I am distinctly concerned – not to say alarmed – at the change of mood in the country. People are out and about, not in their usual numbers but still there are a lot of folk abroad, walking and talking, sitting in the park, sunbathing, hanging out. It’s harder every day to practise social distancing and even though the supermarkets are still being quite rigorous, the customers often aren’t. In the park yesterday no-one was wearing a mask and in Sainsbury’s someone came past me very close, not wearing a mask and giving me no chance to avoid them.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where this is coming from. If you tell people the rules are relaxed and to use their common sense, to go back to work but not use public transport (how?) if you change the warning signs from red to green, not even bothering with amber, people are going to think oh, that’s all right then. Everything’s back to normal. And since the government have told people to stay vigilant they can basically wash their hands of whatever happens because it’s Not Their Fault. They warned us, after all.
But no matter what anyone says I’m staying home till I’m sure it’s all over – which as they found in 1966, is not when everyone thinks it’s all over. The whistle hasn’t blown yet, so I’m staying locked down, safe at home with my lockdown locks.
Because C19 is not all over – it’s all over the world. And that’s the difference.
Kirk out
Sarada Gray 