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The World Health Organisation has cast doubt on the UK’s approach to developing “herd immunity” against Covid-19, saying the current situation around the outbreak in Britain requires “action”.
Spokeswoman Margaret Harris said scientists do not know enough about the virus to say whether “theories” around people becoming immune to it are correct.
On Friday, the UK’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance hit back at criticism over the Government‘s handling of the virus and said the approach would hopefully create a “herd immunity” to the disease .
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was among those to ask why the Government had not cancelled large gatherings as part of the measures, but Sir Patrick said some of the social distancing measures put in place – including self-isolating for seven days if symptoms develop – were “actually quite extreme”.
Questioning the approach, Dr Harris told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “We don’t know enough about the science of this virus, it hasn’t been in our population for long enough for us to know what it does in immunological terms.
“Every virus functions differently in your body and stimulates a different immunological profile.
“We can talk theories, but at the moment we are really facing a situation where we have got to look at action.”
In Pictures | Every major sporting event affected by coronavirus
1/24
Action Images via Reuters
2/24 Premier League
The Premier League has been postponed until April 3, with a view to fixtures being held on April 4 at the earliest.
Getty Images
3/24 EFL
The EFL – the Championship, League 1 and League 2 – will see no further action until April 3 at the earliest.
Getty Images
4/24 Champions League
The remaining last-16 ties, and future draws for the quarter-finals and beyond, have been postponed indefinitely.
UEFA via Getty Images
5/24 Europa League
As with the Champions League, the remaining Europa League last-16 ties and future draws have been postponed indefinitely.
UEFA via Getty Images
6/24 LaLiga
All professional leagues in Spain have been postponed for the next two weeks.
AFP via Getty Images
7/24 Bundesliga
All games have been suspended until April 2.
Bongarts/Getty Images
8/24 England internationals
Scheduled friendlies against both Italy and Denmark for late March have been cancelled.
Getty Images
9/24 Scottish football
All Scottish Premiership and Scottish Football League fixtures have been postponed until further notice.
Getty Images
10/24 Six Nations
Ireland vs Italy (March 7) and Italy vs England and France vs Ireland (March 8) postponed. Guinness Pro14 has been suspended indefinitely.
REUTERS
11/24 London Marathon
The 2020 London Marathon has been moved to October 4.
AFP via Getty Images
12/24 Premiership Rugby Cup Final.
The final between Sale and Harlequins on Sunday 15 March has been postponed
Getty Images
13/24 Athletics
Paris Marathon (Apr 5) postponed until Oct 18 and Rome Marathon (Mar 29) cancelled.
Boston Marathon (Apr 20) also postponed.
AFP via Getty Images
14/24 Basketball
NBA season suspended “until further notice”.
USA TODAY Sports
15/24 Baseball
MLB season delayed for at least two weeks.
REUTERS
16/24 Cricket
The 2020 IPL season has been postponed until April 15.
PA
17/24 Cycling
UAE Tour race cancelled with two stages left, while Team INEOS among teams to withdraw from racing until Mar 23.
AFP via Getty Images
18/24 Darts
European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen, European Darts Open in Leverkusen and next month’s German Darts Grand Prix in Munich cancelled as well as the Rotterdam leg of the Premier League.
Getty Images
19/24 Golf
Meanwhile, the European Tour postponements include the Maybank Championship, China Open, Kenya Open, Indian Open and Czech Masters.
Next three tournaments on LPGA Tour postponed.
Getty Images
20/24 Ice Hockey
NHL season has been suspended.
AP
21/24 Ice Skating
World Short Track Speed Skating Championships (Mar 13-15) and World Figure Skating Championships (Mar 16-22) cancelled.
Getty Images
22/24 Motorsport
Formula E races at Sanya, Rome and Jakarta postponed, while the opening four races of the MotoGP season in Qatar, Thailand, US and Argentina called off.
AFP via Getty Images
23/24 Snooker
China Open (Mar 30-Apr 5) in Beijing cancelled.
Getty Images
24/24 Tennis
ATP and WTA Tours suspended until late April. Major tournaments that have fallen include Paribas Open at Indian Wells while next month’s Fed Cup finals in Budapest and Fed Cup play-offs, due to be held in eight locations, are off.
