Christmas 2020
It has been a roller coaster of emotions over the last 24 hours. After much anguish about travelling the length of the country to visit siblings during the Christmas relaxation window within the rules of bubblesI thought I had a viable plan. And then, after rumours in the media all day, the government announced the creaton of a new tier 4 that crudely mirrored the previous national lockdown but only on a county by county basis. Like so many people hotel bookings, family get togethers were cancelled. Emotions ran high and traditions ended. There is undoubtedly a specific and uncontrolled problem with a variant COVID-19 infection in the South East of England but there is also a government that is reactionary, and disjointed. Not that it is clear in hindsight other governments had a clue what to do. Following the science has significant implications for civil liberties, downgrades the mental health and economic impact that we will be paying for decades ahead. Right now, we are rewriting Christmas. For many, for those alone, it will be a cruel one. No access to travel or bubbles available to them in tier 4. Add the financial impact of a loss of work for many. These are costs that have to be balanced with the science.
