Tangled Metal wrote:Imho the error is in the general population which is simply ignoring the details of the roadmap because it doesn't suit their desire to be free of this virus. You can't blame people for wishful thinking and turning a blind eye to details they don't want you read about.
Who "don't want you read about"? (and is a word missing from that?)
I don't think it's the general population's fault that pretty much all the news media are presenting this as graphics of dates along with what's going to be derestricted. That was entirely predictable, so it is government's fault for not doing more to avoid or discourage it.
However the details are in the roadmap and selective reading isn't going to change the fact we do need to only carry out these reductions in restrictions when appropriate according to the data.
I agree but now that it's been presented to the masses like this, I doubt Boris has the nerve to slow it down unless it goes really really wrong.
pwa wrote:The Government can't win on this. If they do as they are doing in Scotland and don't give dates, they get criticised for not giving businesses enough notice of when to aim for. If they do give "at the earliest" dates they get criticised for prematurely raising expectations.
You are probably right that they will get some criticism either way. So something else should make the decision. How about picking the option least likely to lead to more avoidable deaths? So don't give dates, but say you will give businesses a week or two weeks or whatever notice.
And there is another factor. Patience is wearing thin amongst people yearning to be set free. Many of us here are old codgers, but imagine if you were young again and had been restrained for over a year, unable to socialise properly or live the life you want to. They need hope in order to have the motivation not to break away right now.
And imagine how badly it could go wrong if all restrictions are lifted before all of the young workers have been vaccinated — and that is currently the shockingly irresponsible plan in England. Is it all because many "old codgers" don't want to wait another two or three months before not using masks and invading people's space again and old codgers tend to be Boris's core vote?