It’s time to reopen society

Hundreds of neighbourhoods across the country recorded close to zero cases last week.

Public Health England has "suppressed" data to protect the tiny number of infected people from being shamed on social media#coronavirus #covid19 https://t.co/inV4I9a7Qh

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 1, 2021

In the seven days to 23 February, 971 of 6,791 local areas in England recorded three or fewer Covid cases. Over seven million people – or 13 per cent of England’s population – live in these areas. The virus is even dying out in parts of our cities: a tenth of urban areas reported two or fewer Covid cases last week.

In some areas, cases have gone so low that Public Health England has actually suppressed case data so as to prevent individuals from being identified and then humiliated or shamed online.

No doubt, the hugely successful vaccine rollout has had an enormous part to play in this. So why is the government reopening the country at such a painfully slow speed?

Yesterday, hairdressers opened in Germany. But as of 28 February, Germany had handed out fewer than a quarter of the doses that Britain has. Brits will have to wait until April at the earliest for a haircut. Other European countries with more Covid cases and much lower vaccination rates are already allowing dining in restaurants.

This is ridiculous. Nationally, Covid cases have collapsed. Hospital admissions and deaths due to Covid are down substantially, too. It’s time for the government to pull its finger out and get the country moving again.