Isolation


Saturday 21 March, the first day of the shutdown for my job during the Covid-19/Coronavirus outbreak.

Today I had a lie in, something I don't really want to get in the habit of, especially if this lasts as long as the speculated time frame of months rather than weeks.

After lunch I went to post several items which have been posted to my flat for previous tenants, a mundane but necessary task on a chilly Saturday.

Then I got the bus into St Andrews, something I may not be able to do in the not too distant future. I did so in an attempt to photograph the empty streets and illustrate the impact of the closure of pubs and restaurants on the town. Also, to document this historic moment in our nation.

However, it seems ignorance and arrogance is rife in the UK right now, and it is clear people are not taking the advice of the experts seriously. Families, groups, tourists and shoppers populated the streets and beaches of St Andrews. The idea that restaurants invite socialising any more than Waterstone's or Crew Clothing is ludicrous, and the sooner the order is given for all non-essential businesses and services to close down, the better.

Reports of people "going on holiday" from Fort William, to Norfolk and Cornwall, if accurate, are a disgrace. Official statistics put the number of confirmed cases in the UK at over 5,000 and the number of deaths at over 230. Many businesses have taken the proactive and sensible decision to close ahead of any instruction, including MAC, Jo Malone, New Golf Club and St Andrews Links Golf Shops.

Over 1.5million vulnerable people in the UK have been told to self-isolate for the next 12 weeks by the NHS. That means stay at your own home and not leave for any reason until the middle of June. Stay in your home until June, life as you have known it for 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 years, changes massively.

Worryingly there have now been 7 deaths in Scotland, and although it is significantly less than England, it is clear the virus has been and may still be being transmitted.

No human being is supposed to be isolated, we may be individuals but we are programmed to be part of a wider community, a family, a couple. Many people may say they love their own company, but for 12 weeks, confined to their home? This is the biggest change and threat to our normal way of life since the second world war.

But even then you could safely be with your family and friends, the nature of this virus sweeping the world means it is necessary to be apart from people to reduce its potential for spreading.

I managed to see Victoria for a couple of hours this evening, a bright spot in an otherwise dull day. We have to make the most of our time together now, as it seems things may become even more restricted over the coming days and weeks. My mum's eye operation went well and she is now recovering at home at the start of her 12 weeks of isolation.

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