One thing missing from the Westminster Government’s response to the pandemic is a clearly-explained overall goal. How do we get out of this?
They’ve told us it isn’t herd immunity, because of the resulting number of deaths, and it isn't clear that it can even be achieved with this coronavirus; there is emerging evidence that immunity only lasts a matter of months.
The Independent Sage group have proposed an achievable goal of ‘zero Covid’ in the community, defined as minimal weekly cases occurring per million people in the population, as the best option for health and for the economy. New Zealand and China have achieved this; Scotland and Northern Ireland are close. But England is a long way off this target, and case numbers in England are slowly increasing again. So this can’t be the goal, or the Government wouldn’t have relaxed the lockdown so much.
If it isn’t herd immunity or zero Covid, what’s the plan? Perhaps to manage down the numbers of cases and protect the vulnerable, opening up some parts of society, while an effective treatment or vaccine is developed. A risky gamble at best, in both health and economic terms. It’s unclear if or when the developments will deliver, while many of us won’t go back outside while we don’t think it’s safe. And it risks a second wave.
Finally, maybe, there is no plan. That the UK approach is essentially reactive, dependent upon the news agenda, favoured lobbyists, and what they think will play the best each day. A process of ongoing fudge and bluster. Sadly, from the evidence so far, this seems to be closest to the truth.
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