This Is The UK's Path Out Of Covid Hell – And How Long It Will Take

If there’s one thing we all want to know right now, it’s when this whole pandemic thing will be over.

The situation facing the UK is dire – sky-high infection rates, hospitals buckling under pressure and over 1,500 deaths in a single day this week.

But there is good news – infection rates are slowing, effective treatments are keeping people alive and a respectable three million people have been vaccinated already.

So let’s look ahead at our path out of all this...

What’s the government’s plan?

Good question, and not one with a definite answer.

Last month Matt Hancock sounded pretty optimistic – we roll out the vaccine and life begins to return to normal by spring.

His actual words were: “The NHS stands ready to deploy at the sort of pace that is needed to help us get out of this pandemic by the spring.”

Oh lovely, so back to normal in a couple of months?

Ugh, no. Since making that chirpy assessment last month, Hancock has not mentioned spring since. Even at the time, he studiously avoided defining just exactly when spring was.

Hmm, OK. What about ‘getting out of this pandemic’?

Again, Hancock has been a bit wishy-washy.

While touting the vaccination programme this week, Hancock said: “Our UK Covid-19 vaccines delivery plan maps our route back to normality.

“The next few months will present a significant opportunity to turn the tide of battle against Covid – I am looking forward to watching these plans bring more reassurance and hope back to people’s lives after a difficult year.”

Which, again, is a bit on the vague side.

So what are we aiming for?

We asked the Department of Health and Social Care what Hancock meant when he said “out of this pandemic by the spring”, and if he still stood by the statement.

A...

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