The absolute stupidity of the current fear mongering is staggering.
Firstly this constant obsession with case numbers is very misplaced. It is hospital numbers, iCU numbers and deaths that is more important. You can argue they are linked, but recent figures indicate despite large variances in case number per day the hospital figures have remained much more constant. Lets keep in mind so far as we know we are not even talking about the new variant yet. Also we need more information of who is dying with Covid there is a big difference between a disease that can take anyone and one that is killing those who are very very ill in the first place. This may sound rather heartless but it all counts towards the irrational fear factor being generated of what is now a disease that has a death rate of 0.07%.
Secondly we are miles away from where we were at the start of 2020. We have stocks of PPE, ventilators, testing kits, drugs that treat cases (which still do work), and effective treatment regimes. Plus a massive vaccine uptake, and we are now not dumb enough to empty hospital beds into care homes. No variant will strip all of the away.
Thirdly we have no idea what the omicron variant can do. Yes it may be more virulent but if it is less deadly it does not really matter. Some say better act now than be sorry, if that is genuinely the case then the only effective measure we have come up with is closing the borders so why not do that.
Covid in now endemic and we will be living with it forever to do so we must get back to normal. Does this mean doing nothing, no. We have the vaccines rollouts. We must educate the vulnerable in being able to protect themselves (heck why not have Tuesday and Thursday morning for them to shop). For the rest of us we need to be able to make our own decisions and take our own risks. Keep an eye on hospital capacity and act when it is threatened but not before.
The current governments over reaction spreads panic, hurts businesses and livelihoods and does little to achieve anything. What is worse having children sitting in drafty cold classrooms is more of threat to their health than Covid is. Let alone restricting Doctor access and all of the other damage that has been wrought on the health service by cancelling everything at the first cough. Spreading half truths and rumors about a new variant is not helpful and is a vast over reaction. Since the last administration it seems we have gone backwards very quickly.