The Gambler: Matt Hancock will gamble with all of our lives by allowing hugging privileges
British people are ecstatic to learn that they may at some point in the future get their hugging privileges restored.
However, many think that allowing people to hug is a radical and dangerous step which could open up a whole new can of germs.
Matt Hancock today confirmed people in England will be able to hug their family from May 17 under Boris Johnson’s lockdown exit strategy.
The Health Secretary said that by that date the most vulnerable groups in society will have had both doses of their coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for social contact rules to be eased.
He admitted May 17 is ‘sometime off’ but he insisted ‘that is the earliest that we thought it was safe to be able to take that step’.
Everyone in the top four most vulnerable groups – all those aged over 70 – has already been offered a first dose.
Second doses will be offered no more than 12 weeks after first doses which means the top four cohorts will have received both doses by mid-May.
Mr Hancock said that is why the Government is proposing to ease social distancing to allow hugging of non-household family members in step three of Mr Johnson’s roadmap which is pencilled in for May 17.
I urge the government to be careful. We can go too fast into hugging.
Maybe we could start allowing people to wink at each other first?
Human affection is in itself a disease that needs to be stamped out.