By advising ‘personal responsibility’ to fight Covid, the government is putting all the responsibility on those at high risk
Boris Johnson dubbed tomorrow “freedom day”, but for many of the 3.8 million people in England who are clinically vulnerable, it will feel like anything but. With most of the remaining Covid restrictions lifted in England – from masks in public places and social distancing to guidance to work from home – people who are at high risk of severe illness or death from the virus are now worryingly exposed.
The government has released updated guidance to help clinically vulnerable people with the new circumstances, although “guidance” may be pushing it. It is a scant document, in essence advising people with underlying health conditions to avoid going indoors or near unvaccinated people throughout the summer. There is no word on how exactly a person is meant to know if someone else has had the jab, or how we are supposed to bubble ourselves away from the significant proportion of the population who are still not fully vaccinated, or the minority who aren’t at all (including, possibly, our own carers). Neither are there any tips on how to avoid going inside buildings, whether that’s a clinically vulnerable parent taking their child to school or an employee going into the workplace.
