So, yes, this is a comparison againt January last year, pre-pandemic. I'm in no way a brexiteer, but I do wish people wouldn't do lead articles with such easily

So, yes, this is a comparison againt January last year, pre-pandemic. I'm in no way a brexiteer, but I do wish people wouldn't do lead articles with such easily refutable arguments. But of course, this is the Guardian - they know their audience, they know who they're talking to and aren't too interested in persuading someone from outside their half of the bubbleverse.