Dr Stephen Davies, Head of Education at the IEA, has written an article for The Telegraph, explaining why future Covid policies must be made based on a rational risk assessment. Stephen accepts that the national lockdowns last year were rational as the risk of overwhelming the NHS by allowing the virus to spread was greater than the need to close major parts of the economy.

However, now we have a working vaccine, and other non-Covid illnesses are beginning to put pressure on the NHS, the government must be careful not to over value the risk of a winter Covid spike.

Stephen said: “When that balance shifts we should reassess the odds and change our behaviour. The Government has made several such bets, as have we all. Some worked, others have not. The balance has now shifted and the costs of continued controls and lockdowns are mounting, overtaking those of not imposing such a policy“.

Read the full article here.