A quicker unlocking of Britain is needed
When Parliament agreed the legislation that imposed the coronavirus lockdown it was deemed to be the most significant interference with individual liberty in modern times. MPS insisted they should be revisited every three weeks. The next review day is tomorrow. But the 21-day span is a maximum, not a specified length of time that has to be rigidly adhered to. There is nothing to stop the Government conducting weekly or daily reviews for that matter and adapting to changing circumstances. With the virus abating, now is the time to accelerate the timetable out of the lockdown, regionally if necessary.
The Government has become fixated on dates that were set weeks ago. The decision to open some schools on June 1 was set out by Boris Johnson on May 10. In that speech he said secondary schools would begin to open on June 15, the same date that non-essential shops can start up business once more. These are welcome but they are still almost three weeks away.
Could this not be done more quickly? Will the review committee look at the data to see if it can be? Under the strategy, bars and restaurants will not be allowed to open for possibly another six weeks and maybe not even then, with a requirement to stay half empty because of the social distancing measures.
This will make it impossible for many of these establishments to survive because their overheads will not be covered by the custom. To help them out, the review should give serious consideration to reducing the two-metre rule to one metre and not delay a decision on that for another three weeks.
The rules surrounding families are baffling. One member can meet one other relative but only outside and not in their own gardens. Why on earth not? If no one is displaying any symptoms of the disease, why should they be kept apart?
If the aim is to stop large gatherings of youngsters, that seems to be happening anyway. But why should people prepared to behave “responsibly and reasonably” in exercising their own judgment not be allowed to meet up in their gardens when outside transmission is negligible?
The situation regarding how the Government will pursue the idea of social “bubbles” of friends and relatives is still unclear. Why can’t they start this weekend?
With the virus abating, now is the time to accelerate the timetable out of the lockdown, regionally if necessary