Send in the Clowns

More than 1,700 children were hospitalised with Covid-19 in January, the highest rate in the pandemic, and 1 in 25 Covid hospitalisations are now children aged under-6. Since the start of the pandemic, 98 children and teenagers have died of Covid in England alone, including three babies last week (data source: NHS), child deaths increased 44 percent since “Freedom Day” (ONS). There are estimated 117,000 children living with Long Covid, 1 in 380 of them for over a year (data source: ONS) The UK does not vaccinate under 12s. Since Covid Plan B restrictions were scrapped amid the “partygate” scandal to appease Covid-sceptic Conservative  backbenchers, education minister Nadhim Zahawi said schools wanting to let pupils wear masks need to ask for his special dispensation.