Welcome plan for lifting restrictions

MOST people have accepted, albeit some of them reluctantly, that the government’s extension by a further fortnight of restrictions designed to slow the spread of Covid-19 is necessary for the common good. Slowly releasing a psychological safety valve to allow people over 70 leave their homes and extending the area all people can move from their places of residence for exercise from 2km to 5km is a welcome relaxation of the restrictions.

The most important part of last weekend’s announcement was the publication of a road map for the lifting of the restrictions in five sets of three-week stages from May 18th until the middle of August. However, moving from one stage to the next is conditional on each not leading to a resurgence of the virus, which could mean pausing or, in a worst-case scenario, reversing the process.

There are a lot of details in the overall plan that still need to be worked out, but it does provide some light at the end of a lengthy tunnel for people, who still need to act responsibly throughout each stage of its implementation – however long it takes – and afterwards also because the necessity will still exist for social distancing and possibly measures like wearing face masks in public until a cure or a vaccine has been found for the Covid-19 virus.

But, as we all know, it’s a long road that has no turning.