Comment: A message of hope for all the residents in the Warwick district during this unsettling time

Viewpoint by Peter Bowen

I don’t like the idea. I am now persuaded of the reality that the ‘new normality’ is already with us. We must learn to live with social distancing, face masks, and regular hand washing for months, if not years to come. Gone forever will be the handshake, the welcoming hug, or the kiss on the cheek.

The next few weeks will be critical when it comes to fighting a resurgence of Covid-19 against the background of children returning to school and the Government urging employees to get back to work in big city offices. It is a gamble of sorts: balancing the nation’s health relative to kick starting the economic recovery.

The real danger here is complacency.

Too many people are fed up with authority telling them how to live their lives with the result that standards are slipping. We are not washing hands as often as earlier in the pandemic, social distancing rules are being abused, if not ignored. Because shoppers are now wearing masks, some customers feel it is safe to jump ahead of the queue and worse, lean over others to get goods from supermarket shelves.

Masks do not guarantee safety or protect you against the virus, just a sensible precaution. Social distancing is the number one priority, it is vital that we do not get too close to one another as some 3,000 people out there still carry the infection in the UK.

The big lesson we all have to learn, and instil in others, is that we must all take responsibility for our own health and safety. It is the single most important contribution we can make for the safety of ourselves, and others around us.

Our attitude towards others must change dramatically, regardless of any traditional understanding that we don’t call out wrong doing in public. We should not be afraid to point out politely but firmly to people on going back to school, university or office that they have come too close to us for our comfort. It should be an OK thing to do and not cause offence.

After watching golf at the Belfry on television, I came to the conclusion, all-be-it reluctantly, that we will not be getting back to big crowds watching sport any time soon because of social distancing. Despite the precautions taken after many weeks of planning,

pilots of limited attendance at football, cricket, and in horse racing cannot make money, do not work in practice, and may result in more cases of infection than first thought.

I shall watch with interest the outcome of the Warwick races pilot that takes place on Monday September 21. I hope all goes well at Warwick for the sake of all those employed there, a sentiment I extend to the local cinema and theatre: as culture after all, is more important to the nation than sport.

However, I can report some good news on the health front. It came after I had been booked in for a flu jab, which I am told incidentally, will not affect any later test I might have for Covid-19. If complacency is avoided and we stay alert, it is forecast there will be many fewer coughs, cold and flu this winter because more of us have got used to social distancing, washing our hands regularly, reducing physical contact, and putting tissues in the bin. Hopefully, this will be the outcome and lead to a drop in hospital admissions and pressure on the health service.

Oh, and in passing, I am grateful to a Church of England minister of 40 years standing, who said that my unintended definition of hope was the best he had witnessed. In that case it is worth repeating.

Hope, as I understand it, is having the belief the situation will get better if only by trying to focus on the anticipation of what is achievable: slowly, patiently and step by step.

In my own situation, the focus of my anticipation is on the enjoyment of a forthcoming holiday in Cornwall. We should all have something to look forward to!