Getty Images
1/24
Action Images via Reuters
2/24 Premier League
The Premier League has been postponed until April 3, with a view to fixtures being held on April 4 at the earliest.
Getty Images
3/24 EFL
The EFL – the Championship, League 1 and League 2 – will see no further action until April 3 at the earliest.
Getty Images
4/24 Champions League
The remaining last-16 ties, and future draws for the quarter-finals and beyond, have been postponed indefinitely.
UEFA via Getty Images
5/24 Europa League
As with the Champions League, the remaining Europa League last-16 ties and future draws have been postponed indefinitely.
UEFA via Getty Images
6/24 LaLiga
All professional leagues in Spain have been postponed for the next two weeks.
AFP via Getty Images
7/24 Bundesliga
All games have been suspended until April 2.
Bongarts/Getty Images
8/24 England internationals
Scheduled friendlies against both Italy and Denmark for late March have been cancelled.
Getty Images
9/24 Scottish football
All Scottish Premiership and Scottish Football League fixtures have been postponed until further notice.
Getty Images
10/24 Six Nations
Ireland vs Italy (March 7) and Italy vs England and France vs Ireland (March 8) postponed. Guinness Pro14 has been suspended indefinitely.
REUTERS
11/24 London Marathon
The 2020 London Marathon has been moved to October 4.
AFP via Getty Images
12/24 Premiership Rugby Cup Final.
The final between Sale and Harlequins on Sunday 15 March has been postponed
Getty Images
13/24 Athletics
Paris Marathon (Apr 5) postponed until Oct 18 and Rome Marathon (Mar 29) cancelled.
Boston Marathon (Apr 20) also postponed.
AFP via Getty Images
14/24 Basketball
NBA season suspended “until further notice”.
USA TODAY Sports
15/24 Baseball
MLB season delayed for at least two weeks.
REUTERS
16/24 Cricket
The 2020 IPL season has been postponed until April 15.
PA
17/24 Cycling
UAE Tour race cancelled with two stages left, while Team INEOS among teams to withdraw from racing until Mar 23.
AFP via Getty Images
18/24 Darts
European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen, European Darts Open in Leverkusen and next month’s German Darts Grand Prix in Munich cancelled as well as the Rotterdam leg of the Premier League.
Getty Images
19/24 Golf
Meanwhile, the European Tour postponements include the Maybank Championship, China Open, Kenya Open, Indian Open and Czech Masters.
Next three tournaments on LPGA Tour postponed.
Getty Images
20/24 Ice Hockey
NHL season has been suspended.
AP
21/24 Ice Skating
World Short Track Speed Skating Championships (Mar 13-15) and World Figure Skating Championships (Mar 16-22) cancelled.
Getty Images
22/24 Motorsport
Formula E races at Sanya, Rome and Jakarta postponed, while the opening four races of the MotoGP season in Qatar, Thailand, US and Argentina called off.
AFP via Getty Images
23/24 Snooker
China Open (Mar 30-Apr 5) in Beijing cancelled.
Getty Images
24/24 Tennis
ATP and WTA Tours suspended until late April. Major tournaments that have fallen include Paribas Open at Indian Wells while next month’s Fed Cup finals in Budapest and Fed Cup play-offs, due to be held in eight locations, are off.
Getty Images
Her comments come as plans get under way to ban mass gatherings from next week as the Government looks to implement more extreme measures in the fight against Covid-19.
Boris Johnson had faced criticism for not taking such actions, despite similar steps being taken by other European countries as the pandemic worsens. Emergency legislation bringing in beefed-up powers will be published next week and there could also be a move towards more people working from home, a Whitehall source said.
The Times reported the laws could also give police and immigration officers to detain people if they are suspected of being infected and the ability to direct schools to stay open. The newspaper said the laws could remain in place for two years.
Scores of major sporting and cultural events have already been suspended , despite the Government resisting calls to ban mass events in its latest guidance earlier this week. Scotland had already announced a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people.
Care Minister Helen Whately told the BBC: “We are following the evidence. As the chief medical officer said, and I have been advised, the evidence tells us that stopping mass gatherings doesn’t have a huge impact on the spread of the virus.
“But, for example, decisions have been taken in some countries because of the impact on public services and because, when you have a mass gatherings, that draws on the police and the ambulance service you need to support it.”