The last 12 months have been unlike anything we’ve ever known before, with rules and restrictions being put in place to control the spread of Covid-19. But these rules and restrictions could never be permanent. And so earlier this week, in what we've all been waiting for, the Prime Minister set out the roadmap out of lockdown; cautiously lifting restrictions in a four-stage process that will take us back to some sort of normality in the coming months.
I know for all residents in Burnley and Padiham this will be very welcome news, not least because we’ve all battled so hard throughout this period, obeying the law; staying at home; getting tested when needed; isolating when required, and following the ‘hands, face, space’ message.
Our borough should be proud of the way we have risen to the challenge of suppressing COVID-19. We’ve all played our part; from our carers and NHS staff, through to the supermarket workers, delivery drivers and so many more.
In the coming weeks though, we will start to see restrictions lifted, beginning with children going back to school. This is rightly the very first priority and the brilliant headteachers and teachers across Burnley are already preparing for it. And from this date – 8 March – our loved ones in care homes will also be able to nominate someone who can come in and visit them regularly, something I know so many have been desperate to do.
Future changes and easing of restrictions have also now been laid out with target dates set as well as the way progress will be evaluated to ensure it is safe. Because in implementing this plan it is right that we are guided by data and not dates. We saw over the winter months of November, December and January how rapidly the virus can change and spread. It did so with ease and our vigilance will be key to making slow, but steady, progress.
I recognise that for some the roadmap looks too slow, and for others too fast. That is why being guided by data is essential. Businesses, families, and organisations need to be able to plan for the coming months with a degree of certainty and this plan deliver that. Setting the easing out in this way, transparently and with a target of removing all restrictions, also means we have gone further than any other major economy in giving businesses a target date. We have only been able to do that thanks to our world-class vaccine rollout; testing which now runs at more than 700,000 every single day; and the efforts of everyone which has brought case numbers down in the last few months.
Next week the Chancellor will also be announcing the Budget where he will set out how we will manage our way through this gradual re-opening of the economy, continuing to focus on protecting businesses, jobs and families.
Turning to the vaccine, we have gone past 18 million people having received their first jab in the UK, covering more than 1-in-3 adults and we continue to prioritise those with the greatest clinical need. Many will have seen the studies highlighted in the news this week which shows the approach recommended by the Chief Medical Officers of the UK to focus on first jabs by extending the gap from 4 to 12 weeks, and adopted by the Government, is having a very positive impact. Two of these studies, run by Public Health England, show that after just one dose the risk of infection drops sharply with the second dose, up to 12 weeks later, boosting this further.
Since March 2020 what all of us have wanted more than anything else is hope on the horizon. Knowledge that the restrictions that have proven essential, will be time limited. The vaccine gave us that first glimmer back in December and it is thanks to the success of rolling this out, as well as the sacrifices we have all made over the last few months, that we have been able to build on that with a full route map out of restrictions.
