Coronavirus: Social Distancing

(asked on 13th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on the effective reproductive number (R rate) of covid-19 and the resulting number of (a) positive cases and (b) deaths related to covid-19 if the social distancing measures introduced on 23 March 2020 had instead been introduced on (i) 2 March 2020, (ii) 9 March 2020 or (iii) 16 March 2020; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 4th June 2020

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has been providing Ministers and officials with advice, based on external scientific evidence and a wide source of essential information. The Government introduced a series of social distancing advice and measures during March based on scientific advice from SAGE, including the ‘stay at home’ advice on 23 March.

When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection. The Government has put in place strict social distancing to slow the spread of the virus so the National Health Service would not be overwhelmed, and lives could be saved.

At all times, we have been consistently guided by scientific and medical advice to ensure that we do the right thing at the right time.

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