**
------------------------------------------------------------

Good afternoon and welcome to my regular South West Surrey update No. 99. As of today, we have a total of 3,072,349 positive cases of COVID-19 with 81,431 confirmed deaths in the UK - with some estimates saying up to 20% of the population may have had the virus. There have been 4,191 confirmed cases in Waverley and sadly 130 confirmed deaths, with an estimated 1078 active cases in Waverley - very high but appearing to stabilise. Over 2 million people have now received the vaccine. All data is accurate as of 11am this morning.

The NHS on a knife-edge There is a lot of hyperbole around, but it is probably fair to say that the NHS in London and the South East is in its most perilous situation since its founding in the 1940s. What does ‘perilous’ mean? Essentially not being able to deliver emergency or critical care to those who need it. The number of new cases continues to grow at an alarming rate, higher now than at any stage of the pandemic and every day in London the equivalent of a new hospital's worth of patients is piling into the system. England's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, explained yesterday ([link removed]) why this will mean that we start to see avoidable deaths in the NHS and why it is vital that everyone now plays their part in staying at home, avoiding social contact with other families and following the rules.

Things will worsen before they get better Experts now fear that we could start to see 2,000 COVID-19 deaths a day if numbers continue to grow at their current rate, which is likely as the effects of the lockdown won't be seen for at least another seven days. Data also shows us that, while at the beginning lots of us were staying at home and following the rules, we are starting to get lax so further restrictions are now likely to have to come in alongside greater enforcement by the police. You can remind yourself of the guidance and rules here ([link removed]) . Keep your distance (and of course wear a mask) in supermarkets which appear to be the number one vector of transmission right now. But but but…over 2 million vaccinated, more than any other large country, so it does feel like the darkest moment just before dawn.

Speaking of which. Today we will really start to see the mass vaccination programme come into its own. This week seven mass vaccination centres are opening in Surrey (Epsom Downs Racecourse) where my mum has been booked in, London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Stevenage. The hubs will be able to treat up to four people per minute. This is on top of the jabbing done by GPs and pharmacists. We also had more good news at the end of last week when more life-saving medicines have been found to reduce mortality by a quarter in very ill COVID-19 patients. The drugs are called tocilizumab and sarilumab (good luck with the pronunciation, even Boris struggled). Not only do these drugs save lives, but they also speed up recovery.

Globally grim I spoke to WHO boss Dr Tedros over the weekend and the situation is extremely serious around the world with more new cases in the USA than anywhere. The situation in India seems to be improving but South Africa is a huge cause for concern - and likely to feed through into other African countries before too long.

It's a hat trick! The Moderna vaccine has become the third vaccine approved by the UK regulator (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, MHRA). The vaccine can be stored at -20°C for up to half a year and is 94%+ effective but won’t be available in large numbers until later in the Spring. You can find out more here ([link removed]) .

Teach first There have been a lot of calls on social media - and via my inbox - over the past week to get teachers added to the vaccination priority list. I can see sense in this and have made it clear to ministers that I believe they should be prioritised, but only after all NHS and care staff have received the vaccine. But worth recognising this is all going to take time: 13 million of the most vulnerable will only get their first jab by mid-Feb and they will then need their second one so it doesn’t feel like big inroads will be made into any other groups until mid to late March. Nor will vaccinating teachers speed up the re-opening of schools which are shut primarily because of the risk of pupil transmission rather than teacher infection. The Chief Medical Officer has been explaining this further here ([link removed]) .

The key number to remember for anyone with pandemic-related difficulties remains 0300 200 1008 the Surrey Helpline run by Surrey County Council (Mon-Fri 9 am to 5 pm).

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER

Border control. Last week I questioned the Health Secretary about why the UK did not introduce border measures beyond the quarantine to control the virus. Asian counties such as Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan have required pre-departure testing for months now and have much lower death rates. Thankfully the next day, the Transport Secretary announced that all international arrivals will now be required to provide a negative test declaration before departing for England. My question to Matt Hancock can be viewed here ([link removed]) .

3rd Lockdown decision. I also asked Matt Hancock about why the government waited so long to announce the third lockdown. He replied stating that the data over Christmas was not clear enough. Still not sure on that one but make your own mind up from the exchange here ([link removed]) .

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY

Vaccines for South West Surrey residents are proceeding apace from centres in Farnham, Guildford, Haslemere and Cranleigh so a massive thank you to everyone who has been making that possible - including many local volunteers. This morning I have been in touch with Dr Claire Fuller, Surrey NHS boss, and Dr Phil Ridsdill Smith about what is happening in Haslemere which has been a big concern: St Christopher's Church's was being used (with Haslemere Health Centre as an overflow) but because it can only do 200 people a day, all Haslemere appointments have now been moved to G-Live in Guildford to maximise the number of Haslemere residents that get the vaccine quickly. This is because the Pfizer jab comes in batches of 975 which have to be given out in 3 days which can’t be done efficiently at the capacity of St Christopher's. The plan is to go back to using local sites as soon as good supplies arrive of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine which can be stored at normal fridge temperatures - but in
the meantime it is sensible to do what it takes to get the speed of delivery up.

Click it local Click It Local Waverley ([link removed]) has expanded its offering so that it now including meal kits. Click It Local is a fantastic service that allows residents to buy products from multiple local independent shops on one website, with one payment and one consolidated same-day delivery. So please do get shopping!

See my list of local groups working to support vulnerable residents here ([link removed]) .

THE ECONOMY AND JOBS

Tax return delays. Anyone who files their tax returns late won’t face a fine this year, as long as they can show that the delay was due to coronavirus. The move means home-schooling pressures could be deemed a valid reason for the delay, while people who can show that either they or their accountant have recently been ill with the virus are also likely to benefit. You can find out more here ([link removed]) .

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON

And finally, much of the world is still reeling from the events that took place in Washington last week, but I don’t think it has summed up any better than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his speech from over the weekend. ([link removed])

PS If you don't want to receive this email please unsubscribe from the mailing list on the box below or let me know on [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and we will take you off the mailing list. Anyone who wants to receive the email should also email the same address. We will not share your data with third parties.

This email and any attachments to it (the 'Email') are intended for a specific recipient(s) and its contents may be confidential, privileged and/or otherwise protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this Email in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone or email, and delete it from your records. You must not disclose, distribute, copy or otherwise use this Email. Please note that email is not a secure form of communication and that the Conservative Party ('the Party') is not responsible for loss arising from viruses contained in this Email nor any loss arising from its receipt or use. Any opinion expressed in this Email is not necessarily that of the Party and may be personal to the sender.

Promoted by Sean Donovan-Smith on behalf of Jeremy Hunt MP and South West Surrey Conservatives, all at 2 Royal Parade, Tilford Road, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6TD.

============================================================

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
South West Surrey Conservative Association . 2 Royal Parade, Tilford Road . Hindhead . Surrey, GU26 6TD . United Kingdom