Remember: the reason we are locking down for a 3rd time is because of the government’s failure to contain the virus. Containment means an effective test, trace, isolate and support system. Our system was handed to cronies and profiteers, and the £12bn spent on it was wasted.
Even if the vaccination programme is not derailed by a new variant (and, yes, I'm afraid this is an if), test-trace-isolate-support remains essential. In 2 articles last year, I explained what happened to it:
1. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
1. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Since then, the government appears to have given up. All its bets are on the vaccine. But even with the most optimistic projections about roll-out, and assuming it continues to protect us against new variants, the vaccine will still need to be supplemented by test and trace.
Faced with a choice between
1. admitting that it completely screwed up the system by handing it to unqualified cronies and allowing ruthless companies to rack it for profit, or
2. pretending everything's fine and allowing the pandemic to rage,
it chose option 2.
1. admitting that it completely screwed up the system by handing it to unqualified cronies and allowing ruthless companies to rack it for profit, or
2. pretending everything's fine and allowing the pandemic to rage,
it chose option 2.
My apologies. I said £12bn, but that number is out of date. It should have been £22bn. But what's a few billion between old chums? theguardian.com/world/2020/dec…
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