As a Conservative, each restriction placed on our lives this year has made me uncomfortable. It is against my instincts to accept a Government interfering in our lives to this extent. But I fully understand that with Covid there has really been no choice. Each time restrictions have been lifted the virus has spread quickly and new measures have been needed to get it back under control. With the benefit of hindsight perhaps it was premature in November for the Government to have planned to allow three households to get together over Christmas, but at the time the decision was made rates across the country were dropping and allowing just three households to mix for a few days appeared a good balance. For those struggling with their mental health it would also have been a bit of a reset. However, the identification of a new strain of the virus, which our scientists believe is 70% more easily transferred from person to person, forced a new approach. As the PM explained, when the facts change we must change, and stopping (or at least slowing) the virus’ spread to other parts of country had to be a priority. So the Government introduced the Tier 4 category in London and the South East and cut back its relaxation of the rules over Christmas for Tiers 1-3.
It is unlikely that this mutation originated in the UK, but because the UK has the best genomic sequencing programme in the world we were able to identify it when other countries have not. In fact many Governments believe that the mutation is circulating within their countries but have not been able to identify where. Had the UK not identified the mutation many more lives around the world could have been lost.
So what does the New Year hold? With the largest vaccination programme in our country’s history beginning a few weeks ago, it is now a case of buying time. Every week more people are being vaccinated, with residents in care homes, their carers, frontline health and social care workers, and those aged over 80 among those being prioritised for the first vaccinations. It will then extend to others who are clinically vulnerable and those aged over 70.
Please do get the vaccine when you are offered one. If you contract Covid-19 having not accepted the vaccine, you have not only put yourself at risk but friends and family you come into contact with. Should you be hospitalised, you will also be diverting doctors and nurses from other hospital departments (e.g. coronary care units), putting them and their other patients at risk too.
The NHS will contact you when it’s your turn to be vaccinated so please don’t contact your doctor or the NHS via any other method such as ringing 111. It won’t speed up your jab and will overwhelm our surgeries during a very busy time.
For the latest coronavirus guidance please visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus. Useful links, including business support, can be found at www.melstridemp.com/covid-19.
