By using the term ‘control’ at the centre of its new approach to the COVID-19 crisis the British government has accepted that we cannot fully suppress the virus, at least until effective vaccines are available. It has therefore taken the view that a staged return to work will be essential over the next few months to avoid a slump of historic proportions. It has decided to treat the cost in lives as a necessary consequence.
Whether this policy shift is accepted is questionable but the central problem for the government has been its overall handling of the crisis so far. This has been a series of disasters, even though the UK was one of the last major European states to recognise the dangers and had more time to prepare. Indeed, it is now seen across the world as failing in its handling of the crisis, an outcome that contrasts markedly from previous claims to be a world leader.
Take the UK Biological Security Strategy, published in July 2018, as an example. The foreword starts: “Significant outbreaks of disease are among the highest impact risks faced by any society – threatening lives and causing disruption to public services and the economy.”
