Lifting the Lockdown - What About Those Most at Risk?
We want your opinion.
The current lockdown will end at some point, hopefully soon. As restrictions gradually ease, most of us look forward to returning to a normal life. But what's to become of those most at risk from COVID-19?*
*Those most at risk are people who; are 70 years and older, have compromised immune systems or suffer chronic health issues.
We seem to have weathered the initial phase of the Corona Virus pandemic with "comparatively" few infections and resultant deaths, especially when compared to the likes of Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. has been the go-to resource for tracking COVID-19 related data, and their site is updated several times a day. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality
Thankfully we now have a strong measure of control of the Corona Virus following a series of rolling state and territory lockdowns. Restrictions and regulation have included border closings, social distancing and of course, isolating "the aged" and "the at risk" from contact with others. And all of these measures have contributed to "flattening the curve" and minimising fatalities.
We are now planning for what Ai chief executive Innes Willox calls "the waking up" phase and the enormous challenge we face is how we manage the delicate balance and perceived competing interests between health, social and economic factors to ensure we continue to manage the pandemic and lift the current lockdown restrictions to get society at large and the economy in general back to some new normal.
So, how will we, as a society, consider and give a voice to the needs and concerns of "the aged" and "the at risk" who, in the interests of the "rest" of society, could be forced to remain in lockdown and isolated until a vaccine is found. Optimistically that might be another 12 months but who knows, it might be years.
There has been much debate in recent years of the growing generational divide between young and old. And yet, I don't see much evidence of resentment from the young. The opposite in fact. The general level of community engagement and support from all ages but particularly the young for the aged and at risk has been humbling and inspiring.
But as the lockdown now eases and we will in effect liberate the young and force the aged to continue with lockdown restrictions, we are entering unchartered waters.