Them Or Us 3: Herded

 My mother went to town today (sounds like the start of a wholesome nursery rhyme), she tells me that parts of Tesco are closed. The deli, fresh fish, and fresh meat counters are not serving. Having not visited that shop in six months, where I used to go weekly, I have no idea if this is a new twist in the covid tale, or whether it has been like this throughout. 

It's a bit worrying. The Tesco I do visit doesn't have those sections, but it did say, in respect of their cheap egg range, that they are limiting them to 3 per customer. I do not know why. I can only speculate that there's either increased demand, or perhaps a problem with the supply chain. 

Currently we are hitting 14,000 new infections a day. Whichever way you slice it, that can't be good. I believe it's down to the hospitality industry being open, encouraging socialisation in a way we are not ready for. However, this article, from the Watford Observer of all places (I've never been) suggests it could be schools. It's entirely possible, but in either case the government are going to be reckless. Dangerously unwilling, until (if) it's too late, to break the chain of transmission again.

All the sacrifice we made, as a society, earlier this year has been utterly wasted. If that doesn't sum up the Tories I don't know what will. It is a horrible metaphor for ten years of austerity as well. Can we really risk letting them take us down further? 

According to the Daily Fail 4000 of the world's top scientists have co signed a letter arguing for a heed immunity strategy. This Twitter thread sums up their crank nonsense perfectly. I don't care if they really are the world's best, though I doubt it. What they are advocating is horrible; survival of the fittest. Lock up the vulnerable and the elderly and then let the rest of us get exposed to build herd immunity. Do we even know enough about herd immunity to trust that will happen?

The fundamental problem is that society is too interconnected to simply separate the weak from the rest of us for a period. How would this even work, were it possible? How can supply chains continue to function? How can businesses remain open, even just to deliver supplies to the sheltered? You might not be vulnerable, but your partner may be, your child, or your parents that live with you. What if you work in a nursing home, what about your family? We are connected!

More importantly, do these people not realise that we aren't currently locked down. Even in the areas with local restrictions, they don't seem to be experiencing the kind of restrictions we had earlier this year. They may well have to, now. 

Ultimately, whether these people realise it or not, herd immunity is what is now being pursued by this government, by way of Tory economic ideology. It is survival of the wealthiest.