The Covid risk in Northern Ireland is now serious, but even so these sweeping restrictions on liberty must stay under review

While there is no complete restriction on movement, there are almost no grounds on which to move, apart from emergencies.

Gatherings in other people’s homes are not permitted. Hospitality is entirely shut, except for takeaway food. Sport is closed. And all shops are closed between 8pm and 6am.

Even during the day, the restrictions are huge: it is even not permissible to take a walk outside with someone from outside your household.

It is important that such sweeping measures are continually challenged. There are good reasons to be concerned about the new strain of Covid-19, and to fear the health service being overwhelmed. But such fundamental assaults on the right of adults to take their own decisions as to risk should not happen without constant scrutiny and review.

It can seem, both in Northern Ireland and the other jurisdictions on these islands, that politicians hide behind scientists, rather than weighing up the overall evidence, such as the immense economic and non Covid health harm of shutting businesses and forcing people into isolation.

The political and scientific case is further undermined by the fact that Christmas was not stopped mainly because politicians were not prepared to tolerate a public backlash.

At the same time, this is a perilous time. Anyone who was out over the holiday — at shops pre December 25, at restaurants or travelling to a relative on Christmas Day — will have noticed the scale of social mixing that has been happening.

It is clear that significant numbers of people have not been following social distancing advice in these encounters.

Any such neglect is highly regrettable, particularly given that the benefit of the vaccines is so near. And neglect does strengthen the case for lockdowns.

This one now is under way so let us hope that it works, that people are also voluntarily responsible, and that schools reopen next week as planned.

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