Roundtable Discussion; The Future of Mineral Sands. Watch the video here.
Al runs down the platform as the last train is leaving. He jumps on board just in time, sits in first class and rides off with Avacta into the sunset and riches.
Al runs down the platform too late to catch the last train. Asked if he missed his train, he replies that he did not like the look of it and chased it out of the station.
'Covid-19 could be the last pandemic – if we invest in testing now'
Investing in diagnostics across the globe must be a priority to prepare for the future and tackle existing health threats, write FIND CEO Sergio Carmona and Aminata Touré, former Prime Minister of Senegal.
India is the latest country overwhelmed by the scale of the emergency, but it was not the first and it may not be the last. The pandemic has devastated families, shut down societies and gutted economies. Can life ever be the same again? A return to the pre-Covid status quo would send us back to a world without early warning systems or effective response mechanisms; a world exposed.
From Telegraph online this evening:
Free NHS lateral flow tests may not be approved for green list holidaymakers to use pre-departure amid concerns about their effectiveness.
Holidaymakers returning from “green” list destinations may instead have to pay for their pre-departure tests from May 17, when the ban on foreign travel is lifted.
The Government had proposed fast turnaround lateral flow tests would be made available free of charge to people travelling abroad to cut the hassle and expense of getting a pre-return test in a foreign country.
The free NHS kits were due to be announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Friday when he unveiled the list of 12 safe “green” countries including Portugal, Israel, Gibraltar and Iceland.
Placeholder image for youtube video: oi-7gi1lGew
But sources have told The Telegraph that the free kits may not now be allowed for use by May 17 because of the failure to reach “cross-Government agreement” on the scheme, amid concerns about validating the test results which are self-administered by travellers and their accuracy.
Instead, families will have to pay up to £20 for their pre-departure test on top of £60 for a second PCR test after their arrival back in the UK, a potential £320 bill for a family of four.
Government rules stipulate that travellers must present test results certified by their providers, who largely carry out the test themselves.
There is concern about how to validate the results of tests if they are self-administered by holidaymakers in their hotel rooms.
The test also currently has to meet a set Government standard of being sensitive enough to accurately identify more than 80 per cent of those with the disease and at least 97 per cent of those without it. This is why most of the pre-departure tests currently used are the more expensive PCR versions.
The average sensitivity of the NHS lateral flow tests is 76.8 per cent, below the 80 per cent threshold, according to Public Health England and Oxford University research. The question of validation is thought to be the greater concern.
A source said: “It is more about the implementation than the science. How do you check the results? How do you validate them? Do people just turn up and show them?”
A couple returning from Mexico last week were refused boarding by BA after trying to present NHS lateral flow test results.
A DfT spokesman said it was “working with the travel industry and private testing providers ahead of international travel reopening, to see how we can further reduce the cost of travel for the British public, while ensuring travel is as safe as possible."
From today's Telegraph online:
Details on which countries will make the “green” list on the new traffic light system, and which “amber”, meaning quarantine will be required on return, is expected in a Downing Street press conference at 5pm.
BORIS Evening Al. Just ringing to see if I can interest you in naming rights?
AL Naming rights?
BORIS. You know like Etihad and Emirates Stadia. The “Downing Street Flat” does not have ring to it. What do you think about the “Avacta Suite”?
AL Well thousand visit the Etihad and Emirates every week. Do you get many people through the flat?
BORIS Well there’s me, Carrie and the little one. Dylyn the dog, the cleaning lady, Deliveroo and sometimes Richi pops round to borrow a cup of sugar ………..I see what you mean. Well forget that. Look this flat business is getting ridiculous although I must say the wall paper is over the top. Reminds of a bordello - not that I’ve been in one. Just to show how frugal I was, I cycled over to Ikea and bought a Fekken light for less than a tenner. Anyway how’s the tests going?
AL Very well PM. We will shortly be launching our El Eff Tay. That’s French for LFT.
BORIS Never mind that, I need a distraction to keep the press off my back. What do you say to 80 million tests and I’ll throw in the naming rights for free?
From Telegraph online:
ovid passports to allow travel to the US, France, Italy and Germany could be in place by June 28 under plans being considered by ministers.
Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has called a meeting of his G7 counterparts at the summit in Cornwall on June 11-13 to create a system that could allow vaccinated travellers free entry into countries around the world.
He wants to establish agreed international standards under which a "green list" country could accept digital proof of vaccination, a negative test or immunity as a condition of entry.
AL Morning PM how are you?
BORIS Not so bad Al. Just finished the flat refurbishment. I was sweating over the bill but managed a bit of creative invoicing. Just need the press to stop asking why the new media room was so expensive. If you are ringing about the tests I can’t talk about Innova because of an NDU.
AL. Do you mean NDA?
BORIS. No its an NDU – no damn use. We have warehouses full and can’t give the bally things away. Talk about buyer’s remorse!
AL Have you seen our clinical evaluation results?
BORIS Look Al it’s no point having the best LFT in the world if you are not on the VIP list.
AL What’s that.
BORIS It’s a list of donors, cronies and palm greasers. Also you need a prestigious name. The Weatherby test will not do. I had a bad experience in Weatherby once.
AL Was it the mushy peas at the Whaler?
BORIS No, no Al. I had been at my weekly meeting with the Queen and has asked for some advice and tips and she gave me a horse in the 4.30 at Cheltenham. I was driving along, listening to the radio. The horse jumped the last in front and the next thing you know, I’m going like Joe Buggery in the outside lane of the A1. Got pulled over and expected to be asked for my driving license but the travel cop only wanted to know what won the 3.30. Luckily he had put a tenner on the winner and bid me on my way. Got to go now Al. Had to change my phone number because of all these texts. Got one of those premium numbers. Will cost you £50 a minute next time you ring.
From Telegraph online:
There is increasing evidence to suggest that India’s “second wave” is being driven by new, more infectious variants – some from abroad and others that have mutated and spread within India.
“I believe we are seeing a stronger mutation, many patients are testing negative for the virus but clinically they are Covid-19 positive. The pandora's box of this disaster is open now,” said Dr Pankaj Solanki, Medical Director at the Dharamveer Solanki Hospital in New Delhi.