This week the Government set out its roadmap for the easing of lockdown restrictions, starting with the return of schools, and care home residents to be allowed one regular indoor visitor, from the 8th March. The roadmap consists of four steps, with a minimum of five weeks between each step.
While I welcome news of restrictions being eased and am particularly pleased about schools, having fought hard for their return not to be staggered, I still believe we can improve on requiring a minimum waiting period for progress between steps and placing too much emphasis on test results that need careful interpretation. We should focus on the numbers of hospitalisations and very serious disease outcomes rather than dates, especially as our successful vaccination programme has drastically reduced the chance of such outcomes.
Indeed, we now have real-world proof, both from our vaccine programme and Israel’s, and from Public Health England studies, that the vaccines very substantially reduce transmission and are both safe and extremely effective in preventing death and becoming seriously ill or needing hospitalisation from COVID. We also know current vaccines are swiftly adaptable to address new variants, and new vaccines that will be with us in just a few months address more than just the virus’ spike protein coating that current vaccines target. The vulnerable and vaccinated will shortly be very well protected and the risk to the rest of the population is low.
With this in mind and given the hugely negative effect of lockdown on people’s lives and livelihoods, while we must still all observe the rules in place I will keep pressing to get our economy and people back on their feet. Whilst it is certainly good news to have a plan, I think the timetable is particularly tough on the hospitality industry given all the evidence that their safety measures last year were effective, and I will keep pushing to bring their reopening forward.
On the subject of the economy, there will be a new budget published on 3rd March. Government fiscal support for dealing with the pandemic will no doubt remain a feature and the public finances are at their limits. I hope to see a focus on enhanced incentives for private sector growth to spur more jobs and opportunities. The fiscal gap will take some time to be assessed and while Conservatives will always be the responsible choice not to ignore it and to understand that merely propping up demand is not a long term strategy, we have no time to lose with supply side reform to enable sustainably higher growth and revenue that can close it.
I was pleased to hear this week that Westlands Entertainment Venue in Yeovil has been awarded £38,926 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. The cinema and entertainment space is a much loved hub for the community and its operations have a positive effect on local creative and entertainment industries that are an important part of our future.
As always, if you would like to get in touch about any of the above, or if I can be of any help, please do email marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk or call 01935314321.