Tier 3 lockdown until end of January could work
SOME time ago, the Prime Minister was under a lot of pressure to remove the undoubted pressures and disadvantages of a national lockdown system because regional differences were not being taken into account.
The PM had to placate his backbenchers so promised a Christmas holiday for five days if things did not get significantly worse.
Much of Lancashire and Yorkshire and the North East was rightly placed in this Third Tier, notwithstanding prolonged arguments about the amount of financial support from central government.
Government also stated that the relevant figures would be reviewed regularly to put areas in the right Tier.
Surprise, surprise. The situation HAS changed.
London and the South East (previously in Tier 2) have seen infection rates and hospital occupancy increase alarmingly. The areas placed in Tier Three saw infection rates decrease.
The great news has been the chance/likelihood that there will be vaccines available in the New Year.
What would a sensible Prime Minister do?
He would impose a National Tier 3 lockdown until 31st January with suitable support schemes for the hospitality and entertainment sectors. The only visits outside the ‘bubble’ would be to care homes under supervised conditions.
This would be explained by a broadcast to the nation where the PM would accept the responsibility for these decisions and not try to pass it on to the scientists.
He would explain that five days of pain now would be rewarded by five days of holiday once the problem was over.
Such a Prime Minister would see Covid as a national enemy to be vanquished by a national effort not by a division of countries into separate regions with all the problem boundaries can bring.
Such a Prime Minister would have ensured that people understood how the rules worked and that MPs, mayors, local councillors were properly informed how the figures were to be applied and what the targets for movement down the Tiers involved. Guidance is meant to take people the right way, not to confuse the way forward for them.
Our problem is that, surprise, surprise, it will be an unprecedented circumstance if our Prime Minister can adopt reason instead of bluster.
Who does he think he is? The President of the United States?
Hats off to bin men
I would like to pay tribute to all the key workers who have kept the show on the road for us during the pandemic.
One group of key workers who I would particularly like to salute are our refuse collectors and as such, I could not disagree more with what Councillor Hall said about how they ought to be working over the Christmas holiday period.
I for one do not begrudge them being off work and I hope our refuse collectors, along with all other key workers, have as good a Christmas as they possibly can under the current circumstances. They all totally deserve it.
I believe I am right in saying Councillor Hall is employed by a couple of schools.
That being the case, the next time Councillor Hall speaks to the Examiner I would be really grateful if they could ask him how much time he had off work during the Christmas holiday period.