Today is the day.
Data not dates.
But today is the day Boris Johnson promised to announce schools will go back on the 8th of March and so that’s what he will announce.
Every major, minor and whacky politician has been in the press over the weekend stressing that all schoolchildren must go back on the 8th of March, so it is clear that one isn’t up for debate.
Data (18,462 people still in hospital) not dates (8th March).
This will be the last lockdown. All over by Christmas. Normality by Easter. These are fabulous promises.
The roadmap has been written. The press have seen it and it’s out there for your perusal. It still has to be ratified by cabinet, presented to the House before we get a Boris to officially confirm it but no one is going to disagree, so the roadmap is that you can meet one other socially outdoors and schools back on the 8th of March, rule of 6 outside in gardens and outdoor sports March 29th and other things sometime in April.
This has made me feel incredibly anxious.
I’m not worried about catching the disease but I am worried that it’s never going to get to a manageable level where we can act like normal human beings again. For the past few months it has actually been illegal to sit down outside. Stopping to talk to someone you meet on a walk (even with a 2 metre gap between you) could have got you a fine. This is not how humans are supposed to behave. Our whole purpose is to connect.
I could cope with this lockdown. It hasn’t been fun but I knew it was working. I had my routine and it was alright.
It makes complete sense to allow the outdoor activities. The scientists are fairly certain that being outdoors in small numbers is relatively risk free for transmission. People were meeting one person (or sometimes more) socially outdoors anyway. Wearing trainers didn’t make it exercise.
Schools going back is a different matter. I understand the principle. Children are being harmed because they’re not in school and because children don’t get very sick then they shouldn’t be harmed more than they would if they caught the disease. Ah yes but what about teachers? Collateral damage. Small price to pay. They could be vaccinated and will be if they are vulnerable to getting very sick. However, this is a red herring. The problem is that children can not be in school, in a building, learning effectively in a socially distanced way and therefore they become asymptomatic super spreaders.
Data (9834 new cases detected every day) not dates (8th March is the time to pack over 30 people together in a room and hundreds in a corridor)
There hasn’t been any information on how schools should operate when they go back. Is this a test? Do they ask for normality and see what happens or is it back to bubbles, every classroom smelling like a hospital , no talking or singing and teachers in senior schools wearing masks? That’s Gavin Williams job, so expect some really clear, well thought out guidance soon.
Data (1397 people admitted to hospital yesterday) not dates (8th of March - it’ll be fine!)
Maybe I’m being less than fair. Scientists have looked at the data, right? They know what they are doing? The vaccine rollout is going well. All adults will have been offered a vaccine by the summer and it will be fine. Of course it will. Don’t mention that a case of the South African, vaccine resistant variety has been found in Brentwood. It’s FINE!
Data (121,000 deaths and rising) Dates (schools back on the 8th March)
Today is the day when I feel most anxious. Once we are all back at school it will feel ok (sort of) and provided the numbers continue to fall I will be happy. It will be like lockdown 2, which was my favourite, with work (golf for the LSH) and no expectation of socialising.
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