Are we looking at lockdown round three?

12th October 2021

By James Davis

(Image courtesy of Unsplash)

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of InQuire Media

As we enter the cold winter months, a sense of cautious optimism remains amongst the student population of the UK in hope of a year of somewhat normalcy relative to the disastrous previous year. Yet these hopes could be shattered with the threat of a potential third lockdown in the upcoming winter if Covid-19 begins to take a turn for the worse. As students, many of us have only fully began to regain structure in our lives again and the threat of a third lockdown could potentially strip away the freedom we have only just briefly got.

Many of us clearly remember that around this time last year the situation was in far dire straits than it is now. The free-flowing approach towards the Covid-19 situation last year has dramatically changed for the better as the government has set out two clear winter plans to avoid returning into lockdown.

Under plan A it is the intention to not bring about any additional restrictions and to allow public institutions to remain open. An emphasis has been placed on the role of vaccinations and booster jabs to help ensure immunity. The vaccination roll out has generally been a success with about 90% of over 16s having their first vaccine dose and more than 82% of over 16s having had both doses.

If ‘Plan A’ does not come into effect the government has outlined ‘Plan B’ which will reintroduce mask mandates, vaccine passports and urging caution. As for many of us these plans come with a grain of salt as we have all previously been told of strategic plans set out by the government not coming into fruition. But most of all we are aware that the unpredictability of the virus is something no one can control.

Above all else, mental health issues have multiplied exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic, and the threat of a third lockdown brings back painful memories for many. Given that it has been reported that almost two thirds of students stated that their mental health has worsened due to the pandemic a robust and comprehensive mental health service is not only needed from the NHS in preparation for the possibility of a third lockdown but from universities all over the UK now more than ever before.

The fact that only just over 38% of students were satisfied with the aid of mental health services across the UK reveals more needs to be done to ensure that students get the adequate support they deserve. Whilst it is important to return to a sense of normalcy it is also important to remember that not everybody can achieve the same level of normalcy as others in these difficult times.

Rather than fearing the disease as many of us did this time last year, this fear has been replaced far more so by a sense of anxiety, not necessarily of catching the virus, but of the threat of disruption to our daily lives. This disruption for students can be the difference between breaking the path chosen in life onto further education or following dreams into lifelong careers. We now live in a world where the new normal is at a point of fragility where another lockdown for many could potentially break the crumbling pillar of public fatigue.

A glaring dilemma we currently face is the risk of the NHS being potentially overwhelmed under the pressure of rising cases during the upcoming winter. The foundations of the NHS were clearly shook to its core, and almost brought to its knees, in the previous few months and the risk of this happening again forms the core reasoning for a potential third lockdown in the winter. The NHS was struggling massively prior to the arrival of Covid-19, and with its catastrophic dent on the already shaky foundations of the health service the question remains whether this winter the NHS can stave off another onslaught of Covid cases if they do increase.

We currently find ourselves part of the government’s own failure to act and help the crises ridden NHS prior to the pandemic and for that we face the threat of remaining in a state of limbo, not for the sake of saving lives as such, but for the sake of saving the NHS. The responsibility to ensure that we avert another lockdown falls upon us yet the accountability for this mess should still fall squarely on the shoulders of the government and its lack of preparation and inadequate care of the NHS.

It is important to remember that not everything is all doom and gloom. The likelihood of a full nationwide lockdown remains low due to the success of mass vaccination, and the prospect of students having to return to the same levels of restrictions as before is just as unlikely. So, as we enter this new normal, we find ourselves faced with constant challenges to our fragile stability, yet it is through the collective efforts of vaccination and moral support that we will prevail to a stronger sense of routine in the coming months.