If not now, then when will it be normal?

           

Almost all remaining pandemic measures will be lifted on July 19,

2021,despite Coronavirus cases continuing to rise in England.

The Labour Opposition and the London newspapers have both 

dubbed the decision as a “gamble”with the Financial Times saying
Prime Minister,Boris Johnson having more than less ignored the 

warnings that the pandemic is worsening at present.

Prof.Stephen Reicher,from the University of St.Andrews has

advised Downing Street over the response to the pandemic

and described the new Health Secretary,Sajid Javid’s approach

as “frightening” to think of Covid as Flu,unconcerned of levels 

of infection. Further, it is worrying to have a Health Secretary

who wants to make all protections a matter of personal choice.

The spokesman at the Department of Health has commented:

”The Health Secretary did not say Covid was like flu. “He said

we need to learn to live with it and ways to cope with it,in the 

same way we do with flu.

The announcement by the Prime Minister that most social

distancing rules and mask wearing will be scrapped on 

Freedom Day,19 July 2021 -the final stage in England’s 

Road Map out of Lockdown.

Bang Bang lifting of restrictions

Although the lifting of Covid restrictions is very far from the 

end of dealing with the virus, a new YouGov Poll shows 71% 

of the public is in favour of keeping the mask on public

transport.

Labour leader,Keir Starmer says lifting all restrictions is a

“reckless” move and has been branded a “gloomster” by 

the Sun newspaper. 

Employees will no longer be told by the Government to work

from home from 19 July 2021,when most restrictions have

been lifted.

Why then is Freedom’s Coming Home on 19 July 2021?

Instead of suppressing the virus to the point where it minimises 

the threat to health,it appears,”we are accepting that we’re beat,

that we will “have to learn to live with it.”

Is the Government bored with it,or are the people bored?

The view now is for urging the public to take “personal

responsibility”over COVID-19, but so should the Government?

There are obvious reasons to ease restrictions.There is a change

in policy with the change of Health Secretary. “The old order was

to contain the disease,the new order is to live with it?”

Everyone in the UK knows that Lockdowns have become “politically 

unsustainable”?

It is hoped that school and summer holidays and most importantly

the continued roll out of vaccines will take the edge of the current

wave and that growth in cases does not lead to a more vaccine

resistant variant.

 

                                                                   

  Responsibility of Government

 

Over 30 or more years now,successive Governments in UK

have taken responsibility away from the public and given it to

bureaucrats, that this change in policy to endow the public 

has been deemed necessary.

There is however, the other view that the European UEFA 

 Football Final is approaching in Wembley,England on Sunday

11 July 2021.It would hardly be possible or feasible to keep 

the British public under strict COVID restrictions with all the

resultant euphoria,as the law may be literally flouted.

Perhaps, it is also a sign of a possible reintroduction if and 

when seen necessary in the autumn or even winter,when

the NHS may be under pressure.

Decisions,decisions

Government decisions are generally guided by many 

overarching principles.They generally are either:

1. Evidence based

2. Necessary

3. Proportionate

4. Sustainable

The possibility that “Freedom Day” from COVID-19 may be

considered more than necessary due to the extraneous

circumstances Britain is now placed in,cannot be overlooked.

But,if deemed unsustainable either in the interest of the overall 

health, or the community or the economy,changes as necessary 

may later accompany.

A Staged Approach to relaxing restrictions currently in place

may be felt unnecessary as suppression of the virus is perhaps,

possible due to the development of “herd immunity”and the

vaccination programme progress.

Mathematical modelling may be another clue in the need for

a complete relaxation of Covid rules which could have already 

been commissioned to flatten the epidemic curve.The thought

of people being outdoors in the summer months would also 

have been a serious consideration in relaxation. 

All in all, the choice of Freedom Day is a move not without risk.

But, without risk,there is no reward. As humans,we are creatures

of habit, if we have got used to working from home,then it is a

big transition to get back to the routine of office.

 

For life to really enjoy the freedom,the country needs to reach herd 

immunity or community immunity.Here again, we do not know for

sure how long immunity lasts? 

Victor Cherubim