Coronavirus outcome in the UK has not been good, Sir Patrick Vallance admits

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Coronavirus outcome in the UK has not been good, Sir Patrick Vallance admits and advice on face masks hasn’t changed since April — despite government only NOW making them mandatory in shops

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

England’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, today admitted that the UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic ‘has not been good’.

He said it is ‘absolutely clear’ that the UK has fared worse than other countries and acknowledged ‘there will be decisions made that will turn out not to have been the right decisions at the time’.

The top Government scientist also told MPs on the Science and Technology Committee that researchers have been in favour of face masks since April. 

Sir Patrick set a public example by arriving in his own mask because he said he didn’t know how crowded the meeting room would be. He then took it off once he was satisfied everyone was at least two metres away from him.

People in the UK must wear face masks in all shops from July 24, the Government announced this week, after months of them not being recommended.

Politicians have now admitted they can help to stop the spread of the virus, catching up with what SAGE advisers told them in April, according to Sir Patrick. 

He said the advice SAGE (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) gave in April was ‘essentially’ ahead of World Health Organization advice and was the information which has informed the newest Government policy.

Sir Patrick Vallance set an example by arriving at today’s Science and Technology Committee wearing a face mask and then explaining that it was safe for him to remove it because everyone was at least two metres away from him

Speaking to MPs on the science committee, Sir Patrick said: ‘It’s clear that the outcome has not been good in the UK; I think we can be absolutely clear about that. 

‘It’s also clear that we can see a band of countries that have done less well in the temperate zone. Countries that are very well connected internationally, countries that have got population structures of a certain type. 

‘So there are many factors that are going to play in as we look and say, well what is it that makes some countries [do] worse than others? 

‘And there will be decisions made that will turn out not to have been the right decisions at the time.’