Andy Richardson: Beers are flowing as pubs reopen
Fancy a pint? The boozer’s open, the beers are flowing and we’re all hoping social distancing won’t evaporate when people are five beers in.
The Government has no choice but to re-open the economy after more than 100 days of dormancy.
Our economy has taken a bigger hit than any other on the planet, thousands of jobs are being axed daily and without economic activity things will only get worse.
The economic cost remains incalculable; as we spend £106 billion on a train, similar sums are required to prop up the economy.
One man who won’t be heading to his local pub is Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley, though back in March he told a TV interviewer he planned to defy his son’s request not to do so. This week, he’s ignored Foreign Office advice by flying out to Greece, prior to the re-opening of our aviation sector.
It’s little wonder that public engagement with Government rules has become increasingly lax. People have preferred to protest or party rather than stay home – or is it still ‘stay alert?’ After all, after Dominic Cummings, the PM’s father, the complicated activities of Robert Jenrick, who needed to visit three properties while the vast majority stayed in one, people think it’s one rule for us and one for ruling elites. Kalés diakopés, Stanley: that’s have a good holiday.
While we’re anything but world-beating when it comes to track and tracing – more than three quarters don’t get the call, which means the virus circulates and amplifies – and while we’re not that good at getting youngsters back to school – we can open pubs for their parents and let kids see tigers at safari parks but not learn maths and English in the classroom – we are ahead of the game when it comes to immunology.
Doctors in Oxford and at Imperial College are both making considerable steps in devising a vaccine. There is cautious optimism for positive news in 2021.
It’s hard to imagine there’s cautious optimism surrounding the reopening of schools in September.
Most teachers think the proposals are unworkable, though needs must and it’s time to get back to school.
With pubs and restaurants opening today, with air bridges operating from next week, it’s more important than ever than we adhere to social distancing and don’t jump the gun – try telling that to Stanley Johnson.
