Maintaining our economy is essential

People need jobs - cash, routine, social interaction. Jobs also mean taxes are paid to fund our schooling, NHS and vital services. It is fabulous how the state has stepped up to support businesses in the short term but it is not affordable, nor sustainable for the businesses beyond short term. We must minimise the impact on the economy and safeguard jobs by getting back to work asap. Work will need to carried out differently to minimise risk but we have to accept some risk. Total safety would be disastrous for our economy and quality life.

Why the contribution is important

Some very difficult decisions to be made balancing up health, social wellbeing and economy. There is no perfect answer and I would not like to be making such huge decisions. We need to aim to maintain a quality of life for the majority including the vulnerable. We cannot aim to save every life as, if we self isolate for too long, we will lose our whole way of life. We need to move forward to a new status quo funded by the economy, businesses & jobs.

by ramsay10 on May 10, 2020 at 11:53AM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.4
Based on: 25 votes

Comments

  • Posted by petermuir79 May 10, 2020 at 12:06

    100% agree.
    We cannot remain in lockdown for another 6 weeks.......6 months.....6 years.

    There is no vaccine coming, we need to accept that.

  • Posted by Broaderpicture May 10, 2020 at 12:15

    We need to learn to live with this virus and accept a certain level of risk until either a treatment or vaccine is found.

  • Posted by JLMBD May 10, 2020 at 12:16

    So how many preventable deaths is acceptable? As long as it isn't someone YOU love of course. We are still paying taxes. Many businesses are functioning with working from home. Some careful planning to enable some categories of business to restart with social distancing will come before long but to just open up the economy and let everyone out would mean all the weeks of struggling to prevent the spread of the virus would be worthless. All our efforts and dealing with hard times would be chucked in the bin. Better to finish what we started and follow the science.

  • Posted by annefitzpatrick May 10, 2020 at 12:18

    The economy is essential, if we are to fund our public services, NHS, welfare, the whole fabric of society as we know it then people need to work. The lockdown was to save lives and the NHS, but crashing our economy and making the healthy stay at home was a huge mistake because no money, no NHS funding and the effects of the lockdown on people's mental health, physical health, will cause more problems and have a longer lasting effect than this virus, which will burn out. Other sensible measures should be put in place. Handwashing, a certain amount of social distancing, isolation at home if you have symptoms. Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze. We need to follow tried and tested sound science as in the past when there has been a pandemic (2009 Swine flu). Handwashing etc. has alway proven to cut infection rates for many infections. Humanity has had to deal with adapting viruses since we first enountered them. Getting immunity is the answer, especially in the young, they need a well developed immune system. If we don't have that then we become more prone to disease in general. Further lockdowns are not the answer, infection spikes are a consequence of lockdown and only prolong the trajectory of the virus. We cannot be protected from every disease that is going to come our way. We cannot protect everyone, sad as that is.

  • Posted by Andy89 May 10, 2020 at 12:35

    Lives over money every time. We invented money, we're a slave to it. All we really have is our lives and now we must choose plastic of the ones we love and our own lives? We can print money forever, but we only get one shot at life.

  • Posted by lynr May 10, 2020 at 12:45

    I agree. When lockdown is locking away a healthy work force instead of protecting those people who need and want shielding it’s not sensible.
    Life is never without risk for any of us.
    But this strategy is killing people too. People who need transplants, cancer treatment and life saving NHS care and screening.

  • Posted by amanda67 May 10, 2020 at 13:01

    I agree . The Government has done a good job of trying to support folk financially through a difficult time, but the economy is also important, and where people can work safely they should be encouraged to do so as soon as possible. The private sector economy is important because it is what ultimately supports the NHS and all other public services.
    I don't think that it is feasible to carry on paying folk to stay at home.
    I think it is reasonable to have regional differences in easing restrictions. Life in the Highlands and Islands is very different from life in Glasgow. People are clever enough to understand the differences and implications.

  • Posted by AJClubb May 10, 2020 at 13:01

    I support all of these comments

  • Posted by Johnjul May 10, 2020 at 13:25

    Agree! Coronavirus is with us. The public need to accept that we cannot save everyone.
    The vulnerable can choose to shield, many older people already retired so easily done. Others can work from home or work at their place of work at quiet times.
    Let healthy people get on with their lives.

  • Posted by OldDeuteronomy May 10, 2020 at 13:36

    100% agreed. There is indeed no perfect solution although there will be very many more non-Covid related deaths coming to the fore if we continue as we are for much longer. The economy needs kick-starting and life needs to return to a semblance of normal, and this should be perfectly possible whilst still shielding the more vulnerable in our society.

  • Posted by JanS20025 May 10, 2020 at 13:53

    100% agree. Shield the vulnerable and get schools back. The long term economic damage will be greater than the virus.

  • Posted by insideright May 10, 2020 at 13:57

    The damage currently being wrought upon the economy can only continue for so long before it starts manifesting itself through more socially destructive means than the “livable with” ones that we are experiencing at the moment.

  • Posted by glee67 May 10, 2020 at 14:34

    I agree - I have to be able to work to make money to pay rent. What other choice do I have? Will I end up homeless?
    Economy needs to recover ASAP

  • Posted by Rolca321 May 11, 2020 at 19:14

    Agree with many of the comments above. The banks are clearly not supporting businesses and households quickly enough.

    Why not introduce “helicopter money” to each household- e.g. £1000 per adult cash payment to help society get moving again? Seems to have worked in the US and Hong Kong so far.
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