O/T. The Government's handling of Covid

[ramAnag]

‘Blind’ or consistent?
I’ve consistently opposed Brexit but was relieved we ended up with a deal. Whether that ‘deal’ will be as beneficial as our original one as full members of the EU is all that should matter. After five years of wrangling the fact that our ‘sovereign’ Parliament now gets a whole half day to debate the bill is, imo, ridiculous.

This thread though is about the handling of the pandemic.
I don’t think I have ever criticised for the sake of it. What would be the point of that?
I praised the creation of the Nightingale Hospitals earlier in the year...but where are they now, when, as you suggest, they are most needed?
I was critical of the Christmas decision...not because of the ‘cancelling’ Christmas aspect...but because of the bone headed, populist, stubbornness which led to them ignoring all the scientific advice in the first place and then led to having to make a typically last minute ‘U turn’ which led to disappointment and confusion for millions.
As regards schools...I’d love to see them remain open but only when it’s safe for that to happen. I’m told, by friends and acquaintances in the pharmaceutical industry, that there may be seven variants of the original virus. That in itself isn’t as concerning as it might sound but the fact is that, until the vaccine is widely available and implemented, there is one particular variant which appears to be much more transmissible by children.
The aim at the moment is surely, after nine months of disruption, to remain as safe as possible until the vaccine(s) take effect.
Having children and young people in schools and universities mixing in large groups and then returning home is not, in the light of the new variant, compatible with maintaining that ‘safety’.
That is what SAGE suggest and I don’t think there’s a hint of myopia in arguing that case. Unfortunately the Government will, as ever, leave such decisions to the last minute...unless, of course, it’s about their own participation in keeping the country running in which case they’re happy to postpone until 11th January.