wilfully negligent

The British Medical Association, @TheBMA, says it is "categorically" now time to activate plan B, adding that it is "incredibly concerning" and "wilfully negligent" of ministers to refuse to take immediate action to save lives and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of @TheBMA: "The Westminster government said it would enact ‘plan B’ to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed; as doctors working on the frontline, we can categorically say that time is now."

"It is wilfully negligent of the Westminster government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings."

"The government has taken its foot off the brake, giving the impression that the pandemic is behind us and that life has returned to normal. The reality today is an unacceptable rate of infections, hospitalisations and deaths."

"Relying on the vaccination programme alone without other measures will not be sufficient to prevent rising infection rates, illness and deaths, given that no vaccine is 100% effective."

Only last week two select committees found the UK was an international outlier when it came to public health policy during this crisis. This is the time to learn the lessons of the past and act fast."