Unprecedented, unimaginable, unthinkable: a year ago no-one could have predicted the tragedy and upheaval that the Covid-19 pandemic would wreak in 2020.
But as the year draws to a close and Christmas approaches, the imminent prospect of a successful vaccine means that an end to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 appears to be in reach. Not just one, but three vaccines are on the point of gaining regulatory approval, and vaccination could start before the end of the year.
The extraordinary speed with which the vaccines were developed is a testament to the skill, expertise and collaborative work of scientists, researchers and industry, and it’s heartening to refl ect that the Oxford/AstraZenca vaccine was developed here in the UK.
But the story is not over yet. There are considerable logistical hurdles to get over before a mass vaccination programme can be introduced. The second phase of lockdowns and restrictions around the UK has driven the rate of infection down, but now is not the time to throw caution to the winds. England emerged from national lockdown on 2 December to enter a stricter version of the three-tier system which will remain until March, with the aim of sustaining the downward pressure.
This means, as the CBI pointed out, that many businesses continue to face a tough outlook. The organisation’s acting director general Josh Hardie welcomed greater consistency and clarity in the new rules, which would which help support business planning and protect jobs, but he added that “the speed of recovery will depend on the resilience of firms”.
Business failures continue to be a risk in many sectors. Hardie called for details of regional tiers to be regularly reviewed. “Further commitment to financial support will still be needed for thousands of struggling companies – particularly those in higher tiers still looking into the precipice,” he said.
He also called for a six-week blitz on mass rapid testing, which “could be a game changer”, urging caution over Christmas to avoid “an economic hangover in January”.
Few would dispute his call for a calm, consistent and co-ordinated approach.
But with restraint over the next few weeks, there is good reason to be confident of a gradual return to something approaching normality from around spring next year.
In this spirit, on behalf of everyone at Maintenance & Engineering, we’d like to wish you the compliments of the season and a happier, more successful and more prosperous New Year, in which everyone can once again enjoy the company of friends and family as we start to rebuild and repair the economic damage.