Britain is past peak of Covid wave, Whitty says, but warns against relaxing restrictions

Latest updates and essential advice from The Independent [View in browser]( [Alternate text] Daily briefing February 04, 2021 Today’s essential news from the source you trust This morning’s headlines England’s chief medical officer has declared that the country is [“past the peak” of its second coronavirus wave](, as the number of people vaccinated against the disease topped 10 million. But Chris Whitty warned that the virus could still surge again if restrictions are lifted too soon. And he said a “residual risk” of future winter waves of Covid-19 will remain for years to come, even after a successful immunisation programme. “At this point in time, provided people continue to follow the guidelines, we’re on the downward slope of cases, of hospitalisations and of deaths, in all four of the nations of the United Kingdom,” Prof Whitty told a Downing Street press conference. “So I think, we do think, at this point, this peak at least we are past.” But he added: “Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t have another one.” NHS workers surrounded by coughing patients are [at a greater risk of contracting Covid than first thought](, a study has suggested. The research found that coughing generated at least 10 times more infectious “aerosol” particles than speaking or breathing. Throughout the health service’s pandemic response intensive care units have been deemed a particular hazard area to healthcare workers due to concerns that some treatments, including continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, may increase the risk of the virus spreading. Aerosols are believed to be a significant route of transmission for the virus and may remain in the air for hours after leaving a person’s body - creating a risk to anyone in the same area without proper protection. The level of risk has seen PPE prioritised for those dealing with aerosol generating procedures - with guidance telling workers to wear FFP3 respirator masks instead of the fluid repellent surgical mask provided in more typical care settings. Boris Johnson has [threatened to call time on the Northern Ireland Brexit deal]( in a bid to avert more border chaos on the Irish Sea. The prime minister on Wednesday threatened to invoke the protocol's Article 16 exit clause if it was the only way to ensure free flowing trade between the province and Great Britain. It comes as his deputy Michael Gove held talks with European Commission officials after demanding a “grace period” for new bureaucracy on importers and exports be extended to 2023. The Brexiteer gave Brussels a tight deadline to come up with a solution “this week”. The prime minister’s Brexit deal has already led to significant disruption between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, including shortages of some goods. But the situation is expected to get worse in April unless the current grace period applying to supermarkets and others in the food industry is extended. . We need your support The Independent employs over 100 journalists around the world to bring you news you can trust. Please consider showing your support with a contribution. [Contribute]( . Top stories [‘Vacuum of information’ on grooming gangs fuelling extremism]( [Police arrest ‘Islamist foreign fighter’ attempting to return to UK]( [Liz Cheney retains GOP role despite impeachment vote]( . Get the full Independent perspective Subscribe today for £1 and enjoy unlimited access to our trusted journalism. [Subscribe now]( . More news - [Takeaways: AP investigation of Catholic Church and US aid]( - [IMF says vaccines to fuel Mideast recovery, tough path ahead]( - ['Not like every time:' Beirut blast victims want the truth]( - [1 tweet from Rihanna on farmer protests gets India incensed]( - [Myanmar blocks Facebook as resistance grows to coup]( . News you can trust The Independent has a 100% NewsGuard trust rating [NewsGuard] [Find out more]( . If you can spare two minutes we’d love to hear your [feedback]( on our newsletters [Alternate text] Join the conversation or follow us [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's News email. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent News email and Breaking News alerts, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.