Coronavirus Diaries – Part 5

May 1st to May 31st

Welcome to our Coronavirus Diaries – Part 5. If you would like to read our previous Coronavirus Diaries, please check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

May 1st-9th

The UK had, by this time, adjusted to a life in lockdown. It was normal to talk to people using FaceTime or Zoom, rather than face to face. TV shows were hosted by 1 or 2 presenters, sitting 2 metres apart in Studios. Or from the Presenters own homes. The shops had tape on the floor marking out the appropriate distance to stand away from the person in front of you. And the checkout was separated from the customer by perspex glass.

Each Saturday evening we ‘Zoomed’ with our Family to take part in a quiz. Something thats been really fun and a nice thing to do each week. In fact, the nation really has rediscovered its love of quizzing during this time.

The roads were still quiet, the skies empty and the vast majority of children homeschooled. But yet the death toll was still high, and not yet dropping. However, we were told, time and again, not to worry as the lag is a few weeks. So we’d first see a reduction in cases, then a reduction in hospital admissions and then finally a reduction in deaths. At this point, all we could do was hope that this was true.

The 5th of May arrived with the most sobering of records, the UK became the nation with the highest death toll from COVID-19 in Europe, standing at 29,427. By the 6th of May this figure passes 30,000.

On the 8th of May there were glimmers of hope as it was announced that Fertility clinics were allowed to reopen on the 11th. Bringing hope to thousands of couples who’s hope of a family had been stalled by Coronavirus.

VE Day

The 8th of May was also VE Day and a Bank Holiday. There were lots of street parties and celebrations, but it was much more scaled back than it would have been. We had Afternoon Tea in the garden which was lovely. I felt so grateful for our outdoor space and the warm weather.

May 10th to 12th

On the 10th May the Governments slogan was changed from ‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives’ to ‘Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives’.

This brought with it some confusion amongst the public. So much so that the devolved governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales chose to keep with the original slogan. The first in a variety of changes that the 4 nations did seperately. This didn’t invoke confidence in me, in fact the general lack of agreement between the Nations led me to doubt the decisions made in Government.

Boris Johnsons televised address

On the evening of the 10th May Boris Johnson gave a televised address to the Nation. In this address his aim was to explain how the process of easing lockdown would work. We found out that those who cannot work from home would be encouraged to return to work from the following day. The guidance on the number of outdoor exercise periods was to be lifted from Wednesday 13 May.

Boris Johnson also said that no sooner than 1 June there would be some reopening of shops and the return of primary school pupils. Beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6; and that secondary pupils facing exams next year would get some time in school before the summer holiday. Step three, at the earliest by July, would be the reopening of the hospitality industry and other public places.

The Prime Minister also said that passengers arriving into the UK on international flights (apart from those from the Republic of Ireland) will be asked to go into quarantine for fourteen days. Obviously from a holiday perspective this makes going abroad pretty impossible, something that sent the tourism sector into turmoil.

So how do we feel about easing lockdown?

It became apparent almost instantly that easing lockdown, in a safe and sensible manner, may be harder than being in lockdown in the first place. My instinct was to batten down the hatches and stay put. There was a lot of outcry about schools opening too soon. Whether this was all happening too fast and whether the R rate (the rate of transmission) was still too high.

However, for a little while we just stayed doing as we had been. It felt safe and within our control.

For us the main outcome of the proposed easing of lockdown measures was that our eldest would be due back to school on the 1st June. We made a fairly swift decision, based on all the information we had that we wouldn’t be sending her back at this time.

The following week was fairly chaotic politics wise as there was a lot of explaining what the lifting of lockdown measures actually meant. My view of Boris, whilst I desperately want to have faith in the Government was waning. In my opinion, he isn’t really that good at getting his point across. I much prefer Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland who makes clear and well-articulated statements that anyone can understand.

May 13th to May 16th

On the 13th May the most significant lockdown measure to be eased so far was introduced. We could now see 1 other person, in a public place as long as they remained 2 metres away. This meant a parent could see their grown up child. A boyfriend could see a girlfriend, a friend could see a friend. In many cases it had been many many weeks since this was possible.

As time went on, the squabbling over the schools returning continued and it seems no-one could agree whether it was safe or not. We were issued with a questionaire by our daughters school to voice our opinions.

May 17th to May 24th

After what felt like ages an antibody test was finally released so that people could find out if they’d had Coronavirus in the past. There was still doubt however about how much, if any, immunity that would give you from catching it again.

On the 23rd of May one of the biggest scandals of the pandemic emerged. It was discovered that Dominic Cummings, the Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister had broken lockdown rules to travel 260 miles to his parents house. The fallout was huge and the backlash aimed at the Government felt never-ending. The public called for him to resign or be sacked but neither happened. There is ongoing debate about how much this has affected the publics trust in the UK Government and tolerance of their advice moving forward.

May 25th to May 31st

On the 28th of May, the most significant easing of lockdown so far was announced. From 1st June groups of 6 would be allowed to meet in public spaces and private gardens, ensuring social distancing was adhered to. Life felt like it was going to get back a little bit of normality. My first thought was that I would actually be able to see my Sister and Niece on their birthday which were the following week.

Shortly afterwards, on the 31st May, Boris Johnson announced that those shielding would be able to go outside with members of their household. Or for those shielding and living alone to see 1 other person. I can only imagine the relief that was felt by those who’d been 100% isolated for almost 10 weeks.

We’d had to officially confirm that our eldest wouldn’t be going back to school on the 1st. Whilst it wasn’t a decision we made lightly, I felt a certain amount of relief once I’d officially submitted our choice.

Highs

• On the 28th May I went for a socially distanced walk with my Mum. The first time we’d been out together since early March. It felt amazing.
• Dave had the week off (when we should have been on holiday!) and we got so much done around the house. Normally we’re away for all his annual leave but we both saw the benefits to being at home with time to do DIY.
• The weather continued to be glorious. In fact, shortly after, it was announced that the spring of 2020 had been the sunniest on record. And it couldn’t have come at a better time!

Lows

• We had to cancel a week long trip to France with Dave’s family. We’d known for a while it wouldn’t happen but it’s still such a shame when you have to cancel it.
• There was a lot of announcements about the easing of lockdown, and whilst that should be positive, and in many ways it was, I found it a constant worry that we weren’t yet ready for it. It can become hard to know who to believe. Pretty much every decision made is disputed by some or by many.
• Our death toll was still the highest in the world behind the USA. It became widely discussed that we should have lock downed earlier and that this would have saved many lives.