The rise in Covid cases is worrying and there is no easy solution to it, but the UK cannot afford for London to over-react

When Boris Johnson announced lockdown on March 23, it was a sobering moment in UK history.

The television audience for the prime minister’s address back then was one of the biggest ever in TV.

And after that lockdown began almost everyone obeyed the instructions. Millions of people accepted a fall in their income with little complaint, and plenty of businesses and jobs were destroyed. Happily for Northern Ireland, we have been supported by the Treasury’s outstanding furlough scheme.

But lockdown was never sustainable long-term on a moral or financial or, indeed, psychological level.

Now, after it seemed that Covid-19 was under control, cases are rising rapidly. This is a worrying situation.

Politicians have an immense responsibility to their public but there is a risk that causes them to take the most extreme approach to safety. And such an extreme approach would tying to achieve perfect safety on Covid-19. If we have learned one thing about this virus it is that that is not possible.

We do not even fully know the damage that has been done to people’s mental health, to the economy, or to other health conditions that were not treated when hospitals were emptied. But we know it has been disastrous. The ultimate health toll from such factors might even be worse than for Covid.

In Northern Ireland, our leaders are hobbled by the disgraceful role of Sinn Fein in breaching the first lockdown at an IRA funeral. Yet, while last night Arlene Foster was dignified, impartial and authoritative, Michelle O’Neill was insisting that we “need” an all island approach to Covid. No we don’t.

We need the support and firepower of the UK at this time, as we have done since March. Let us hope, though, that London does not over react to new infections.

Boris Johnson said targeted protection of the vulnerability is not enough. But it is more essential now than ever, and it is hard to see how on any level we can afford to do much more in terms of restrictions.

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