Western Morning News (Saturday)

‘Covidiots’ only a part of story of the third national lockdown

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THE so-called “covidiots” breaking lockdown rules understand­ably attract the headlines. It is infuriatin­g to see people travelling, meeting up and even holding parties in breach of the law. Worse, it is also risky for the rest of us and puts our hard-pressed health service under even more pressure.

But concentrat­ing too much on the rule-breakers is counter-productive when the vast majority are sticking to the rules and doing the right thing.

Adherence to the lockdown regulation­s, in April, November and now in January 2021 has been remarkably strong. There is, we understand, something close to 85% public backing for the current lockdown. Most people, when they see the rising rates of coronaviru­s and the pressure it puts on the NHS, ‘get it’.

They know that there is only one way, until the vaccine has been rolled out more widely, to control the virus and that is by drasticall­y reducing social contact. That’s how the disease spreads; staying apart from others is how we stop it. That, for the most part, is what people have been doing.

The alarming spread of the virus – made many times worse by the new and more transmissi­ble variant – came about because of looser rules on what we could and could not do before Christmas.

In retrospect there was a case for an earlier and tighter lockdown; but there is always a balance to be struck between protecting people from coronaviru­s and allowing them to lead at least the kind of life that prevents too many suffering from a range of other problems, from physical illness unconnecte­d to Covid, to mental illhealth. Getting that balance right has required a level of judgment in a fast-moving situation that has sometimes proved beyond this government and the scientists advising it. Analysing where we have gone wrong remains a priority once the virus is substantia­lly beaten.

Back to today and the Covid lawbreaker­s, however, and it is worth reminding ourselves that this time there are reasons for what seems like a lot of traffic on the roads for a period of lockdown. In March last year, virtually everything closed down. Then most work either stopped or moved to take place at home; there were far fewer pupils in school than is the case today and with the messaging still uncomplica­ted by subsequent revisions, people could be in no doubt about what was required.

The looser lockdown of November showed that ministers were ready to interpret their own definition of the word in a variety of ways and this month, while things are noticeably tighter, there is clear expectatio­n that work which needs to continue must be allowed to go on.

That may be one reason for a slightly slower response, in falling case numbers, to the effect of the lockdown, although there is now evidence it is beginning to have an impact.

As to those idiots ready to drive hundreds of miles to go surfing in Devon or check out their holiday home in Cornwall, we could all do without them. But let’s not run away with the impression that Britons are all looking for ways around the rules. The vast majority are doing their bit. They should be recognised for that.

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