A stiff penalty for flouting the rules

A Chinese man in the southwestern province of Guangxi has recently been sentenced to a suspended 2-years in prison and a fine of 200’000 yuan ($31’000) for flouting the Covid-19 rules: After a business trip to Vietnam he and his fellow travellers tested positive for the Delta-variant and were quarantined. The culprit, however, sneaked out of the hotel room to meet with friends and failed to disclose that he had Covid.

Not that I feel sorry for the chap, and I think the Chinese got it right: People who flout the rules should be severely punished, not least as a deterrent to others. More than 18 months into the pandemic, the resolve to adhere to restrictions such as wearing masks is diminishing. Only a few days ago my wife was told by staff in her local M&S store that a few days earlier a chap had brazenly entered the premises not wearing a suitable face covering yet telling everyone that he had Covid. And during my last visit in London in August I had noticed myself that many passengers on London Underground were not wearing masks – and weren’t being challenged by London Transport staff (for those not in the know: The British government had lifted the nationwide obligation of wearing a mask on public transport, leaving the local authorities in charge (although wearing a mask is now again mandatory everywhere). The Mayor of London, however, had always stipulated (and rightly so, I think) that masks still must be worn when traveling on London Transport.

Covid infection levels are rising again all over Europe and a number of countries such as Austria and Germany have already announced new measures, restricting at least the movement of the unvaccinated and, in the case of Austria, even going into a full (the fourth) lockdown again for up to 20 days. Switzerland in early November launched an initiative to motivate the inoculated to get their jabs albeit with moderate success: All costs taken into consideration, each of these additional vaccinations cost the authorities some CHF 4’000. Austria, moreover, makes the Covid-vaccination mandatory for its population from 1 February of next year (only 66% of its population are at present inoculated, the lowest percentage in western Europe) and intends to fine €3600 people who still refuse to get the jab (and €1450 those who are vaccinated but refuse the booster). The European Union does the same, but much more subtly: According to a tabled proposal, vaccination certificates should shortly only be valid for 9 instead of 12 months for travel into and within the bloc. You don’t want to get vaccinated (or get the booster)? No problem, but we’ll restrict your personal liberties…

As we are heading into the winter months and the festive season, these developments are worrying. Will we be able to celebrate this year with family and friends? Being vaccinated is no guarantee that we won’t catch the bug (two close family members in London just got tested positive despite being fully vaccinated and having had their booster jabs), but at least the vaccination substantially reduces the risk of falling ill or, god forbid, having to be hospitalised. So from this perspective I wholeheartedly support strict (yes, to a degree dictatorial) measures and stiff fines for the recalcitrant. Even more so now, that the Omicron variant has been identified and the first countries already announced measures to curtail travel.