Smart decisions will help us beat this virus
WHILE the news that some of the new vaccines against Covid-19 are proving effective is welcome and signals a light at the end of the tunnel, the risk of catching Covid and passing it to our loved ones will remain high for some time.
Areas across the East Midlands are still experiencing high infection rates, and our local hospitals and GP surgeries are coming under huge pressure.
Even when a vaccine comes it will be many months before enough vaccinations can be administered to make a return to life as we knew it possible.
This time around, it is crucial that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the first post-lockdown period, when the government relaxed restrictions on social mixing too hastily, creating the conditions for the virus to spread again.
Understandably, people are eager to visit friends and family after a long month apart, but given that mixing within private households indoors is a big factor in driving the spread of the virus, relaxing restrictions in this area could see a jump in the infection rate.
Therefore, the BMA believes that the government must replace the “rule of six” with a “rule of two”, so that no more than two households are able to meet indoors.
This rule should remain in place for as long as it takes to deliver a sustained reduction in infections.
Doctors are also calling for clearer and properly-enforced rules on mask use and social distancing, and support for business and local authorities to create Covid-secure environments.
Whether or not the government takes the necessary action, we should all take this advice to heart and avoid taking unwise risks with our health after December 2.
We all deserve a healthy and prosperous 2021 – and this remains plausible if we hold our resolve and take the smart decisions that will defeat this virus.
Dr Rebecca Acres, chair of East Midlands regional council, British
Medical Association