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Private sector Public Health to get shops open

Simon Gibbs has a suggestion for a way forward

We have been under house arrest now for 10 months. I think now is the time to demand a little bit of libertarianism.

Some of you might disagree with me over details of the science which I wrote about on Samizdata, but I am sure most of you agree that you want to be let out of your house and that you are willing to do something about it.

I have been watching the debate over Coronavirus response and it seems too binary. One side says let us out, the other says they can’t – we’ll die, or our mums will. The Government is following the science, says one, the Government isn’t doing enough, says another. This is immature.

What is missing is serious discussion of what the people could do to make themselves safe. Handwashing and masks feel like small-minded details, and plainly that message is not making any more free, or much safer.

Many of us are advocates for privately run social infrastructure. I am advocating, in plain sight of my employer, a bit of privately managed Public Health infrastructure. A system, or an agreement really, that if a business that is otherwise unsafe (by mainstream opinion) to be open in a pandemic might choose to run Public Health screening – a testing program – at it’s own front door. That it might, without compulsion, use a bit of cheap technology to reduce the risks for its customers of coming into its premises.

The petition wording is not entirely of my creation, it was edited by the petitions team after a long delay. I didn’t want to specify what kind of test would be used. I’m sure I don’t know enough about tests, or enough about the businesses that might benefit. Gyms, theatres, beauty salons, conference venues, and hotels are examples of businesses I think might benefit but it is not for me to decide. Nor is it for the Government to decide.

All I am asking is that if a business wants to have a serious go at keeping customers safe (or even safer, if you prefer), then it should be up to the people involved to set that up and make that happen.

If we demand this freedom, we might get it. If we don’t then it is likely all of us will need to wait until everyone over 50 is vaccinated. That is too long already. Please support this demand by signing the petition.

6 comments to Private sector Public Health to get shops open

  • Paul Marks

    I signed the petition some time ago.

    But the international establishment will have a question.

    “How does this help built a Corporate State, Stakeholder Capitalism, in the name of Sustainable Development?”

    If the answer is “it does not” then they will not really be interested.

    Remember sufficient Vitamin D reduces your chances of developing the disease by about 50%.

    And there are Early Treatments for the disease that reduce hospitalisations by about 80%.

    Are Western Governments and major Corporations telling the public these basic facts? No they are not – because that would not help the agenda of creating a Corporate State, Stakeholder Capitalism, in the name of Sustainable Development.

    On a totally unrelated matter….

    The FBI person who was given the evidence of Hunter Biden’s child sex activities is now dead.

    Doing nothing did not save his life.

  • Thanks for signing Paul.
    There is one more thing you could do to help. I’m not sure if it will overcome the disincentives you talk about but it might help.

    The petition needs to get to 10,000 signatures in the next 16 days to be considered before the next formal review of Coronavirus rules. Sharing it widely is the best way I can think of to achieve that. Parish newsletters, social media, private WhatsApp groups, local and national newspapers etc. It needs to get everywhere.

  • Paul Marks

    Simon – I think I did share it. But I not sure I did – so I may share it on Twitter again.

    However, some good news for you.

    Now the virus has served its purpose of pushing a Corporate State (Stakeholder Capitalism in the name of Sustainable Development) the international lockdowns are likely to be dropped anyway.

    Remember they were never really about Public Health.

  • Paul Marks

    There you are Simon – I have shared it on Twitter and Facebook.

    A bit moderate for me (as I believe that all enterprises should be open – regardless of all this) – but there we go.

  • John B

    ‘ What is missing is serious discussion of what the people could do to make themselves safe.’

    Safe… compared to what?

    What is missing is knowledge and understanding of what the virus is and how it behaves.

    What is missing is knowing that fit young people under age 70 ARE safe from serious disease, compared to influenza which afflicts young and old, or compared to a journey by car.

    95% of people over 70 are safe from serious disease. 95% of deaths occur around average age of 80 in moribund people with comorbidity.

    Making yourself safe from evil spirits means acceptance that evil spirits exist.

    What is missing… isn’t discussion, it is people informing themselves, critical thought, risk assessment and not believing that evil spirits exist just because Government and its Shaman say so.

  • I expect people realise they are locked down for the over 80s, despite BBC efforts to amplify the sense of personal peril for everyone (following policy decided by SAGE).

    Arguing that lockdown is not about your age group has already been tried and was never acceptable (“granny killer” etc) I was a little surprised Focused Protection didn’t get more momentum, although I notice the vaccine rollout effectively gives us focused protection already.

    The mainstream analysis is we stay locked up until the over 50s are vaccinated because otherwise there will be spread to that age bracket. The insight I am offering up is that there is a more appealing way to do the same thing.