It’s time for the prime minister to level with us: the Covid situation is not looking good

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Just tell us, Boris Johnson! (Getty)

With the lifting of lockdown likely delayed for a month, I want to ask: why set a date? People have been led to believe that the country is on course to meet its targets, so were making arrangements and plans on that basis. This is of course particularly true for businesses, which would have spent time and resources planning to reopen, losing money they cannot really afford.

The lesson we should learn is not to set a date for lifting restrictions, because in effect it is meaningless. What the government should say is, when all the indications are that it is safe to lift restrictions, we will announce a date to remove some, if not all, of them. Then we can all plan for the future. At least the government would not be setting up false hope.

Finally I wish the government and the experts would unite in telling us that Covid and its subsequent variants are going nowhere and that lockdowns and restrictions, resulting in further lost industry and jobs, are a real possibility. As with everything, the people, if they know what they are facing, will adapt and survive. We are more capable and resilient than our political leaders.