Road Map: making sense of it

It's been a fairly bright mild week with a fair amount of sunshine about, heck I even saw the first wasp of the year yesterday morning AND I had to fend him off my torque  liking it's bright colours but really there's only been one major thing on peoples minds this week.

The much talked about Roadmap  for leaving the Covid restrictions not least the lockdown was signed off by the UK Government's cabinet before being announced in the House of Commons, Monday followed by a televised address in the Evening.

Because of devolution, the Scottish Parliament, The Welsh Assembly government goverment and the Northern Ireland Assembly all have their own differing versions of it so this just plan applies to England.

You might think Public Health would be better run across the whole of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as one but nationalist politics don't favour it and as a Unionist I feel that doing things separately causes needless problems around travel and quarantine arrangements we all don't need.

For the first full month for most of us little happens beyond those in  regular Primary and Secondary Education including Further Education and a handful of those in University who actually need face to face tuition and practical work.

People in care homes can have one registered visitor which is something many have been lacking since all this started last March and deserves a welcome.

Social distancing as in 2 metres apart, masks etc stays until we're told any different.

While this "road map" has dates unlike a well known broadcaster you should note the dates are Indicative (look it up) being when it is expected things may change BUT the final go ahead will be reviewed a week before on the basis of data and scientific advice first.

It is NOT a timetable of the sort that say on one date we WILL do this regardless cos that's what is written for that date.

It is expected on March 29th the first of a series of phased rule changes  allowing of more social contacts such as gatherings in peoples gardens, the "stay at home" message changing to "Stay local" will come in and outdoor organized sports will be allowed to resume but do stay tuned to the announcements first.

By July it is anticipated things will be more normal but some measures such as face coverings and the likely need for ongoing vaccination programs to run will more likely than not to remain.

While foreign travel is seen as potentially possible no earlier than May 17th, do bear in mind a few things such as much of continental Europe is very behind vaccinations compared to us and has high infection rates so they may not want you and you might well bring any local forms of infection with you both to their country and from it.

It is possible some countries may want proof of Vaccination if they were to allow you in because actually every countries first duty is to protect its own people first and until anything is said to the contrary, you will still need to do your isolation in hotel here on arrival at your own expense.

You might was well get that in your noggin and look at staying in the UK instead!

The virus isn't going away: What is happening is through vaccination, transmission is being reduced person to person significantly and the impact of any infection hugely reduced when it comes to developing it in people so we're all safer, safe enough we expect by the summer to have less restrictions and more of a near normal life back.

You have to do your part and be a part of the solution to getting things back to where we'd all like them to be in what has been a challenging and very scary year.