Months and months of restrictions would have huge impact

The announcement that coronavirus vaccinations will begin in Northern Ireland this month has been almost universally welcomed.

The last nine or 10 months have been desperately hard on everyone, from those who have lost loved ones because of Covid-19, to the many thousands more who have found it difficult to live with the unprecedented restrictions on their lives, or seen their jobs and livelihoods ruined.

It is premature to declare that all the restrictions should automatically end for good, even if the vaccine rollout can begin as early as next week. The impact of vaccinating healthcare staff, those in care homes and everyone over 80 will not be felt until early next year. Health Minister Robin Swann, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young are right to warn people against letting their guard down.

That said, it is right that restrictions are being lifted at the end of next week in order to give a much-needed boost to businesses, especially those in hospitality which have now been shut for many weeks. However, people should still be cautious about who they come into contact with indoors, and those in the vulnerable categories should still be shielded as much as possible.

Longer term though, speculation about prohibitive restrictions being needed until well into next year is a concern, not least because the measures imposed by Stormont, such as the ludicrous ban on children’s outdoor sport, surely achieve nothing in terms of driving down infections.

Vaccination will be the most important element of beating the virus and people are best advised to take one. However, it is also important that Stormont, working with Westminster, implements a more thorough rapid testing programme that will also help facilitate a fuller return towards normality in the months before the vast majority of the population in Northern Ireland receives a vaccine in the new year.

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