Lockdown easing is a symbol of victory – but the war is far from over

Editorial: The infection rate is bound to rise with the unlocking of society, so the authorities must hope that the public continues to exercise restraint, endures the unseasonably cool temperatures, and keeps on taking the jabs

This is not the end, but it is the beginning of the end... (Getty)

As someone once almost said, this is not the end, but it is the beginning of the end – of the national Covid lockdown, that is. It has ruled Britons’ lives, more or less uninterruptedly in many places, for more than a year. All the pints sunk, the haircuts gotten, the gym workouts sweated through, the monitor lizards and tapirs gawped at in newly reopened zoos – all represent small symbols of victory in a war of attrition with a sub-microscopic deadly foe. And they feel good.

But the victory is far from complete. Like the weather, the warm sunshine is all too often rudely interrupted by hailstones and chill winds, there to remind us that the difficult times are far from over. The very fact that thirsty citizens have to sup their draught ale wearing a fleece and a flat cap on pre-booked tables in beer gardens is a useful corrective to any euphoria that might otherwise erupt across the land. It’s not over.

Far from it, in fact. The infection rate is bound to rise with the unlocking of shops, pubs, restaurants and the rest, so the authorities must hope that the public continues to exercise restraint, endure the unseasonably cool temperatures, and keep taking the jabs. It would not take much indiscipline, or much of a slowdown in the vaccination rate, to see the welcome plunge in Covid cases and deaths start to flatten out or even tick up again.

The remainder of the battle against Covid, then, rests on the attitudes and actions of the younger generation. It is they who have, so far, had least to fear from Covid on a personal level, and who have the least personal incentive to take the vaccine.

Yet they are also the demographic most inclined to go out and socialise, and inevitably may let their guard drop as the booze flows and a convivial evening out stretches into the cooler night. There is some danger there, and a wider risk of complacency. Rightly, given the remote risks of clots from the AstraZeneca recipe, the under-30s are being offered a choice of vaccines.

As determined global travellers, the unavoidable need to qualify for a vaccine passport will also be a powerful reason for our youngsters to take the offer of the vaccine. They might also reflect on the way that a renewed lockdown – an extreme but real possibility if there is a resurgent third wave of Covid – would devastate their educational and employment opportunities.

It might still be useful, then – in the interests of securing herd immunity and opening up the economy – for there to be a more rapid move towards Covid-status certificates, as a way for all generations to safely gain access to theatres, cinemas, sports stadiums, discotheques, and the inner sanctums of the public house and the local bistro.

Although many people are certainly straining at the leash to re-embrace their traditional leisure liberties, a substantial cohort are happy to stay in their kennels and are still inclined to “stay home and save lives”, not least their own: something to discuss over a pie and pint with friends and family.