OUR politicians have managed an impressive double with their new Covid restrictions. Not only have they increased the likelihood of more Covid infections, but they have also simultaneously crippled businesses in the run-up to Christmas.
Obdurately ignoring Health Minister Robin Swann when he recently proposed a full lockdown, the DUP instead opted to 'balance' the needs of hospitality with hospitals, probably hoping doing so would bolster their self-image as the ‘Tory lite’ party.
The problem with this approach is that coronavirus recognises no such distinctions; it operates on the law of reproduction, irrespective of the time of year.
So, when faced with the stark reality of our hospitals operating at 102 per cent capacity and people presenting at A&E facing waits of up to 30 hours, the DUP reluctantly did an about-face, announcing a new lockdown. However, not a lockdown recognisable anywhere else in the world. Instead, we had the reopening of previously closed businesses for one week followed by full lockdown for two weeks.
The predictable rush to do Christmas shopping followed, as demonstrated last Saturday, when the queue for Primark in Belfast snaked up and down Castle Street, with minimal sign of mask-wearing or social distancing. I commented that the one positive of such lunacy was those in the queue would at least have new pyjamas when brought to hospital.
The week wouldn’t have been complete without a contribution from Edwin Poots. Having voted through the new Covid restrictions, Edwin clarified his position in a reply to an email stressing he was, in fact, against any restrictions. He agreed that problems in the health service were due to "the utter incompetence of NHS and health department planning expecting the rest of the country to pay for their failings”. Edwin better hope he doesn’t need to visit a hospital any time soon.
It’s obvious we can’t look to our political leaders for direction during this crisis, so personal responsibility must be taken for how we behave during the coming weeks and months. Wearing masks and social distancing has never been more important, yet many continue to refuse, with asthma appearing to be the most common reason given.
I accept there are genuine people, who for both medical and/or psychological reasons can’t wear a mask, but unless asthma has become as contagious as Covid, many are being disingenuous. Their selfishness may cost the lives of not just strangers but members of their own family.
As for the drunken antics of young people in the Holylands area of Belfast during the week, maybe it’s time our universities took some responsibility after forcing students back into rented accommodation during a pandemic.
With bars and clubs closed, did they seriously expect young people to sit in their bedsits, reading their textbooks every night? With the vast majority of classes now taking place online, the decision to bring students back to campus appears to be have been based more on university finance rather than public health.
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SOME may accuse me of cynicism, but I wasn’t surprised when our politicians announced every adult is to get a pre-paid card to help stimulate local business. When you consider their incompetence over recent weeks, they needed to do something dramatic to assuage the universal condemnation they faced for failing to reach a consensus on Covid restrictions.
The £95 million will be covered by an additional £400m sent by Westminster to the executive to aid their Covid response. If I were a taxpayer elsewhere in the UK I’d be asking where my voucher was.
I’d remind people, once again, that ‘we’re not all in this together’. Some of us are only in it up to our ankles, while others are in it up to their necks. With child poverty at an all-time high, and many families surviving via food banks, surely the criteria for distributing this money should have focused on need rather than being allocated blindly to every household?
So, yet again, it’s up to us as individuals to circumvent political idiocy and find a way to redirect this money from families choosing between an Xbox or a Play Station towards those having to choose between heating or eating. Our shopkeepers need not suffer – the money will still be spent in local shops, the only difference being it will be spent on those most in need.
And as for having a bubble with two other families this Christmas, some chance. I don’t mind Santa coming down my chimney with his bag of presents, but I’d prefer Covid wasn’t one of them.
