stop the The British Healthcare Trades small social gatherings permitted. and other “hawks” who want disease spreading. It was almost a Association (BHTA), which repre- Pubs and restaurants and larger action to save the economy. month before ministers acted, sents almost 500 companies, says events such as sport and concerts Ministers have been spooked by allowing the disease to become it had been ready to help supply would not be phased in until later an “apocalyptic” Treasury report, embedded in the population. PPE to hospitals for the past two in the summer. warning that failure to ease restric- Ministers also failed to correct months, but it was not until April 1 However, ministers warn that tions in “the next few weeks” shortfalls in training and equip- Continued on page 2→ the over-70s and those who are would mean six out of 10 busi- particularly vulnerable to the coro- nesses will be out of cash within 12 navirus will be stuck on a “red” weeks. One source said that failure light for months. They will have to to act would mean “there won’t be NEWMAN’S VIEW wait until there is a vaccine before anything left of the economy”. resuming normal life. This third The revelations came as: The Queen phase may not be possible until the l The UK death toll rose to 15,464, autumn of next year. up 888 on the day before. The toll silences her A professor of global health last weekend was 9,875 warned last night that there was no l Lord Deighton, chief executive guarantee a vaccine would be of the organising committee of the birthday developed. “For the foreseeable London Olympics, was appointed future, we are going to have to find the government’s “PPE tsar” to get gun salute ways to go about our lives with this lContinued on page 2→ Roya Nikkhah Royal Correspondent For the first time in her 68-year Wealthy flock to reign, no guns will fire to celebrate the Queen’s birthday on Tuesday. She asked for the traditional UK in private jets 41-gun and 21-gun salutes, usually made at Hyde Park and the Tower of London, to be cancelled and David Collins supplied by WingX, an aviation said government buildings do not Northern Correspondent consultancy. America has the need to fly the Union Jack, feeling world’s highest Covid-19 death toll, that such measures would not be Hundreds of private jets have been in excess of 38,000. “appropriate” during the corona- used by rich passengers to enter More than 15,000 passengers virus crisis. the UK from virus hotspots since are still arriving into the UK each A single post on the royal INDEX the lockdown began. day on normal flights. No routine family’s social media channels will Britain is already setting itself tests are carried out on arrival. be the only official commemora- Lottery News 2 apart from the rest of the world Private plane operators should tion of the Queen turning 94. She Weather News 31 with few travel restrictions. Many carry out due diligence on passen- will spend the day at Windsor Cas- other countries have clamped gers hiring private jets to see if they tle with the Duke of Edinburgh, Letters News 26 down on international travellers conform to the government’s rules who is 98. Sudoku Review 30 and imposed quarantine rules. on “essential travel” only. Other members of the family are TV & Radio Culture 37 An investigation identified 545 Some wealthy passengers are expected to convey their birthday private jets landing in UK airfields being misleading about the pur- wishes in telephone and video since the lockdown was imposed poses for private jet hire, however, calls, but these will remain private. last month. They have arrived claiming they are travelling to fam- The Queen’s birthday parade, from Germany (32), France (27) ily homes, rather than second Live in their own homes, clockwise from top, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie trooping the colour, which had and Spain (25). A total of 15 private homes or holiday homes. The UK Watts of the Rolling Stones record their parts of a song for the One World: Together at Home charity been due to take place on June 13, jets have also arrived from operates an open borders policy, concert. The clips were edited together for the show, broadcast in Britain tonight Report, page 5 has already been cancelled. y(7HA9F6*LNSSRO( |||+#!. America, according to flight data Continued on page 2→ @RoyaNikkhah 2 The Sunday Times April 19, 2020 NEWS This week in MPs face temperature test to enter Commons, but most will Zoom in The Sunday Times.
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