It is all but concluded that lockdown is over. With places of hospitality open alongside non-essential shops, widespread protests occurring against racial injustice and families jetting overseas, our time spent indoors has finished. Indeed, the government message is designed around encouraging people to eat out. While people haven’t fully recognised the economic and health consequences of lockdown, ministers will present - for as long as possible - positive messages surrounding ‘Eating Out to Help Out’ and visiting Europe without quarantining upon return to Old Blighty.
I don’t know whether the end of lockdown will lead to a second spike of cases. From what I’ve read, the world is still in the first wave of coronavirus cases. The rise of new cases in America and Australia is all part of the current trend facing the world since the end of December. In Europe, so far, there have been few reports of new cases increasing as the economies have opened up, which must be welcomed, both for the sake of people’s health and the economy. However, this all links to testing. If fewer tests are done of individuals, fewer cases of coronavirus can be detected. In the worst case scenarios, fewer patients will be registered as having died with or of coronavirus. President Trump recognised and stated this in a most shameful way, asking individuals to slow the rate of testing simply to present himself as an individual managing the pandemic effectively. In the UK, the number of tests hasn’t been released for weeks. Yet it is testing, tracing and isolating new cases that will be key to giving people the confidence to eat out. I was both pleased and worried to see many people eating and drinking as pubs reopened. It was pleasing that individuals were enjoying themselves after time cooped up inside. Part of me though couldn’t help but wonder whether this exposure will lead to more cases. So far, hospitals haven’t been overwhelmed. As ‘non-essential’ surgery resumes (though much of it, shamefully, should have never stopped), the combination of more coronavirus cases and the ‘normal flu’, not least at winter, is likely to put pressure on health services around the world. The balance then, between allowing people to live their lives while recognising the risks of Covid, is fine. It will no doubt come in the form of an app, replicating what is happening across Europe. I have expressed my concerns before about such an app tracking our movements and being aware of our medical history. Indeed, the very reason the app failed on Apple devices was because of its intrusion into our personal movements and privacy, which Apple, apparently, rate highly. However, the, at present, absence of increased cases across Europe could stem from the use of such an app. The debate, like all others, stems from whether we are willing to give up some freedoms in the short term for long term safety. Our individual response to coronavirus has always been defined by risk. This was notable yesterday when I visited Tescos - the one way system had been removed in favour of individuals keeping a distance from one another. Instead of the company telling us where to walk, individuals had to decide how they would manage their risk around the store. This is a reflection of wider life. Individuals will have to decide what risks they are willing to take - be it going on holiday, the cinema or the pub. These are risks humans have always had to take from the moment they wake up and step out of their front door. The difficulty arises from when the two risks of individuals are at odds with one another. I might be perfectly happy to go outside and take the chance of getting coronavirus in exchange for enjoying myself. A person within my household might not want to take that risk. Thus, by walking back into my home, I could be transmitting the disease onto them. Similarly, an employer may ask all of their employees to return to work. Yet someone in a vulnerable category shielding might not want to take the risks of using public transport, especially when the rule on masks isn’t properly enforced. Does the individual get paid? That is unclear, not least as the furlough scheme comes to an end. So much of the crisis is thereby based on communication. The government can provide all the money it likes - I will certainly take advantage of its subsided meals out in August - but until individuals feel their chances of catching coronavirus are realistically low, the economy and our lifestyles are unlikely to return to their pre-pandemic state. Even if someone is unconcerned about catching the virus themselves, they may fear passing it on to someone else. As Stephen Bush and many other astute commentators have written, the Conservative party moving their conference online - scheduled for October - would suggest they recognise the severe risks posed by large gatherings for spreading coronavirus. This is unlikely to inspire confidence in the general public. Individuals like to have power and be able to plan for their future. This has been impossible in respect of coronavirus. All of life has been forced online. Strangely, it doesn’t make Jeremy Corbyn’s proposals for free broadband seem so radical. While everyone has struggled, those with no access to their families, no friendly neighbours, no sense of community, have suffered most severely. This can only be a detriment on one’s mental and physical health as people spend more time apart. The lack of human agency as a result of the virus is truly depressing. On a personal note, I have very little reason to complain about the lockdown. I am extremely lucky and privileged. I have my family around me and am unaware of knowing anyone personally who has died from the virus. I live in a safe home with GCSEs and A-levels guaranteed. Furthermore, as a first year student, my year of studies doesn’t contribute towards my final degree classification. Though Rishi Sunak is attempting to incentivise businesses to take on 16-24 year olds, my generations faces a dire jobs market (which was hardly brilliant before the pandemic). I am lucky enough to have at least two more years of education guaranteed. I’m not sure how I’ll look back on lockdown and the virus. They have certainly framed my 2020, making New Year’s Resolutions vanish (though I have restarted Duolingo and am listening to the Archers again). They have made me appreciate those around me and how lucky I am. Given how desperate everyone has been to resume shopping, I can’t help but wonder whether lockdown will be a blip in an age of consumerist obsessions. I will reflect on the many opportunities that lockdown has thankfully provided. Though some essays needed completing, they were a small part of the wider period of lockdown. I have been able to use the time to write more article for ‘The Boar’, Warwick’s award winning student newspaper. I have deeply enjoyed the chance to take what I do on this blog elsewhere. This has also been attempted with pitches, many of which remain to be successful! Similarly, while I will always feel most confident in written form, I loved (and miss very much) presenting my nine week news programme ‘Front Page’ on RAW 1251AM looking at the headlines and providing some cultural recommendations. This, along with spending 10 hours judging 2020 Eurovision entries, made my first proper engagement with the radio station most entertaining. Beyond university, I’ve become a master of Zoom if nothing else! By attending online events, I’ve learnt my internet is more resilient than I give it credit for. It has been enlightening to attend numerous events run by the Academy of Ideas to discuss the big issues of our time. From the role of journalists to trusting experts, Black Lives Matter to ‘Normal People’, a wide range of events have made me think about issues differently and reflect on how the world should work. Similarly, I have attended News Associates events, which is the UK’s top journalism school, managing to take part in some great ‘In Conversation’ events. I can’t wait to utilise these skills in person at their summer school, which thankfully hasn’t been cancelled as a result of the pandemic. And for pure leisure, films, TV programmes, attempting to cook and walking have helped to stimulate my mind in different ways. I write these final paragraphs as part of a personal records of the key points during my own lockdown experience. Coronavirus is not a great leveller, we have not been all equalled affected. As I say, I’ve been very lucky in my own experience and recognise that tens of thousands of others haven’t been in the same way. Alongside a return to normal life must be not forgetting those who have perished. The best tribute to their memory must be a public inquiry. Individuals must be held accountable. The country - and world - must learn as a whole how we can ensure such a pandemic is never repeated again.
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5/10/2020 12:53:13
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