The government cannot just bury its head in the sand over rising Covid deaths

Editorial: Hesitancy about taking pre-emptive action is as foolish now as it was on the many previous occasions when the government did too little

(David Simonds)

Now that the supply of turkeys seems to have been secured, albeit at probable extra cost, there is perhaps nothing the nation would want for Christmas more than to be able to celebrate the festive season without resorting to masks, social distancing or self-isolation.

Covid-19 is very much still with us, still exerting extra pressures on the NHS and still, to put it bluntly, killing people.

It is not too early to ask whether some modest measures may be taken now to avoid Christmas being “cancelled” for the second year running, as well as safeguarding the health of vulnerable people.