Impact on daily life

Impact 25^th November
The Government broke the law in taking away the rights of children who are in care.   In April, the Education Secretary pushed through an emergency changes due to the virus, but these were illegal. The Government was taken to court and the judges said the Government was wrong.  They changed the timescales for social-worker visits to children in care,  the six-month reviews of children’s welfare, checks on children’s homes and supervision of adoption decisions for babies and children. They also stopped disabled children having short breaks. 
BBC investigated Kent where the virus cases have risen a lot and where there is supposed to be lockdown.  People said “what lockdown?”  One person said: “I just think if the masks and the distancing and hand sanitising work, what’s the need for a lockdown?  And it just doesn’t make sense, they change the rules all the time.  And the general public, we just think: ‘they don’t know what they are doing, so why should we comply?  They seem clueless.”  Ordinary people have lost trust in the Government.
Debenhams thinks it may have to close 60 stores next year. That will affect thousands of workers.  The stores are not making a profit during the pandemic.
Price rises on PPE.  The National Audit Office (they check on Government finances) looked at the price of PPE in 2019 compared to the prices the UK Government paid in March and April this year.  Because of bad planning, they had a shortage in March and so they had to rush out and buy.  Prices went up because of demand.  They say it cost £12billion more for the PPE in 2020 compared to 2019 .. for the same equipment.