Will Jones

A second lockdown would be a big mistake

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Coronavirus cases dropped after we locked down, therefore lockdown worked. But is that right? I’m not convinced. And now it seems the government may be considering imposing another lockdown in response to the latest surge in cases. Doing so would be a mistake.

The ‘Rule of Six’, introduced this week, is only likely to add to the confusion. If there is no spike in cases, the law will take the credit. If it fails to work, harsher measures could come into force. I’m not alone in failing to see how this approach – which will inevitably inflict more damage on our ailing economy and send a confusing signal to those who were beginning to resume normal life – is sustainable. How long can we go on like this?

To get to the truth of what is happening – and to work out the approach we need to take – we need a control, something to show what happens when things are done differently.

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