British Medical Association calls for continued use of face masks and ventilation standards
The British Medical Association has warned the government not to abandon Covid-19 control measures as the government prepares to set out plans for the final step of its roadmap out of lockdown.
Senior government figures are talking up the prospects of moving away from legal restrictions, towards personal responsibility at the next stage of lockdown lifting on 19 July.
David Strain, chair of the BMA’s medical academic staff committee and a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter’s College of Medicine and Health, told Research Professional News the association welcomed a return to “some degree of normality”.
“However, we are cautious that this is occurring as the numbers of new cases are continuing to rise to numbers similar to [those] we saw at the peak of the second wave.”
UK case numbers are now approaching 25,000 a day, with deaths still largely below twenty per day.
While Strain acknowledged that the vaccination programme had “clearly broken the link between disease spread and hospitalisations and death”, he said it was still uncertain what the impact has been on Long Covid.
The BMA wants to see “significantly improved public messaging and education” emphasising that while the virus continues to circulate, practising social distancing and meeting outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces and wearing masks is the best way to stay safe.
It also says businesses and educational settings should be given greater guidance and support to create “sustainable, Covid-secure environments, as well as enforcement of standards”.
‘The pandemic is not over’
On 5 July, prime minister Boris Johnson stressed the government’s shift in focus onto personal responsibility rather government rules.
“As we begin to learn to live with this virus, we must all continue to carefully manage the risks from Covid and exercise judgement when going about our lives,” he said.
He added “that the pandemic is not over and that cases will continue to rise over the coming weeks”.
The Department of Health and Social Care declined to comment further.