It's not case numbers per se that are the main issue now. It's how many are actually being hospitilised and the associated death rate that's now critical. If that remains low and under control then THAT is the barometer that should be being used to assess restrictions levels.
While immunity in the population was low due to lack of natural immunity due to no previous viral exposure and lack of vaccine, case numbers were very important as statistically that would give the pointer toward the then inevitable increase in hospitilisations and deaths that would subsequently follow.
Now though, it is NOT the case that case numbers will result in high mortality and risk of the NHS being over run. And the final point is the kicker - this has always been (rightly) about ensuring that the NHS was protected and was not going to be overwhelmed. The risk of that now is receeding rapidly so consequently heavy restrictions based on case numbers alone makes no sense.
Yeah think before the number of infected was a pointer to how many were going to land up in hospital or dead.now the elderly and those with underlying problems have had vaccine at least once then students and school kids getting the infection with no symptoms should not be keeping us all locked up and business's still suffering.
That's the thing Bri, skale bairns and students if infected will more that likely have zero effects from it, now 30m people have had the vaccine that's 50% of population with old and vulnerable vaccinated the chances of them passing on and effecting them are now minimised due to vaccine, so aye we should be looking to get businesses back trading
I agree with what is being said about hospital rates, but the objective with keeping infection rates down is to ensure that this virus does not find a host that allows a mutation that is more transmissible, causes deaths in younger unvaccinated age groups and is able to hide from currently available vaccines.
To me we are talking about beating this in months, rather than years, and we need to just stick at it for that wee while longer!