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Since the outbreak of Covid-19, more than 26 thousand people have died in the United Kingdom. The world tally of deaths is more than 225 thousand. More than 171 thousand people so far have been tested positive with the novel coronavirus with more than 900 thousand tests carried out in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom has faced shortages of the right protective gear for health workers to fight against the novel coronavirus. The country faced issues in carrying out tests, unlike Germany, which did exceptionally well in carrying out tests for this contagious and asymptomatic disease. The outbreak of such a devastating virus was unprecedented and unseen. No country in the world was prepared to face such an enemy.
Present scenario
The number of hospital admissions due to the novel coronavirus has noticeably declined in the UK, and the number of patients who need intensive care is decreasing. The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson on 30th April 2020 said that the UK has now passed the peak of this deadly pandemic. According to Johnson, the country is on the path to recovery with respect to the decrease in the number of cases. The British Prime Minister thanked the people for making the imposed lockdown successful and the NHS, which has done a commendable job in fighting the pandemic.
The United Kingdom is spearheading the research globally to develop a vaccine for Covid-19. The Cambridge-based pharmaceutical group, AstraZeneca Plc (LON:AZN), in collaboration with Oxford University is likely to develop and manufacture the vaccine of Covid-19 upon successful completion of clinical trials. The newly developed Covid-19 vaccine would be tested on more than a thousand people in the initial phases of clinical trials. The British PM, therefore, announced a resurrection plan which is likely to be in effect by next week to reboot the economy once the lockdown is eased, but with a caveat. Before the plan is implemented, there are five key conditions that the nation must fulfil.
The five key tests
The United Kingdom, as a nation needs to satisfy five key conditions before the revival strategy is put into effect. These are:
- The nations’ greatest asset, NHS and its ability to cope with the throughput must be protected
- The number of deaths in the United Kingdom should decrease
- The rate of infection by Covid-19 should decrease
- Testing across the UK should be continued, and the supply of PPE should not be disrupted
- The UK as a nation which must mitigate all the risks which can give rise to a second wave of the novel coronavirus
The most significant test is the fifth test. Nobody in the world can even imagine the amount of devastation that will happen if the coronavirus strikes back. According to health experts, the reproduction rate for the virus should not be greater than 1. The reproduction rate, known as R, implies the average number of people infected by one Covid-19 patient. This would help immensely in containing the spread of the virus to new people. As of now, the reproduction rate (R) lies in between 0.6 to 0.9 and is less than one. If the reproduction rate (R) goes past one, this could become a point of inflexion for exponential growth. If R is hovering around 1, the rise in the number of new patients would be slow but it could get a lot faster and the number of new infections would rise again, thereby creating a second wave of the pandemic. There is absolutely no margin for error in these critical times. The United Kingdom can now see some light at the end of the tunnel. The UK, as a nation, cannot afford to be complacent now.
Here is how the resurrection plan could work to reboot the economy
The comprehensive plan devised by the British government would be out by the next week to reopen businesses. The government is keen to control the damage to the economy due to lockdown induced by the Covid-19, and therefore expects businesses to resume operations if possible. The next announcement on lockdown is awaited on 7th May. If relaxed, the physical distancing rules and other safety procedures might still apply. The comprehensive plan is expected to be based on sector-specific dynamics.
For manufacturing facilities, where social distancing is not feasible, face to face contact should be avoided. The work surfaces which are used regularly by the workers must be sanitised frequently. The production would be done in shifts to prevent congestion and maintaining 2 metre distance rules shall be enforced. Similar guidelines are there for Cargo shipping and outdoor work such as farms and miners.
For retailers, observing physical distancing is a must. Supermarkets need to limit the access of walk-in customers to avoid congestion and deploying queue management systems to ensure physical distancing and adequate spacing between individuals. Also, they should request customers to refrain from panic buying in order to ensure accessibility to essentials for everyone. Inside the retail shops, the surfaces which are touched frequently would be disinfected regularly. In addition, floor markings should be done to indicate the distance between individuals in the queues. Wherever required, hand sanitisers should be placed.
For offices, the practice of work from home is likely to be extended. However, in offices where work from home is not feasible, people are expected to observe physical distancing and work timings would be flexed to avoid rush hours.
Delivery services have kept the country alive and kicking throughout the lockdown. They have made sure that the supplies are not impacted due to the pandemic outbreak. The delivery services would continue to deliver parcels at a safe distance from consumers.
Other important sectors such as the waste management, needs a proper framework to follow. In this business, observing physical distancing is always not feasible. Therefore, the businesses should time and again remind their employees to keep hygiene at all times, wash their hands for at least 20 seconds multiple times in a day or sanitise their hands. While in waste management activities, surfaces that are touched more often require regular sensitisation.
For other sectors such as Travel & Hospitality, it could take a lot of time for their revival. It will take time for the consumers to regain confidence for travelling.
