As the second lockdown enters its third week there are grounds for hope – cautious hope – in humanity’s battle against Covid-19. Last week Pfizer announced that they may have a vaccine that is 90% effective. As the Gazette goes to print, the US company Moderna has produced data suggesting that it now has a vaccine that is 95% effective. It is early days in the lives of these new interventions, there are hurdles over which we will have to hop – production, distribution, storage (the Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at -70°C) – but we are on a path which will make our passage out of this crisis swifter and easier.
Running alongside these advances, is the immediate prospect of many millions of cheap, rapid turnaround tests - which people can use themselves to tell whether or not they are infectious and get the result within ten to 15 minutes. Fast testing has the potential to have a huge impact on schools, weddings, theatre visits, attendance at sports venues, shopping and travel. Hopefully before too long, anyone arriving at any such venue could ‘gob on a swab’ and, if they are found not to be infectious, go in and mix without having to worry about social distancing.
For the time being, there are still obstacles to be overcome. I recently had a call with a group of our local secondary school heads who are doing sterling work preparing lessons to teach in class and online so pupils who are having to self-isolate don’t miss out on their education. I’ve also been speaking to the owners of wedding venues, travel agents and independent High Street businesses, whose income has been decimated by the lockdown restrictions and have been taking up some of their concerns with ministers in Westminster. I’ve met the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, and the Tourism Minister, Nigel Huddleston [pictured], to feed in real-life examples of how COVID has been affecting Brentwood and Ongar schools and independent traders.
I know that this month has been particularly hard for some businesses and some people but I am hopeful that we will, come 2 December, be in a position to leave lockdown in time for Christmas. For now, please follow the rules to reduce the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.
