On July 13 National Voices sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed and endorsed by nearly 60 member organisations including The Hibbs Lupus Trust asking him to urgently reconsider the decision to lift virtually all infection control measures.
The letter said that to National Voices members it is becoming apparent that a sizeable proportion of the population may remain highly vulnerable to infection, and also to poor outcomes should they fall ill, and feel the government needs to urgently address very clearly the rights and needs of people who remain at high risk from the virus.
The letter addresses subjects such as the strain on the NHS, waiting lists, people’s rights at work, and the need for much greater clarity in communication, and goes on to say: “The continued prevalence of high Covid infection rates is holding back the recovery. We can only crack on with the crucial recovery of non-Covid healthcare if we keep Covid infections and the ongoing need for Covid care low.
“If we have thousands of people falling very ill again with Covid, it will damage the economy and the health system both in the short and long term more than the continued use of moderate Covid control measures … all recovery can only happen if rates of infection are kept low.”
It also says: “The massive success of the vaccine programme stems from its commitment to prioritise those at greatest risk. This focus is what has broken the link between infections and deaths for now. We need to apply this thinking to the next phase: by focusing on those who remain at risk, we can minimise further harm and additional pressures on the NHS.”
The letter has also been sent to all MPs and is available to download here.
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