Tom talks The new normal... but it is still vital we all stick to guidelines
BY RENFREWSHIRE
SOUTH MSP TOM ARTHUR
We are now ten days into the lockdown and what seemed unthinkable only a few weeks ago is now becoming the new normal.
We are all being asked to make huge changes to how we live our lives.
Simple things that we have long taken for granted, such as going to the shops, heading out to the pub to meet up with friends or even just visiting family at the weekend are no longer so simple.
At the supermarket we now wait in line, two metres apart, for our turn to shop at a safe distance.
The pubs lie empty and the beer unpoured.
The telephone and the computer are, for most of us now, our only means of contact with folk outwith our own homes.
For some of us, this temporary new way of life will be, however frustrating and annoying, a manageable inconvenience.
Work will still be done, the messages will still be bought and the dog will still get walked.
Unfortunately, though, there will be some who may struggle.
This week, the Scottish Government has started sending letters to all those whom the NHS has identified as being at risk of developing severe illness if they catch coronavirus.
Those people most at risk are being asked to stay at home for at least the next 12 weeks and avoid all face-to-face contact, except from carers and healthcare workers.
I do not underestimate how big an ask this is, but it is vital that the guidance is followed.
It will save lives.
If you know someone who is having to go to ground for the next three months, please reach out to them.
A wee message, a chat on the phone or an offer to get the groceries can make all the difference.
For those of us who are not being asked to ‘shield’ for the next 12 weeks, we have to play our part.
We must stay at home, unless our work is essential and can’t be done at home.
We should only be going out to exercise, either alone or with those who live with us; for essential supplies such as food or medicine; for healthcare appointments or to care for the vulnerable.
It’s vital that we stick to this rigidly.
No meeting up in the park, no having folks round for a drink, no clandestine catch-ups.
The stricter we are now, the sooner we can start looking forward to getting back to the old normal.