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DAN WOOTTON
When do we stop lockdowns and live with the virus? When we hit Covid-23?
MARCH 2023: After a hellish three years of previously unimaginable curbs to our civil liberties and very way of life caused by a Chinese-exported coronavirus, the UK is sputtering back.
Major cities such as London and Manchester will never be quite the same, of course.
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The fourth national lockdown, in November 2021 spelled doom for the small number of pubs, bars, theatres and nightclubs that had managed to survive.
Many high-rises lie derelict as businesses embrace the long-term rent savings that come with employees working from home.
Mental-health conditions, especially among children, have soared to record highs, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak personally fronting a campaign to try to reassure folk that returning to public transport is safe.
Swiping a government-issued health passport proving you are one of The Vaccinated is a necessary evil if you want to eat out, visit the dentist, travel overseas or even shop at Sainsbury’s.
Google, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat have signed a pact to censor posts questioning the logic of such an approach, arguing any opposition poses a danger to public health.
Peaceful protests by a growing minority are ignored by the mainstream media and shut down by police using contro-versial new long-term social-distancing laws.
Then a newsflash causes fresh panic around the world: Scientists believe the deaths of more than 40 Iranians in Tehran are connected to a new coronavirus, which the media codenames Covid-23.
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New World Health Organisation boss Jacinda Ardern, a supposed Covid hero as the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, warns international leaders to take no chances this time.
Responding in a solemn, prime-time news conference, Sunak announces an immediate closure of the UK’s borders and warns the public to expect lockdown measures to return . . .
A doomsday scenario?
Perhaps. Then again, who would have believed in March the Government would legislate for how many relatives we can invite into our own homes on Christmas Day?
There’s a growing danger in the public just blindly going along with the idea that continuous lockdowns, until the population is vaccinated, is an appropriate way to deal with a virus that has a 99.5 per cent-plus survival rate.
If you’re a bad guy like China, North Korea, Russia or even Iran, you’ve now seen how easy it is to bring the entire Western world pathetically to its knees without launching one missile or cyber attack.
That’s why I refuse to endorse the narrative of our gutless politicians (with the exception of the Tories in the Covid Recovery Group) and most of the broadcast media who claim another four-month lockdown (rebranded as “strength-ened tiers”) is worth it now that there is light at the end of tunnel in the form of three vaccines.
Agreeing with that would be acknowledging that this nightmare can be repeated again and again.
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So I can’t and I won’t.
Lockdowns, as a policy to suppress a virus that we need to learn to live with, just go against all logic, intelligence and common sense.
A cost-benefit analysis, which the Government is now promising, would already show this sort of shutdown is causing as many deaths as Covid itself.
The oft-ignored stats pouring in are disturbing: 30,000 excess non-Covid deaths at home, three million delayed cancer screenings, diabetes up 86 per cent and untold poverty that will end up killing thousands more.
Like most of you, I pray the vaccine rollout is a roaring success and protects the most vulnerable from Covid.
I stress again, I know just how horrific the disease can be, having suffered from it myself in March — with life-changing side effects — and on Tuesday saying farewell my beloved Great Aunt Cecilia, aged 87, who died with it in a Lancashire care home.
But being prepared to accept the deadly collateral damage from more than a year of life-destroying lockdowns is morally inexcusable.
A beautiful listen
SEEKING refuge from the inner turmoil and anxiety caused by this truly atrocious year, I have been driven extra early to my favourite festive music.
There is a real comfort in listening to the songs that represent what is usually the most happy time of year and I’m very proud of my Spotify playlist Ultimate Christmas Pop.
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One of the hidden gems is The Corrs’ Irish-infused version of John Lennon’s Happy Christmas (War Is Over) performed live at The Vatican.
So I was overjoyed to learn their supremely talented lead singer Andrea Corr, above, has just released an EP of Christmas songs. It’s a beautiful listen.
Funny how the lyrics of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas have taken on new resonance in 2020: “Next year all our troubles will be miles away.
"Someday soon, we will all be together – until then we will have to muddle through somehow.”
Foolish Auntie Beeb
ITV News should absolutely poach Victoria Derbyshire, as is rumoured.
She’s an uncompromising interviewer, award-winning journalist, unbiased and, surprise surprise, has been treated like utter crap by the BBC.
Foolish Auntie doesn’t deserve her any more.
Wootton's week
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She's no ordinary Jo, Colin
SWEET to see Colin Firth getting cosy with BBC newsreader Joanna Gosling, above.
Unlike his character Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary, he won’t have to put up with his presenter partner saucily sliding down a fireman’s pole in the name of keeping her TV job.
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And unlike Bridget, Joanna doesn’t have to pretend to know what the heck is going on in Chechnya, either.
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The Welsh Hilton
SO determined to create a happy, happy, joy, joy version of I’m A Celebrity, ITV chiefs appear to have put the campmates up in the equivalent of the Welsh Hilton.
With hot water and sneaky run-throughs of trials, they’re certainly getting along just fine.
Only problem is that, as a result, the show’s as interesting as watching paint dry.
The most important interview of all time
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TWICE in the last week I’ve been invited to clandestine viewing parties for Princess Diana’s Panorama interview, using rare VHS copies.
Whatever the circumstances of how Martin Bashir procured the chat, how ridiculous that the public is now banned from seeing for themselves the most important royal interview of all time.
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Grammys get woke
GENUINE question: Have I not heard of many of the major nominated artists at this year’s Grammys because:
A: I’m getting old
B: This once-great awards ceremony has disappeared up its own woke backside
C: A combination of the above
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