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GOOD AFTERNOON and welcome to my South West Surrey update No.166 Rebellions, Omicron and other COVID concerns means it has been a worrying week in Westminster. There’ll be one more email in 2021 next week and then I’ll leave you to enjoy a (hopefully) peaceful and healthy holiday.

PANDEMIC UPDATE Earlier this week the Health Secretary told the House of Commons that there are currently around 200,000 daily infections of the Omicron variant in the UK and yesterday saw thehighest reported case numbers ([link removed]) so we really are on red alert. So far 11,010,286 people have tested positive including 18,343 in Waverley ([link removed]) with 946 active cases in our area (and sadly 251 deaths ([link removed]) .) In the last seven days cases have increased by 19.1% ([link removed]) and the number of hospitalisations by 10%. Nationally deaths continue to fall slightly but that is probably because they are what is called a lagging indicator. The ONS states that nearly 900,000 people have
the virus ([link removed]) in England, equivalent to around 1 in 60 people.

CHRIS WHITTY LATEST This morning I quizzed Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty about ([link removed]) his advice to scale back Christmas socialising. You can see me ask him what he means precisely, also how likely the NHS is to be overwhelmed and finally whether he personally thinks we should be taking more action.

OMICRON: MILDER OR NOT? The jury is still out. Data from South Africa appears to show you are 29% less likely to get hospitalized ([link removed]) from Omicron as from other variants, suggesting it is perhaps milder. But this is being openly questioned by others - including Chris Whitty - on the basis of data reliability, demographics and the levels of previous infection amongst a younger population. This warning from the Chief Medical Officer of Moderna to the Science and Technology Select Committee yesterday was particularly sobering - in short he doesn’t think it is milder ([link removed]) . More positively, the UKHSA thinks a third dose of vaccine increases protection against symptomatic infection by 70% ([link removed]) making it a very different picture to last
Christmas. Most of us will be personally safer but because of the sheer numbers of new Omicron cases, the risks to the NHS will be much higher. The big question is whether the NHS will have more than its previous record of 4,500 Covid admissions in one day - the level most people think is the maximum it can cope with.

CAN BOOSTERS SAVE US? The booster programme has now been accelerated to offer all adults a jab by the end of the month ([link removed]) which seems to have had the desired effect judging by the queues. It is definitely our best hope but may not be enough according to this depressing but convincing read ([link removed]) . We do have double the number of boosters per head compared to both the EU and America which even Boris Johnson’s critics cannot deny is a good start.

WESTMINSTER WHISPERS

YESTERDAY’S WAR? Earlier this week the House of Commons agreed to the introduction of COVID passes ([link removed]) , an extension of where face coverings are mandatory, and the removal of the requirement for contacts of Omicron cases to self-isolate. Political coverage has focused on the damage to the Prime Minister’s authority from having 100 Conservative rebels, but what strikes me most is how distorted the libertarian argument against covid passes has become. This excellent piece by William Hague in Tuesday’s Times ([link removed]) explains why libertarians should support covid passes. His central point is that freedom comes with responsibilities as well as rights, including taking reasonable measures to help keep others safe from infection in a pandemic. But given how fast Omicron is spreading the vote actually felt like it was fighting yesterday’s war - the issue now is not whether we
have covid passes but whether nightclubs are able to open at all.

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

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY

SURGERY STORIES Both my surgery calls this week were to very public-spirited people who have been let down by bureaucracies. The first was to a man from Farnham who decently offered to drive someone back to Islington who had been staying with her parents during lockdown and had long covid. However, during lockdown Islington had implemented a low traffic neighbourhood scheme which meant he could not find a way to her flat. He ended up with 3 contravention PCNs costing him potentially £400. I will take up on his behalf with the local government ombudsman if the council doesn't withdraw such totally unreasonable fines. The second call was to a just-retired company director in Witley who took the initiative, when he found he had more time on his hands, to become a qualified Covid vaccinator. He was then told by NHS Professionals that there was no need for his services in our area! When GPs are having to postpone routine work - here and across the country - to speed up the vaccine booster
programme, that seems highly unlikely. I am going to put him in touch with Procare locally.

QUARANTINE UPDATE You may remember from last week’s newsletter, that I spoke to two constituents in hotel quarantine, who were being very shabbily looked after (despite their underlying medical conditions). I’m pleased to report that after taking their cases up with Maggie Throup MP personally, they were both allowed to carry out the remainder of their quarantine safely at home, where they had access to all the medical equipment and appropriate foodstuffs required - a bit of early Xmas cheer!

LATERAL NOs This week many locally have struggled to obtain lateral flow tests, whether from an online order via GOV.UK ([link removed]) or in store at certain pharmacies. It’s unclear whether this is a result of fully vaccinated close Covid contacts now being able to take a lateral flow test every day for seven days ([link removed]) rather than self isolate, or whether it’s due to ‘panic buying’ but the government assures me the problems are temporary. I have written to Maggie Throup MP (Minister for Vaccines and Public Health at DHSC) to raise the concerns, but in the meantime click here ([link removed]) for a list of local pharmacies supplying LFTs. ([link removed]) I’ve been told that the best time to try and collect a pack of seven tests is around 10am (following the arrival of morning deliveries) and you should get a
collection code using the above link prior to pick up.

CATALYTIC CHAOS Surrey Police’s Serious Organised Crime team have been looking at catalytic converter theft as offence numbers have been rising this year. As they were often receiving reports of these offences too late to act on, Surrey Police have started a campaign to promote how to spot catalytic converter theft in progress. Here is my public service contribution to that - the key signs to look out for are:

· A car being jacked up

· Someone under the car

· The sound of metal being cut

· People keeping watch

If you see any above, you may well be witnessing a crime, so please do call 999 and report it - Surrey Police want to know!

FARNHAM FOOD BANK ([link removed]) Will be supporting an incredible 400 families this Christmas to receive food hampers, with support from the Hedgehogs ([link removed]) on deliveries. Demand for food parcels seems to be just as high as this time last year, so to find out how to get help click here ([link removed]) and to give help, click here ([link removed]) .

AND FINALLY A sssssuspicious sighting of a usually solitary serpent led to an arrest like no other for Surrey Police yesterday afternoon, whenthey successfully retrieved a large, live Burmese Python off the A3! ([link removed]) If anyone has any information, please contact Surrey Police quoting reference P21268667 as they’d love to reunite them with their owner.

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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.

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