In and around a London lockdown. A Cartoon Diary by Pidge.

 There was much debate and dithering about reopening the schools including a U-turn by the government. Many had been disappointed by their closure.

 New symptoms were discovered: in the beginning it all seemed so simple. The only officially recognised symptoms of coronavirus were a fever combined with a dry cough. But anecdotal evidence gleaned from many comments on social media led to the suspicion that a loss of sense of smell and taste were often experienced by Coronavirus sufferers:                       As seen in The Spectator 

 Except for runners and joggers social distancing had for most people had become ingrained and their holidays were likely to be different:

 Mixed messages were in abundance on the subject of face masks. The issue of whether  people should wear a face mask had been a matter of debate since the beginning of the crisis with the populations of several countries wearing them as a matter of course but the WHO saying that they were not effective which was the line also taken by our government. But after several months of indecision it was now suggested that they should be worn in some circumstances but it was not clear in which:

 Amazingly people began speculating on returning to the old pleasures and many resumed their holiday plans as if nothing had happened. This pandemic has highlighted just how desperate the British are to leave their own island in the summer. But how were they  going reach their destinations in the new age of social distancing? Ryanair’s boss said social distancing could not be accommodated on planes although an innovative solution was proposed:

 Ensuring that the over 70s stayed at home would probably be easier to police in the country than in the town:

 When the easing of lockdown finally arrived there was much dithering and mixed messaging from the government in some specific areas. In particular there was confusion about the rules for older people. Ironically those people who had been fit  enough to reach the biblical old age of three score years and ten were referred to as “old and vulnerable”. But this was an issue full of confusion with a survey at the time showing that 50% of people did not know precisely to whom  the new easing of lockdown regulations would apply: It was mooted that while lockdown would end for the rest of the country it might continue for the over 70’s and I feared that the following nightmare might become a reality: