Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 Debate
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Baroness Walmsley
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Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020
Baroness Walmsley Excerpts(4 years, 4 months ago)
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Baroness Walmsley (LD) [V]
My Lords, plenty of virus is still in circulation. At the Science and Technology Select Committee this week, witnesses emphasised that we have two months to prepare for winter, when we are likely to have a second wave alongside flu and other seasonal respiratory ailments. They recommended that, in preparation for winter pressure on the NHS and the Test and Trace programme, we must suppress the amount of virus circulating by September. The committee has written to the Prime Minister about this. How will the easing of restrictions in these regulations achieve that? Will government ensure that the planned walk-in test centres will be located in the vicinity of all these newly opened venues and every airport?
I am also concerned about the criminalisation of peaceful protest. I would like to see peaceful protest exempted and protesters given access to a pop-up test centre.