many sun-worshipers flocked to beaches across the country last summer to soak up the rays, causing concern for the Covid-19’s “super-diffusion” events.
But there has never been any outbreak of Covid-19 related to a crowded beach, lawmakers heard Wednesday.
Professor Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, told the Science and Technology Committee: “During the summer we were told about all this on television news and images of crowded beaches, and a shout was made about it.
“As far as I know, there were no outbreaks related to crowded beaches, there has never been any outbreak of Covid-19 related to a beach anywhere in the world.”
He said mass gatherings, such as a horse racing event, are an exception as they do not involve social distance and there are “pinch points” such as travel and refreshments.
“I think we need to understand where the risks are in order to make the most of security,” he added.
Sun worshipers flock to Bournemouth Beach
The same group heard how scientists had been “shouting” for someone in a position of political power to decide what level of Covid-19 infections are “acceptable”.
“I think it’s reasonable to say we don’t have worse Covid winters than bad flu winters. But in reality, the bad flu winters could be pretty bad, “said Professor Dame Angela McLean, chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Defense.
“It’s one of the things we’ve called over and over again: someone with a position of political power could tell us what an acceptable number of infections are.
“Maybe this last year, maybe a 2020, where the number of infections and deaths was so high, maybe no one would say that.
“But we have to decide what level is acceptable and then we can manage life with that in mind.”
Professor Woolhouse added: “The answer is not zero. If you consider that no death has been accepted by Covid or anything of that order, write a blank check to do any damage to the measures you have implemented to try to control it.
The comments came when the prime minister joked with reporters at a mass vaccination center at Cwmbran Stadium in Cwmbran, South Wales.
Johnson said: “I think they’ve done 46,000 at this center, a really outstanding success.
“I think, according to the song, ‘I’ve been all over the world and then in Japan, I’ve never found a place for vaccines like Cwmbran.’ What do you think of that? “
He added: “I think that, in general, if we look at infection rates across the UK, they will now go down a bit. This is very encouraging.
“I think one of the big questions that people will want to ask is how far vaccination is now. We hope so, there are encouraging signs, but these are still the first days ”.