Goodwill can see us through the dark days
HOW long will Britain be on lockdown? Looking out from our windows at the spring sunshine, millions itch to know the answer.
Our leaders say they will review the unprecedented curbs to our freedom – the most draconian since the threatened Nazi invasion in 1940 – in three weeks. That seems perfectly reasonable.
Surely, most people can tolerate staying behind their bolted front door for such a short span, especially if it helps vanquish coronavirus and saves lives.
But could it drag on for three months? It’s certainly not impossible. Or six months? Or even, as Health Secretary Jeane Freeman suggested yesterday, by the end of the year? That would be truly horrendous.
Citizens are being urged to make huge sacrifices to fight the silent killer. Many can’t see family or friends. Everyone’s life has been turned upside down.
Boredom and fatigue could torpedo the masterplan. To avoid this, ministers could signal as a quid pro quo when they believe the quarantine might be lifted – a light at the tunnel’s end.
But when push comes to shove, the most significant influence on the length of the lockdown will be the public themselves.
If people behave responsibly, obey Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon and stay home except in special circumstances – to buy food or medicine, exercise, or help the vulnerable – the nightmare could soon end.
If not, we may be in for an exceptionally long haul. After all, the drastic ban was imposed only when a mindless minority selfishly refused to take Covid-19 seriously.
While the death toll rocketed, idiots continued to carouse in pubs, then swarmed to parks, beaches and shops, transmitting the virus further.
Have people finally grasped the severity of the contagion (which has now killed 422 in the UK)? Well, 25million watched the Prime Minister’s televised address to the nation. But how many actually listened?
Within hours, police were forced to intervene to shut shops, break up queues and enforce social distancing.
That prompted Chief Constable Iain Livingstone to warn people to stay off the streets or face arrest – and he refused to rule out forcing people to carry ‘papers’ to prove they are out for legitimate reasons.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf was even more blunt, stating that officers will arrest people and hand out fines.
In London, Tube carriages were packed, many passengers being key workers, after mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to axe services – risking the nation’s health.
Perhaps the message is still not sufficiently razor-sharp. But we hesitate to over-criticise. Our governments are deluged in the biggest and fastest-moving global catastrophe since the Second World War.
Ministers should not hold our hands. Individuals must show common sense and selflessness. So, too, must our corporations. It’s disgraceful that when hard-pressed families are feeling the financial pinch because of coronavirus, Britain’s massively profitable banks circle like vultures.
Lenders are to penalise prudent customers with exorbitant fees for slipping into the red without permission. These unfair charges should be suspended, immediately.
Could new Chancellor Rishi Sunak have a quiet word? He should when he’s finished grappling with the rescue of five million selfemployed who face ruin.
However, it is fiendishly complex. He must navigate those choppy waters while ensuring Britain’s economy isn’t holed irreparably.
In times of crisis, it’s difficult to see where good comes from. But the NHS seeks volunteers to donate time to help the most vulnerable people self-isolating at home. Fetching prescriptions, making appointments or extending a friendly hand … these will comfort patients, while easing the burden on nurses.
Charity has been the cornerstone of our communities. During this dark hour it has never been more important.