Lindy Mcdowell: time to start treating us like adults

The week began with Boris (below) in maths teacher mode addressing the nation on changes to lockdown rule confusion as he ushered us through various charts and revisited the ‘R’ equation. Stay Alert, he cried, as he thumped his desk. So, more confusion.

And to compound local confusion Staying Alert doesn’t actually apply to us here in Northern Ireland, where we remain in the dark about when precisely we too will see light at the end of the hallway.

For my daily exercise allowance I usually head for a brisk walk around the same local park.

In my head I’ve been doing my own daily assessment of how we are performing in terms of lockdown compliance.

Even though the weather has become a fair bit nippier in recent days (if I was a government scientific adviser, at this point I’d be referring you to Graph A) I’ve noticed a new increase (Slide B, please) in park footfall.

In other words, we’re coming out.

The other afternoon it was really busy. I don’t think the same wee park has seen such trade in years.

Also this week a survey shows that traffic in Belfast has picked up from around 12% where it was, to around 15%. Not exactly gridlock. But another sign that people are becoming increasingly impatient.

There is a view that there are now two distinct groups in terms of attitudes toward Covid strategy.

Those who want to maintain lockdown as long as possible because they fear for people’s health.

And those who want to see a faster exit because they fear for the economy.

I’m not actually sure it’s as clean-cut as that. It seems to me a bit unkind to the latter group to imply — as many commentators have — that those looking out are putting money before people’s lives.

I also believe there is a crossover group. People like me who just want out to save our sanity.

This is a serious point and I’m not sure if our leaders totally grasp it. They have work to do themselves and are perhaps busier than they’ve ever been (certainly busier than during their threeyear furlough).

For some of the rest of us a highlight of the week is taking the bin out.

It’s not that we have an issue with Arlene and Michelle being cautious. There’s too much at stake to risk being lax now.

But they do need to start treating us like adults.

They’ve become a bit like teachers too — telling class that if we do as told we might be allowed out for a school trip before the end of term. Or maybe next term. Or 2021...

I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a business owner and to listen to projections that the shop or bar or restaurant into which you’ve poured so much time and money and sweat and tears might be able to open in oh, say, about August/ September. Around the start of the flu season...

Dates to be confirmed — how does any business deal with that? How do the rest of us?

Arlene and Michelle (left) say that giving specific dates would be a mistake because if, when we reach the point of proposed exit the roadmap has to do a U-turn, it will be a blow to public morale.

In terms of public morale, uncertainty is even more corrosive.

There was good news this week. Antibody testing is set to begin. There are various reports also of vaccines close to the starting block. And in another uplift, this week a Sage government adviser confirms that, yes, sunshine and fresh air do help protect against Covid.

Meanwhile, we sit and look out at it pondering our vague roadmap for release.

People here have generally been compliant with the lockdown rules. We know what’s at stake. We act responsibly. We’re adults.

The very least we deserve now is to be treated as such.