Victoria Treiber
Nearly a month into this lockdown now- I know, it doesn’t feel like it. For anyone in a similar position to me, the days have started to blur into one, only being broken up by sporadic calls from family and friends. For essential workers, however, it is unlikely to be this uneventful. NHS staff in many areas are being pushed to their limits, with ICU beds once again starting to run out. This feels like a repeat of March 2020, but it is only going to get worse.
As of January 15 th , according to Government numbers whilst the number of people being tested positive for Covid-19 has reduced by over 13%, the number of patients admitted has gone up by 22.1% in that same time period.
A new Brazilian strain has possibly has been identified, causing borders to be closed for South American, parts of central America and Portugal to the UK, in a move by the government that has been criticised as slow as it emerged the strain may already be circulating in the UK.
Statistics aside, seeing the number of people outside, including in shops, not wearing their masks and, in worst cases, coughing and spluttering whilst either not wearing a mask or wearing it wrong, suggests the complacency still exists whilst over 1,000 people are dying each day.
With the government’s actions in the past year having been slow and confusing at the best of times, it is time for the government to put their foot down and impose harsher restrictions
For anyone who is clinically vulnerable, such as myself, it is a worrying sight that is not going to get better any time soon. Scrolling through social media I am hit with those being careless arguing on either side what constitutes a breach of lockdown rules or not.
With the government’s actions in the past year having been slow and confusing at the best of times, it is time for the government to put their foot
down and impose harsher restrictions.
This is a call that is also coming from various health experts such as the former director of the World Health Organisation and fellow member of Independent Sage, Anthony Costello, who states the need for a “total clampdown” as seen in some countries in Asia.
These clampdowns have included tight travel restrictions, with Government-run quarantine facilities and temperature checks before you even leave the airport as seen in South Korea, have helped to slow the spread of new strains from other countries.
The fight against such restrictions is sure to have affected complacency among the people
Domestic restrictions include adequate financial support for all businesses that have had to close or have had to start working from home where possible; a move which has not been adequately replicated here.
Here, a country that has previously fought against the use of masks and last minute confusing messages adding to it all, no wonder people are starting to become disillusioned.
The fight against such restrictions is sure to have affected complacency among the people. Last year, between March 27th and December 21st alone, 32,329 fines were given out for lockdown restriction breaches.
As we watch the death toll race past 100,000, not only do we have to think about our own behaviour, but the government also needs to start listening to the health experts and tighten restrictions
With this as well, people’s attempts to travel to popular countryside beauty spots, are the very signs of this complacency caused by confusing and inadequate government messages.
As we watch the death toll race past 100,000, not only do we have to think about our own behaviour, but the government also needs to start listening to the health experts and tighten restrictions.
Tighter restrictions will mean saved lives and a day closer to a normal that we all crave. That is all any of us should ask for.
Victoria Treiber
Featured image courtesy of Markus Winkler on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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