Whatever measures are put in place they are only ever to delay, not eradicate, the virus. It seems absolutely obvious to me that the tier system was trying to do just that; the virus will spread, people will get it, people will die from it, but by putting measures in place to slow it it stops services being overwhelmed locally. The disproportionate financial repercussions of the 'full' lockdown seen earlier this year, when ultimately that too is only a delay tactic, means that really should be a last resort when services look likely to not be able to cope. At the moment they seem to be coping just fine, if the worst if the predictions come true that'll obviously not be the case forever.
It's not nice, but viruses are natural things, death is a natural thing. Noone ever saves a life, you only delay a death.
