Lockdown diary, day 22

Yes, we're all fed up with being stuck indoors.

Yes, the measures being taken will create great difficulties for many people and there is likely to be a very serious hit to the economy.

But I'm a little concerned by people making a fuss demanding that the government publishes an "exit strategy" to ease the lockdown.

Let's not be too quick to produce "exit plans" to relax the lockdown before the evidence says that it is safe to do so.
This virus has shown a capacity to act in ways that no country has been completely successful in predicting: it's not quite the same as anything we have seen before.

Plans made now for how to ease the lockdown may be out of date in a few weeks time when the science may suggest we can start to do so - and if such plans are published now and have to be changed, the same people who are demanding publication will start running around like they've scored a goal in the Premiership and shouting "U-turn, U-turn!"

Let's follow the science and the evidence.

Stay home; protect the NHS; save lives.

Comments

Jim said…
The problem is people are not only bored, they are also starting to run out of money, credit is also less of an option.

There gets to be a point where the cure is worse than the disease, there needs to be an exit strategy, and it needs to be made clear.
9:28 am
Chris Whiteside said…
There needs to be a strategy, and as soon as the evidence indicates that it is safe to start implementing it, the strategy should be published.

If everyone, and not just most people, was behaving responsibly, I would agree with publishing an early draft of the strategy now.

However, most journalists are in full-on "Gotcha" mode and desperately trying to save their jobs by looking for any opportunity to make anyone else look bad. Given this, I can't blame the government if they decide not to release a plan now which would inevitably be subject to some changes by the time it is put into effect, and hence provide the media with an opportunity to shout "U-Turn, U-turn!" at the top of their voices like a broken record.
9:50 am
Jim said…
The media shout U turn, U turn like a broken record, and a poitician has, at worst, a little egg on their face for a day or two. SO WHAT??

People will understand, in light of the new evidence, that plans had to be changed. People will get that. I am one of the luckier ones in that I am being paid, but many are not, especially those who rely on bank work, extra shifts, or 0 hour contracts. As well as self employed. They are running out of money and need to have some idea of an exit strategy.

Im really not concerned that some journalists get to scream U turn, over the fact that a politician made some changes to a strategy in light of new evidence.

11:32 am
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