Too much caution

There is a disconnect between the concerns being raised about the consequences of the anti-covid measures and government action to address them. This is particularly the case in the world of travel, where the quarantines imposed on travellers from dozens of countries are threatening the decimation of the industry. In a letter to Boris Johnson and other senior ministers, the bosses of the UK’S 20 biggest airports warned of “irreparable damage” to the economy unless a system of testing was introduced to replace the 14-day quarantine regime. It was one of a number of measures proposed to prevent the loss of more than 100,000 jobs in aviation and allied businesses.

These are serious worries by any stretch of the imagination, and the Government is replacing the blanket quarantine system with a more flexible approach that acknowledges regional differences in the level of contagion. However, even this will not get people travelling by air again for as long as the official message emphasises ultra-caution and second waves. People are being told it is safe to go back to the office even as ministers fret over an increase in Covid cases, mainly among the young.

With hospitals half empty and no increase in deaths, the Government needs to stop reinforcing popular resistance to any return to normality. Moreover, since the Government’s policies are placing so many jobs at risk, the future of the furlough scheme, due to end next month, must also be addressed. Germany has extended its Kurzarbeit equivalent until December 2021 to protect skills that will otherwise be lost for ever. Without propping up lame ducks and “zombie” companies, Rishi Sunak needs to find a way to do the same.