If we learn from mistakes, we can look ahead to better times, says Sheffield insurance boss

In fact, the regular media briefings are almost blending into the background like the weather forecasts as we go about living our lives.

Our stamina is tested further as we are bombarded with statistics, graphs and slogans reinforcing the Government’s communications which have the potential to confuse as much as communicate the restrictions at that moment in time, as they change almost as regularly as weather.

Two lessons come to mind...

Firstly, we are and always have been crucial in our own health and wellbeing and in this congested island have to accept our behaviour impacts on that of others also.

After all, there is universal acceptance of smoking in workplaces and bars etc being prohibited.

Also we rely on our elected representatives to take relevant actions to provide an environment where we can live, study work and play safely.

Our responsibilities it seems to ourselves and others is to social distance, wash hands and wear masks where advised, bearing in mind some still don’t accept the need for these restrictions, or even the existence of the pandemic.

On the other hand, the authorities have promoted how crucial testing is to protect us and target restrictions and resources to achieve this.

It begs the question why have so many of us have found booking a test so difficult and this runs a risk that this undermines the whole strategy.

Not only, that many have out found walk-in centres have been closed or severely restricted.

With cases increasing even before winter takes hold, surely, if testing is so crucial, we have to put easily accessible facilities in place with a speedy turn around of results.

We got off to a poor start in winning the hearts and minds of the population with the initial alleged shortages of personal protective equipment.

As we enter winter, we can expect the lessons to be learnt and all the resources the government need to deploy put in place, utilising local intelligence and expertise.

There is a lot of good sense around. If our leaders give us clear leadership and common sense advice, we will respond.

The motivation for all of us to do this is to save jobs, open our economy, protect our schools and avoid unnecessary deaths.

If we learn the lessons of the first phase of the pandemic and accept the inevitable mistakes given its unprecedented nature, we can look forward to better times.

We now don’t need reminding health and the economy are inextricably linked.

Keeping fit is in all our interests and our personal responsibility within the context provided by our leaders.