Lockdown will remain intact until jabs are administered far and wide - with government ministers repeatedly emphasising that the vaccine is our ticket out of here.
The development of vaccines at the tail-end of last year had injected some much-needed hope for the future, with many anticipating and expecting some brighter months ahead.
But any NYE good cheer was dampened quickly, with soaring cases forcing England to re-enter hibernation on January 4 to relieve pressure on the NHS.
Lockdown will remain intact until jabs are administered far and wide – with government ministers repeatedly emphasising that the vaccine is our ticket out of here.
Progress is good.
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More than 10 million people have received a jab so far, with the government on target to vaccinate the most at-risk people in Britain (care home staff and residents, those aged 70 or over, frontline workers and clinically vulnerable) by February 15.
The latest data has also shown that the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab has a “substantial” effect on transmission, and just a single dose could offer 76% protection three months on.
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Cases, too, are falling – with the rolling 7-day average down from nearly 60,000 positive tests to 21,000 in the space of a month.
Bernard Sharp / Geograph
The major obstacle to the road to normalcy is the emergence of new variants.
A strain found in South Africa is currently causing most concern, with scientists believing it may be more transmissible and slightly more resistant to vaccines (although formulas are in the process of being tweaked to ensure maximum effect).
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In the meantime, the government is focusing on ramping up the rollout with the aim of vaccinating every adult by the end of June, according to The Telegraph.
This optimism is also being shared by certain members of academia, with Professor Andrew Hayward, – expert in infectious disease epidemiology and inclusion health research at University College London – telling The Mirror that things could be looking up by the summer.
He stated: “Once the most vulnerable people, particularly those over-50 and those with chronic illnesses, are vaccinated then yes, I think we can see a significant return to normality.
“I think what we’ll see is a phased opening up as vaccination levels increase. Then we’ll be more or less back to normal for the summer, I would imagine.”
The Bank of England is also predicting the economy to bounce back at speed – claiming that GDP would “recover rapidly” throughout the course of 2021.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock has expressed hopes for a “great British summer”, which have been echoed by Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi.
David Dixon / Geograph
After a pretty torrid winter, the outlook for the UK appears to finally be improving, but there remains a huge question mark as to whether the virus will soon dwindle to tiny numbers like it has in nations such as New Zealand.
Strict border controls are also likely to remain in place for travel to any other nations where COVID variants emerge, and Dr Clare Wenham, assistant professor of global health policy at London School of Economics, said it could be another two or three years until complete normality is restored.
“This pandemic isn’t going to be over until it’s over globally,” she told Sky News.
“We’re still going to be living in some form of restrictions – travel restrictions, border controls – even when we’re vaccinated, until it’s over round the world. So there’s a real imperative to make sure that everybody round the world has at least minimum levels of vaccines at the same time.”
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Prof Helen Rees, who sits on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) committee for Covid-19, agreed that normal life was many months away.
She told the BBC: “I’m afraid to say… I think we are going to be well into next year before we see a change.
“The mask-wearing, the distancing – all of the measures that we have put in place – will have to continue.
“This virus is nasty and this virus knows how to change. If we want to get rid of it, my advice to the politicians is to continue what you are doing – to have these measures.”
Over the course of the next few weeks, it is likely we will begin to see a gradual lifting of lockdown measures across the UK.
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Schools are being tipped to return on March 8 in England – with Scotland already confirming a return for some pupils later this month.
The week of February 22 will bring us the next big update – as Boris Johnson unrolls his roadmap to exiting lockdown and announces what will reopen on which dates; including shops, pubs, gyms and hairdressers.
After this announcement, the fuzzy outlook for the rest of 2021 should come into sharper focus.
It may still involve face coverings and keeping a distance. But also far more freedom.
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Mix-up leaves tourists bound for Peak District on a day trip to… Rochdale
Daisy Jackson
Who needs rolling hills and country pubs when you could have *checks notes* roadworks and charity shops?
Well, that’s the situation two people ended up in recently after a mix-up rerouted their trip to the Peak District to Rochdale, of all places.
Thankfully seeing the funny side, Canadian TikTok creator Mackenzie shared a video of the day trip they got stuck with.
The pair of mates had been planning a trip to the honeypot town of Castleton in the Peak District, but accidentally ended up heading over to Castleton in Rochdale instead.
In the light-hearted clip, she says: “This is just a reminder to read the small print when you want to do a spontaneous trip. Because Margarita and I thought we were going to the Peaks, and this is where we are…” while panning to the sight of some roadworks.
