Have we yet seen the end of Covid restrictions? It is tempting to think so. For many people, Covid and the lockdowns have receded into history, replaced by Ukraine and the energy crisis.
But perhaps we have parked the whole business in our memories a little too soon. Some are already pushing for restrictions to be re-enacted this winter. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has just published a paper, Three Months to Save the NHS, demanding that the government consider re-imposing mask mandates on public transport and other enclosed settings. It also demands that the government extend a proposed autumn vaccine booster dose to everyone over 18, not just to the over-50s as currently floated. This is part of a 12-point programme to save the NHS from being overwhelmed.
It would be easy to dismiss Tony Blair’s proposals as the ramblings of a bored ex-PM who feels desperate to regain some of his former importance.

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