The Return of the (Masked) Jedi
THE government has informed the nation of the Omicron virus reaching Britain. At the time of publication, there are 14 cases in total, leading the government to reissue the mandatory order of masks in shops and on public transport from today.
Since July 2021, the UK has had a choice in wearing masks, leading to debates on whether it was necessary and what really was defined as 'common sense' by the government. As a result of vague advice, mask-wearing on public transport went from 80% in July to just 20% in September according to Network Rail.
Masks, whether you like them or not, are officially back with a vengeance. Personally, I'm not exactly jumping to wear one as it can be uncomfortable with glasses, but this is the right thing to do given the situation.
Really, the government should have kept it mandatory from day one. This 'reversal of freedoms' signals the situation we are in and how crucial this point is: if we don't follow the guidance by testing regularly, wearing masks and socially distancing, then we will find ourselves in another (don't say it!) lockdown.
Ok I said it, the L word. Rumours are swirling about another one impending and whilst I don't have access to Downing Street (not yet anyway), it seems that the 'best' time for one is January, given that one now would be detrimental to the UK economy in the run up to Christmas. We saw this last year, where Christmas was allowed but we were locked down from January to March.
But on our side this time is the vaccination programme, which is not to be underrated. Most UK adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, which helps with the concept of herd immunity. The government has now made the booster jab available to all adults, so take full advantage. Getting the vaccine will protect you and your loved ones, and reduce the strain on the NHS.
For a little while, it felt nice again, going outside, meeting new people, meeting my friends and enjoying life as we should. You could almost pretend COVID hadn't happened. The news about Omicron and the reintroduction of masks while necessary makes me feel a little down, because I had hoped we were heading out of this pandemic. I think we have to take every day as it comes and do everything we can to protect ourselves.
I'll be booking in my booster jab, and hope you all will too.
Sources
- UK total cases, Sky News, November 30th
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-three-more-omicron-variant-cases-identified-in-scotland-taking-uk-total-to-14-12482837
- METRO: Monday November 29th, 2021 and BBC News, September 21st:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58641989
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