Local lockdowns based on arbitrary figures are punishing England's poorest | Carl Heneghan
The coronavirus watchlist system is a new version of an old rule: people given the least protection are the ones who need it the most
As a general practitioner, Julian Tudor Hart lived and worked in south Wales. He pioneered much of what now constitutes modern routine preventive care, seeking out those most in need. His research from the 1960s onwards in Welsh mining communities showed that medical care was often not available to those with greatest need: the most deprived in society. Today we are seeing a corollary to this with the imposition of restrictive Covid-19 lockdown measures that target the most deprived - those who can least afford to endure them. The government has now announced trial payments for some people on low incomes who must self-isolate, but more is required.
The watchlist figure ignores the impact of the disease. Many who test positive will have a low risk of transmission
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