Did 300,000 break the rules?
According to a story that the BBC is running, as many of us as 300,000 could have broken the self-quarantining rules over the Spring.
If 300,000 broke the rules how many followed them?
Some media outlets are using this to suggest that the monitoring of these people whilst in isolation was inefficient which, on the face of it, seems to be the case.
But then, could any person be tracked 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the period?
Isn't it a case that we were trusted to do the right thing and that some chose not to do so?
In fact only those who refused to assist, said they would break the rules or couldn't be contacted after three attempts were referred for investigation.
It should be said that although the cases are yet to be proven so it is quite possible that the number is smaller than suggested. But equally it could be that the number is greater because during the tracking period, those being tracked were lucky enough to have been available when the trackers contacted.
We also will remain unaware of those who might have evaded self-isolation by making their journey via countries not on the amber list.
So we will never know how many people did break the rules.
We also don't yet know how many people travelled abroad over the summer although it is suggested that about a million people arrived from amber list countries during the Spring. So we don't know whether the figures represent 30% as might be the worst case scenario or something smaller.
But in a trust system there will be people who disobey.
I'm certainly not condoning their action; in some cases they may have contracted the virus and passed it to others unintentionally. They deserve criticism for not thinking of others.
But I can understand that in our society, not everyone would have obeyed the rules.
What we should be happy about is that most people did followed them.
Another day, another rule
Disunited kingdom – at least in travel
Travel changes start
Tags: self-isolation on returning home, self-quarantine rules, UK