I am writing this before we hear what Boris has in store for us and after watching my local neighbourhood stop staying at home.
As the media and entitled hacks go into overdrive around the message of ' we want the freedom to infect others' the vast majority of us, according to the polls and my own experiences, want to keep the restrictions kept in place until we know for sure that we will be protected when we do. That means sufficient testing for all NHS, social care and front line staff and users, a tracking system which will work and we can trust will not be used by Cummings and his ilk to further spy on us later. It means full up to date medical PPE for NHS and care staff and at least basic effective protective gear for all those f dealing with the public, plus adequate supplies and reinforcement of rules to ensure everyone going out on public transport or in public places to shop or work has a face mask.
Unfortunately after weeks of listening to government promises that fail the next day and watching as Cummings and the Number 10 communications unit focuses on presenting the same mantra of lies and exaggerations aimed at protecting the government from the public wrath that the truth would bring and suppressing China style the reality of on the ground provided by whistleblowers defying threats to their jobs, I no longer trust what Iam being told. It seems that only Channel 4 News has the guts to tell it like it is and as a consequence Cummings and boris refuse to allow cabinet ministers to be interviewed by them.
The reality is that our government has consistently failed to act in time, ran down and privatised the NHS and its stocks of up to date emergency protective materials and trained staff andas a result we have the highest death rates in the world - second only to Trump's USA. The espousal of the Malthusian 'herd immunity' approach was the fatal error that has led to this disaster being as bad as it is and those who pushed it need to be named, shamed and removed
On the ground in my neighbourhood on VE day there were 3 parties being run in the gardens and pavements of our street with little or no social distancing , no control over the children playing with their mates , an ice cream van patrolling like some evil Pied Piper. When a couple of us from the family home b venture out for a walk or bike ride in the surrounding river, fields and forest most people respect the 2 meter rule, but as more and more people come out to enjoy the space there are more groups who just don't care.
There are reports that Essex police have ignored complaints about rogue openings of garden centres, burglaries from garden centres and reports of groups congregating, But without a clear steer from the government and resources allocated to it, there will be little the police can do in the face of mass disobedience
So please Boris stick to your 5 tests and make sure you are reporting progress on actual proven information and facts not bluster and ask for and listen to the people at the front end - whether staff or patients or the public - including those of us seniors trying to find out what is happening and sending in feedback , so you can know what is really happening and act accordingly. Your government has failed us up to now , please learn the lessons and only relax things when you and we know it is safe to do so