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# Lichfield MP tells Prime Minister he is baffled by opposition from other parties to easing of Covid restrictions
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/lichfield-mp-tells-prime-minister-he-is-baffled-by-opposition-from-other-parties-to-easing-of-covid-restrictions/
- Published: 2022-02-22T09:43:00.000Z
- Updated: 2022-02-22T09:00:29.000Z
- Description: Lichfield’s MP has told the Prime Minister he is “baffled” by opposition from other political parties to the decision to lift coronavirus restrictions.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, News

Lichfield’s MP has told the Prime Minister he is “baffled” by opposition from other political parties to the decision to lift coronavirus restrictions.

![Michael Fabricant](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/img_20190524_093739.jpg)

Michael Fabricant

Michael Fabricant made his comments in a debate in the House of Commons yesterday.

He said that Staffordshire’s death rate – which current sees 75 fewer each week than the five year average pre-Covid – meant that the evidence showed why Covid restrictions could be eased.

> “May I ask my Rt Hon Friend to cast his mind back to January last year, when Chris Whitty said ‘there will come a time when Covid will be the same as flu’, from which actually there are 7,000 to 20,000 deaths each year.  
>  
> “At that time there was no criticism of him from either the Labour Party or the SNP.  
>  
> “Now that we have excess deaths at minus 9% of what is normal at this time, is he as baffled as I am about the attitude that the Labour frontbench now has?”  
>  
> Michael Fabricant

Boris Johnson replied:

> “Yes, actually, I am. I am genuinely surprised by the approach that they have taken – I do think it is wrong.  
>  
> “But I think he made an important point about the comparison with flu. It is very important that people with any respiratory disease think about those who are clinically vulnerable, and behave in a responsible and considerate way.”   
>  
> Boris Johnson

The Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday means that all Covid restrictions will end over the coming weeks, with free rapid testing to end on 1st April.