Read on Twitter
The situation facing hospitals is truly awful and cannot be understated. But important that at a policy level we detach the immediate pre-vaccine challenges from the post-vaccine outlook. They are radically different landscapes and must be addressed separately. (1/17)
Pre-vaccine, we can't pull any punches in cracking down on the virus– not just because of the increased transmissibility of this new variant or the huge challenges facing NHS, but because with the vaccine being rolled out we are so close to success against this awful virus.(2/17)
The lower infection rates the sooner we can relax restrictions properly. So it is in all our interests to do everything we can to supress infections rates now. No one wants them, but draconian measures for a shorter period are preferable to looser restrictions for longer. (3/17)
Rollout of vaccine means that once infections are brought down then it will be easier to keep down infection/death rates. So we should do whatever it takes now to minimalise social contact, supress the virus & protect the NHS – even if that means tougher restrictions now. (4/17)
Over the next 2 months we will be battling a public health catastrophe and should do everything we can to support that effort. But from April onwards, the focus will switch to delivering an economic recovery – and there are things we can and should do now to support that. (5/17)
There are many growth industries that want to help drive our country’s economic recovery once it is safe to do so – like the UK music industry. To do that we require both certainty and confidence to start preparations now and be ready to support the recovery. (6/17)
When it comes to confidence, the vital importance of a gvt-backed insurance scheme for live events is laid out with commendable clarity by @julianknight15 and the @CommonsDCMS select committee here https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/378/digital-culture-media-and-sport-committee/news/138229/DCMS-Chancellor-letter-chair-statement-19-21/ (7/17)
Equally vital is an indicative date for restart. We work to long lead-in times and have complex supply chains – most major festivals/events need at least 6-8 months prep time. Decisions about summer are being taken now and without certainty many will soon start to cancel. (8/17)
An indicative date is also key for many other sectors. So many businesses are on the edge right now – for many of them, knowing when they might be able to reopen again is the difference between hanging on or permanently putting up the shutters. (9/17)
So need more clarity on what reopening process will look like. If to be a gradual process like last year, what will we see when? Industry needs to know when gvt thinks it will be safe to hold mass events again. April? June? September? And what will the conditions be? (10/17)
6 months ago, setting out a date for the end of the pandemic with confidence was inconceivable. With an approved vaccine, it's now possible. Q from music industry is, what is the point when major events will be allowed? When vulnerable are vaccinated? When x % vaccinated? (11/17)
Gvt promise that we will have a “great summer” is welcome– but unless our industry is given formal notice of start date now, it will be a silent summer. An indicative restart date should be formalised & set out as part of the Stage 5 roadmap for the performing arts sector.(12/17)
To be clear, music industry does not want to open up before it is right to do so– we simply want to know when government believes it will be safe for us to do that, so that we can prepare and be ready to help drive the eventual post-pandemic economic & cultural recovery. (13/17)
It may seem strange to be advocating tougher restrictions in the shorter terms while calling more gvt to be being more explicit about relaxations in the medium to long term – but the new reality of the vaccine means that the former enables the latter. (14/17)
There are also potential compliance benefits: too many people seem to think the current restrictions are open ended: giving the public a clear end date for the current measures and stressing that they are temporary will help to drive compliance. (15/17)
For the sake of the NHS and the public health effort we need better compliance in the short term; for the sake of the economy we need more certainty in the long term. The two are not mutually exclusive: Government can achieve both at the same time. (16/17)
Pandemic response has often (wrongly) been framed as health vs economy – but tougher enforcement and if necessary even tighter restrictions in conjunction with more long-term clarity for businesses would benefit the NHS and benefit the economy. ENDS
