Calling this 'Freedom Day' doesn't make it done

So, Freedom Day – how was it for you, then? Not so long ago, before the arrival of the Delta variant, it was looking like the UK had Covid beat.

But with daily case numbers now approaching the January peak, where will this end? Fortunately the vaccine programme does appear to have weakened the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths, but it’s far from severed.

And in the meantime, the government, after months of claiming they will follow 'data not dates’, has pushed ahead with the July 19 relaxation of all Covid restrictions.

Here, the day got off to a bang with 1,000 clubbers packing into The Astoria in Guildhall Walk from 12.01am – the young people eager to dance away 16 months of pent up frustration.

But mere hours later, Portsmouth City Council abandoned its full council meeting because the Conservative group leader, councillor Matt Atkins, had tested positive for Covid.

And while cllr Atkins was selfisolating, he had recently been in contact with his fellow Tory members, who were present at the meeting.

Ironically, cllr Atkins recently spoke out against holding council meetings remotely.

Granted, the opposing parties were quick to make political capital out of this.

But with the prime minister being forced into yet another humiliating U-turn over selfisolation after health secretary Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid and he was subsequently ‘pinged’, one might wonder if the Tories will ever learn t hat the public doesn't appreciate being told: “Do as I say, not as I do”?

It erodes any faith in the government’s message, as we have seen time and time again.

These two contrasting scenes highlight just how far we have to go before this pandemic is over, regardless of how the government might label an arbitrary day on the calendar.