She continued: “We thought we were going to see gorgeous green hills. Nope.
“Anyways, come with us on our Castleton Manchester, not Peak District adventure.”
They visited Springfield Park, went to a pub to eat onion rings (with a random giant dog staring at them), erm… went to a charity shop, and looked at some houses.
Okay so not quite the Peak District paradise they were picturing.
One person commented: “Absolutely howling. Come all the way from America to end up in Rochdale” (Mackenzie stressed in her reply that she lives in Manchester and also, is Canadian).
Another said: “It’s the Springfield park for me”
Someone else suggested: “Rochdale should rename all of its areas to encourage more tourists. Hahah”
Dying to know if these girls ever made it to Castleton, Derbyshire.
Travel warning issued as Manchester braces for busiest day of the year so far
Daisy Jackson
A ‘plan ahead’ travel warning has been issued for this weekend as the Manchester Marathon brings the busiest day of the year so far on the tram network.
Tens of thousands of people will hit the streets to take part in the race itself, with thousands more cheering them on from the sidelines.
This year’s Manchester Marathon route takes 36,000 runners through Sale, Stretford and Timperley before finishing up at a new finish line on Oxford Road – and there’ll be some big changes to your usual travel routes to accommodate this.
TfGM has said that Bee Network trams will be very busy before, during and after the 26.2 mile race, especially in Manchester and Trafford, with a number of road closures in place too.
Taking place on Sunday 27 April, the Manchester Marathon will coincide with Manchester’s popular St George’s Day parade which starts and ends across town around Oldham Road and Great Ancoats Street.
People are being encouraged to plan their journeys carefully this weekend, as it’s expected to be the busiest day of the year on the Bee Network trams.
The Manchester Marathon last year set a new personal best for the tram network, with 175,000 tram journeys racked up – the highest ever recorded on a single Sunday.
Trams will be the best choice to get around the Manchester Marathon course with key stops along the route including Sale, Timperley and Chorlton.
Many road closures will also be in place but at different times of day, so make sure you check HERE for the latest.
This will impact bus services, which will be on diversion from 8am until the end of service on Sunday, with traffic and congestion expected on surrounding roads.
Runners heading to the start line will only be able to access the athletes’ village from Old Trafford and Trafford Bar tram stops up until 9am. Participants arriving after 9am should get off at Wharfside or Exchange Quay instead.
Metrolink is promising to deploy as many double trams as possible across the network, with additional services between Piccadilly and Timperley.
As for other modes of transport, those who wish to drive should make us of Park and Ride facilities where possible; and those on the train should note that Salford Central remains closed with bus replacements in place.
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Director at TfGM said: “The Manchester Marathon is a highlight of the Manchester city centre calendar and our job is to make sure everyone can get to and from the event as smoothly as possible.
“We want everyone to have a great day – whether they are taking on the run themselves or cheering on a friend or loved one – and would urge people to plan their journey in advance, leave plenty of time and check the Bee Network app or website for the most up-to-date information.
“The start and finish lines will be especially busy so if you are coming to watch you may be better off catching the tram to Sale, Timperley or Chorlton, grabbing a coffee and claiming afront row seat to cheer runners on.
“Using public transport is the best way to avoid congestion and delays – and with Tap and Go contactless payments it’s never been easier or more seamless to get around Greater Manchester by bus and tram.”
Passengers can now travel seamlessly between bus and tram and pay for their journey by tapping on when boarding a bus without the need for a ticket, making it the quickest and easiest way to pay for travel.
People travelling on Bee Network buses on Marathon Day can simply tap in and pay £5 for the day on as many buses as they need and just £4.90 on the tram. You can use all Bee Network buses as much as you want all day from just £5.40*.
Kirsty Wilde, Operations Director, from Manchester Marathon organisers A.S.O. UK, said: “The TfGM tram service is an invaluable part of our event, which allows thousands of participants and supporters to navigate around the city. With a record-breaking 36,000 participants set to take part on Sunday 27th April – and more exciting activities taking place over the weekend as a whole – we’re anticipating a rise in tram journeys, which will subsequently bring economic benefits to local vendors, the hospitality sector, and retail businesses.
“We’d like to thank Transport for Greater Manchester for its continued hard work helping to facilitate what will be the largest event yet, and would also like to say a big thank you to the residents and businesses across Greater Manchester for their understanding and support.”
The Manc -
5th February 2021 
