Richard Branson says vaccines and mandatory indoor masks are the answer to Covid

Sir Richard Branson said he believed vaccines and other Covid-19 precautions, such as mandatory indoor face coverings, were key to preventing the spread of the virus, rather than “damaging locks “.

Writing on his blog on the Virgin website, Sir Richard spoke out against lockdowns and ‘tit for tat’ travel bans and said he believed vaccines, masks and daily measures were the key. way to live with Covid.

The mogul condemned “more damaging closures and head-to-head travel bans” for their effects on countries’ economic health and people’s mental health.

He added that when the virus first emerged, little was known and therefore the lockdowns were ‘understandable’, but the data now suggested that those eligible should get vaccinated and boosted ‘then move on. “.

He criticized governments for “failing to look at the whole picture” and said that closures, “unnecessary” quarantines and travel bans “were destroying small businesses and livelihoods, especially in sectors such as hotels and travel “.

He expressed concern about the impact of blockages on mental health, citing an Australian study from the state of Victoria, which had been “subjected to the longest and hardest blockages in the country”, had known a spike in mental health problems compared to other parts of the country.

He said he and his family had all received their booster doses of the vaccine and urged those eligible to receive a booster as well.

Sir Richard also highlighted the issue of global vaccine inequality.

Sir Richard also highlighted the issue of global vaccine inequality in his blog on the Virgin website.

“The current inequality of vaccines is unacceptable, as low-income countries are much less likely to have access to vaccines, let alone adequate distribution systems,” he said.

He added that this left low-income countries vulnerable, putting “already fragile” economies under pressure and pushing “more people into poverty”.

“The pandemic cannot end without a unified global response ensuring access to vaccines for all, otherwise the virus will continue to be one step ahead of us, leading to new variants that could possibly elude our current generation. vaccines, “he added.

Sir Richard said that having lost his mother, Eve, to the virus, who had lived to be 90 and had “the most extraordinary life”, he knew she would not have wanted to “prevent the other generations to build their own wonderful lives’.