One year on from the first national lockdown I look at the lessons we *should* have learned and the failings that left us with one of the worst death told in the world.
Have we learned any of these lessons?
1/8
theconversation.com/six-lessons-th…
Have we learned any of these lessons?
1/8
theconversation.com/six-lessons-th…
1. Act quickly
“England did not lock down until November 5, by which point average daily cases had already exceeded 20,000. It has been estimated that more than one million extra infections and 20,000 deaths resulted from this six-week delay.”
2/8
“England did not lock down until November 5, by which point average daily cases had already exceeded 20,000. It has been estimated that more than one million extra infections and 20,000 deaths resulted from this six-week delay.”
2/8
2. Act decisively
“As of mid-March, passengers from only 11 of the 64 countries where arguably the most concerning variant – the South Africa variant – has been detected were being asked to undergo ten days of managed isolation.”
3/8
“As of mid-March, passengers from only 11 of the 64 countries where arguably the most concerning variant – the South Africa variant – has been detected were being asked to undergo ten days of managed isolation.”
3/8
3. Trust people to follow the rules
“Fears of “behavioural fatigue” were unfounded. During the first lockdown, R fell well below one. Even during the country’s current lockdown, in the face of the more transmissible variant, R has been calculated to be as low as 0.7.”
4/8
“Fears of “behavioural fatigue” were unfounded. During the first lockdown, R fell well below one. Even during the country’s current lockdown, in the face of the more transmissible variant, R has been calculated to be as low as 0.7.”
4/8
4. Communicate clearly
“The UK government has been guilty of a range of public messaging mistakes, from the now-infamous trip by senior government adviser Dominic Cummings to the government’s updated “stay alert, control the virus, save lives” messaging.”
5/8
“The UK government has been guilty of a range of public messaging mistakes, from the now-infamous trip by senior government adviser Dominic Cummings to the government’s updated “stay alert, control the virus, save lives” messaging.”
5/8
5. Tackle inequality
“People with the lowest-paid jobs are significantly more likely than those with better-paid jobs to die from COVID-19. It is becoming apparent that the same disadvantaged sections of society have the lowest rates of vaccine uptake.”
6/8
“People with the lowest-paid jobs are significantly more likely than those with better-paid jobs to die from COVID-19. It is becoming apparent that the same disadvantaged sections of society have the lowest rates of vaccine uptake.”
6/8
6. Be prepared
“Dame Sally Davies specifically drew attention to a shortage of medical ventilators. This deficiency had clearly not been addressed, with Hancock telling British manufacturers on March 14 2020, “If you produce a ventilator, we will buy it. No number is too high.””
“Dame Sally Davies specifically drew attention to a shortage of medical ventilators. This deficiency had clearly not been addressed, with Hancock telling British manufacturers on March 14 2020, “If you produce a ventilator, we will buy it. No number is too high.””
Perhaps the most worrying thing is that we are a year on and that there is no evidence to suggest this government has admitted culpability or shown the capacity to learn from their mistakes.
I worry that we will have to suffer through them again.
/ENDS
I worry that we will have to suffer through them again.
/ENDS
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