July, he told the Lords Science and Technology Committee that elimination of the disease in the UK would be very difficult, a view that was contested by other scientists including members of the Independent SAGE group. At a televised briefing on 12 October where the Prime Minister introduced three tiers of localised restrictions, Whitty said he was not confident that the measures in the highest tier would be "enough to get on top of it". Whitty and Vallance presented updated data and forecasts at a televised briefing on 31 October, where the Prime Minister announced stricter measures for the whole of England. During the outbreak, BBC health editor Hugh Pym called him "the official who will probably have the greatest impact on our everyday lives of any individual policymaker in modern times". The Guardians sketch writer, John Crace, described him as "the Geek-in-Chief, whom everyone now regards as the country's de facto prime minister". At the same time, he was compared to James Niven, the Scottish physician known for reducing the death rate of influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic in Manchester. During the Christmas weekend of 2020, Whitty was spotted treating coronavirus patients in London. It was said he "worked the shifts in his capacity as a practising doctor [as] a consultant physician at University College London Hospitals Trust... on the north London hospital's respiratory ward over the weekend and bank holiday Monday". On 26 June 2021 a group of COVID-19 protesters demonstrated outside what appeared to be Whitty's flat in central London. Earlier in the month Whitty was followed down a street by a prominent anti-vaccine activist who shouted at him for being a "liar" and in February he was also called a "liar" multiple times while waiting for a takeaway lunch at a street food stall. On 27 June, Whitty was the subject of manhandling, described by Boris Johnson as "despicable harassment", by two members of the public in St James's Park, Westminster, who filmed the event for social media. The Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, said such behaviour would not be tolerated and that those responsible "should be ashamed". The Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said they were "thugs" and should face charges. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were investigating the incident. On 2 July a 23-year-old man from Romford, East London was charged with common assault. The man had previously apologised for any "upset" caused and said