Peter Robinson: Hokey-cokey lockdowns cannot be our solution to this pandemic

Nonetheless, many of those calls were sound and have stood the test of time – but not every decree or piece of advice, or the promptness of decision implementation, helped in tackling the virus.

If we could rewind, carrying with us the knowledge we have today, some decisions would have been very different and the outcome much better. However, the decision makers and their expert advisors were dealing with a new virus; there was no manual to consult or playbook to guide the decision-making process. Of course, there were the lessons gained from handling past outbreaks, but the grave impact of Covid is exceeding all its ancestors and presents a global challenge never faced before.

Now we appear to have reached a pivotal point where there is a growing volume of evidence to inform decisions today and a stark choice to be made on how we advance.

Covid will be with us – probably forever. In good time a vaccine may be produced that will protect us all, and before then the experience gained in treating the virus will continue to increase recovery outcomes.

With this knowledge a hokey-cokey approach to lockdowns cannot be the answer.

Seeking to bring the “R” rate under control, again, is the right course to take and we must all hope that the actions taken will do just that (though some may question the Executive’s priorities or the fairness of them).

But it cannot be about subduing the virus for Christmas and finding ourselves back in lockdown afterwards.

Now is the time to produce a long-term sustainable plan. The strategy needs a workable pathway for all elements and sectors in our society. There will be a price to pay if we do this, and a greater one if we do not.

The consequences of a broken economy are legion, and they include serious health impacts. We cannot leave the initiative with the virus.

The starting point is to establish what steps need to be taken to enable each societal pursuit and trading activity to proceed in a Covid-safe manner.

The presumption must be in favour of each social and commercial endeavour functioning – albeit with constraints and safeguards. Operating to Covid-safe standards cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach.

Covid protections may differ depending on each facility and the nature of the interaction necessary for the activity to happen. If the answer for some is that there is no Covid-safe solution then government, who are forcing that business in the public interest to close or reduce its functionality, must provide compensation.

Business cannot survive on a stop-start basis. Business planning and viability requires certainty.

In order to facilitate the continued operation of the local economy, councils will need to employ officers to inspect and certify premises as being Covid-safe.

Councils will need to be funded for this work and businesses will need to be able to rely on grants to assist in carrying out compliance work. Unavoidably, the Executive will probably have to re-calibrate its budget and drop other schemes to fund the new arrangements in order for our economy to survive.

Living in a Covid world will, of necessity, have to be highly regulated and strictly enforced. Rules must be logical, understandable, and simplified ensuring the multiple messages from other regions outside Northern Ireland do not obscure what has to be done here.

Like any other life-imperilling offender, Covid rule-breakers must be made accountable. Each person who flouts the restrictions encourages others to drop their guard as well.

The public have for the most part played their part and accepted the guidance and advice proffered, but there is growing resistance to lockdowns and more and more public impatience with shifting rules and guidance.

It is vital to keep the public on-board because, unpopular as it may be for those who heedlessly want to get on with their lives by ignoring the danger of Covid, the price for getting the province functioning again will be accepting limitations and restrictions on how we live within a functioning Covid world.

Sanitising and social distancing are essential, and the track and trace system must be reliable and expanded.

Face masks should be a strict requirement.

I enjoy looking at the designs and printing on face masks, but their prime purpose is not as a fashion accessory. Masks must meet an approved specification. The public need to know their mask is doing the job it is intended to do.

If some areas of life require restrictions including a reduction in the usage of facilities, then I am having a difficulty understanding why such controls are not to apply in schools. Class sizes and pupil hours need to be considered.

Not only do we have a duty to protect teachers, but we need to realise that while the impact of the virus on children and young people is relatively low, they are still capable of transmitting the disease.

Living in a Covid world will place boundaries on every facet of our lives, even including how we participate in public worship – but, I trust, not so much that we impose any limit on our fervent prayers for a Covid cure.

READ MORE FROM THE NEWS LETTER:

Click here: NI surpasses 1,000 Covid fatalities

Click here: Coronavirus: A historic hit to NI weekly wages – but true extent of the turmoil is only hinted at

Click here: Coronavirus: Pupils can do PE indoors with no cap on numbers says education minister

Click here: NI statistics show life has actually improved for many since start of Covid outbreak

Click here: Academic: It’s hard to find words for how badly NI’s economy has been damaged by Covid measures

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