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THREAD > 1/7. Important hearing of @CommonsSTC today. 75 minutes with @PHE_uk on understanding why testing, contract, trace policy turned off in March - which has set us largely on path we are on. https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/21aa89b4-5dda-4d6b-89a8-a777a0dd3cfb
2/7. Includes comparison with S Korea, and decision not to follow model of distributed lab testing. Forensic seeking for clarity on decision-making, overall message is @PHE_uk advise, @DHSCgovuk took decisions.
3/7. As chair @GregClarkMP stated, 'this is all rather circular', re who was providing advice to who re PHE, SAGE, DHSC... Generally it is clear the committee not happy that papers on the decision-making were promised, and have not been received to date.
4/7. Detail on 'category 3 status' for testing (defined by Health and Safety Executive) which seems to have restricted no of labs that could do tests until that status was changed to level 2; plus final decision on which labs was @DHSCgovuk according to @PHE_uk.
5/7. ...and on to 100k tests per day, @PHE_uk says that the definition (to inc posted out tests) was down to @DHSCgovuk. Advice is for public NOT to rely on antibody tests on general sale at the moment.
6/7. The 2 metre rule, at extreme end of international comparators it seems - and impact on business of reducing it - will be continuously looked at. Will take some time 'perhaps months' to know whether antibodies will confer immunity.
7/7 The chair finishes that there is still 'a degree of opacity' about how and who by, some of the early decisions were taken.
