The relaxation of the UK's Covid-19 constraints, due to come into effect on Monday 19th July 2021 causes some reflection on the events since early in 2020.
One of the irritations at least for me is how so many of the issues raised by the pandemic, appear to have become politicised, which seems helpful to nobody.
The first such politicisation that I recall arose in about February 2020 when the media led by the BBC, complained that the government was doing insufficient to bring home the many people stranded throughout the world. Eventually hundreds of aircraft were chartered to transport back to this country, those who wished to return but were stranded in far off places such as South America.
Possibly, as result of so many people then entering the UK, from countries already badly affected by Covid-19, the number of cases and tragically, deaths within the UK, increased dramatically.
Decent reporting would at least in my view, have highlighted the dilemma facing the government of leaving British citizens in the countries to which they had travelled earlier, or offering to repatriate them, given that the latter would spread Covid-19 within this country and probably cause many illnesses and deaths. Sadly this did not seem to occur at least on the BBC.
Personally I believe that the government was right to assist those who wished to be repatriated but the decision was as subsequent events illustrate, not without risks.
Possibly the way in which news is 'sold' in C21, causes dilution of reporting quality in this kind of area. Unfortunately though, the news reporting now about the forthcoming partial relaxation of the pandemic rules on Monday 19th July, seems as politicised as was the case last February. The doctors' magazine, The Lancet, apparently has had letters from some 100 doctors' criticising the government's plans. Of course not to be out done, the World Health Organisation is making a similar point.
Do medics really require the UK to stay Covid-19 restrained indefinitely or at least for years? If so, normal life will never be regained and many more people will be swept into relying on government financial hand-outs, which social security secures through record breaking borrowing. More unhappiness and deaths would then be inevitable.
Interestingly, Ireland which had required most UK residents to be quarantined for days before being permitted to travel freely in that country, has just announced that all that will be required from next week, is proof of two Covid-19 vaccinations.
The newspapers now complain of the UK government changing the rules as to travel to and from France with effect from next week. The government made this decision owing to the prevalence of the South African (Beta?) variety of Covid-19 in France whereas the UK is subject more to the Delta Covid-19. There is some question about the efficacy of the two jabs against the former strain.
Boris Johnson is under attack from all sides including his own political party, as well as the opposition Labour Party, which may explain his apparent weakening over the freedoms due from July 19th.
This worldwide disaster should not in my view, be politicised at home or abroad.
On a more positive note, the two children of maytrees ma, age 7 and 4 are due to be baptised on Sunday 18th July, which should be a very happy occasion though adults will have to wear masks.
Irritatingly at least for me, the Diocese appears to require churches to continue to insist on mask wearing for Mass even after the 19th July relaxations. However many supermarkets and public transport systems in this country are also still to insist on mask wearing after 19th July 2021. Such requirements illustrate how long it will take for life to return to normal.
I accept the view that if liberalisation steps are not taken now in the Summer when the disease is at its weakest and state schools are closing for their long holidays, there will be postponement after postponement, on account of fears of the disease spreading, until well into 2022, which would be, putting it mildly, unfortunate.
No comments:
Post a Comment