London – Day 83 of lockdown

It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow as non-essential shops open. It’s been 3 months. Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, has been walking through an empty shopping centre today to demonstrate how safe it is. Lots of safety measures have been put in place including hand sanitiser stations. Direction arrows are on the floors.

However, given how people move around in spaces like shopping centres, and there’s a clear inability to follow direction arrows in supermarkets, let’s see. I won’t be going shopping, apart from perhaps a few groceries.

And there’s growing demand from some Conservatives to reduce the 2m rule for social distancing. I’ll listen to the scientists on this one.

Infection rates seem to be down. And yesterday there were 36 deaths, bringing the total to 41,698. This is the lowest death rate since lockdown began.

And my thoughts start to turn to what’s ahead. We’re only just starting to see the wider impact of Covid-19, in terms of health, on mental health, on the economy. But there is reason for vague optimism though much of this will depend on government handling of future spikes in cases, as well as the economy. Business as usual is not an option.

Closer to home, it’s been a glorious day. Not too warm. A few clouds but no rain. My lower back seems to have sorted itself out though walking has been a little more tiring than usual. A walk through Dulwich Park this morning before it got too crowded, followed by a walk through the woods. I’ve been listening to podcasts, reading, writing – a typical Sunday for me. But I do look forward to the day I can meet with friends who aren’t within walking distance, perhaps spend the afternoon wandering around Southbank, going to a gallery. Or even spend a day or two outside London. I don’t know when that will be.

So that’s it for Day 83. Stay safe, stay well, and stay home!