This is the critical time for every one of us to make the right call

SO no change to the tiers in Devon and Cornwall, following the much anticipated review yesterday. All of Devon remains in Tier Two, while Cornwall stays as just about the only place in the country on Tier One.

Yesterday’s announcement caused some disappointment, but the move was best summed up by Devon County Council leader John Hart, who said it was ‘probably the right decision’. There is no doubt about that at all.

Families all over the region will no doubt have spent much of this week discussing, or bickering, over who should travel where, who sees who, where and when. With a public already struggling with the change in mood around Christmas, this was certainly not the time to change tier rules.

With the Christmas window looming, and the relaxation in the rules that brings, the need for all of us to be making the right decisions has never been greater. The next formal review of the tiers will be in a fortnight’s time, with a slight chance there will be amendments next week. The most critical phase is likely to be in the new year, when the impact of the Christmas relaxation will become clear, and the normal non-Covid winter pressures that face the NHS are likely to be at their highest. Downing Street yesterday refused to rule out the possibility of a third national lockdown, but everyone will be hoping that things begin to improve quickly in the New Year and this can be averted.

It is this that makes the next ten days, and how all of us behave over Christmas, so crucial. Anyone looking for crumbs of comfort best not read today’s Western Morning News report on the number of unnecessary emergency calls received by the South West ambulance service. The problem has got so bad that the service has released recordings of inappropriate 999 calls which show people misunderstanding what an emergency is. The service says it receives hundreds of unnecessary calls a day. The examples it has shared are staggering. Non-emergency calls waste valuable time and put pressure on their stretched-thin services. A spokesperson said: “Our 999 service should only be used when someone is seriously injured or ill, and their life is at risk. Inappropriate calls are a waste of our time, put additional pressure on our limited resources, and may mean we cannot reach those who are most in need of our help.”

The ambulance service is appealing for people to “make the right call” this winter, as its services are expected to be needed more and more in the coming weeks.

If ever there was a time when we need everyone to make the right call, this is it. Every decision we make over the next two weeks could have consequences that go on for some months. The light at the end of the Covid tunnel, which seemed clear following the end of lockdown and the news of vaccines, has dimmed considerably as a result of the rapid rise in the rate of infections in the South East and London, particularly.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak yesterday extended the furlough scheme until the end of April. We clearly have some way to go.