Delay in lockdown caused more coronavirus deaths in England: Report

The delay in winter lockdown has led to around 27,000 extra deaths in England as per a think tank report. The Resolution Foundation report has mentioned it as the government's huge mistake to not announce lockdown when the COVID-19 cases were being reported in large numbers in the country. According to the report, delays in lockdown also meant that they subsequently had to be tighter and longer-lasting. 

Delay in lockdown caused more deaths

In the report, the economists observed where the government failed and where it delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The report said that the restrictions should have been placed quickly enough to prevent the death rate from rising from early December. As quoted by The Guardian, Mike Brewer, the chief economist of the foundation said the delay in lockdown has been a 'disaster' that caused unavoidable deaths. The report detailed how Italy announced a lockdown on 9 March 2020 but Prime Minister Boris Johnson waited two weeks. In September, when there was a surge in cases and scientists had advised for lockdown, the government neglected. 

Vaccination programme in UK

In the report, the UK government has been praised for its vaccination programme. The report described that the UK was the first country to start a clinically-approved vaccination programme on 8th December. The country is delivering jabs three times faster than Europe, giving 25 million people their first dose. All the adults aged 50 and above will be vaccinated by early April in the UK. 

The success of the past year has been the delivery of the Government’s economic policy, particularly by HM Treasury, HMRC and DWP, report mentioned. As per the report, The UK is heading into a recession and the average fall in GDP in the UK is 4 per cent, equivalent to £2,500 per household, while the average increase in unemployment is 1 million. The workers who are low earners and younger workers who worked in sectors fully or partly shut were the most affected during the lockdown.

Poorer households have faced the brunt of health and economic crises. Over £186 billion in emergency Covid-19 support has directly supported households and firms via the furlough scheme, benefits uplift and grants for companies and the self-employed. The income of household remained flat despite the economy during the past year experiencing its biggest contraction in over 300 years. Savings have increased during the crisis as restrictions have prevented higher-income households from spending on social gatherings. But, the poorest of households are 50 per cent more likely to have seen their savings deteriorate rather than rise during the crisis.