No choice but to follow virus rules

WHAT a difference a week makes. This time last week, this column was written in praise about those who were having to work, in work, so the rest of us didn’t have to.

The column spoke of the risks they were facing - be they shop workers, teachers, medics, or any other number of key workers - in going about their work.

The risks last week were probably no less than the ones being faced this week, yet this week it seems even more real.

The idea that we might essentially be put into lockdown quite so quickly seemed unthinkable, but then again, on New Year’s Eve as we toasted in 2020 who’d have thought the first case of a deadly virus was being uncovered in China at that very moment?

In the past week we’ve gone from being told to wash our hands, to 1.5m people being told not to leave their homes at all for 12 weeks for their own safety, and for the rest of us to only go out when we really, really have to.

The biggest change this column has felt during the course of the week has been the way people are towards each other. Still kind, still friendly, but now with an added hint of something it took a while to understand: Fear.

It’s that desire to still be polite and friendly when you see someone, but not wanting to get close to them because we’re all supposed to be social distancing.

It’s awkward, it’s probably annoying in some instances, but it’s essential that we do it.

And let’s be honest, most of us have the option to control our social distancing. There are, however, a good number of people who don’t.

Take for example those working in shops, such as the people who scoop up the click-and-collect or home delivery orders in supermarkets. We’ve all seen the stories about not being able to get a slot before the middle of April, but that means people at our local Asda, Tesco and others working as hard as they do at Christmas - and entirely reliant on shoppers around them keeping their distance too.

This is why we need to follow the rules laid down by Government. Regular readers of this column will know it has a healthy cynicism of unproven statements made by politicians, but at the moment, we have no choice but to follow the advice, or rules as they are now, laid down by the Government.

The only way to remove the fear - and it is fear - many key workers are feeling is to crack the spread of the virus.

According to the Rossendale Council website, ‘Although there are currently no diagnoses of coronavirus in the borough we are conscious that if this situation deteriorates vulnerable people are more at risk.’

Compared to other areas of the country right now, that’s a good place to be in. To a certain extent, it’s in our gift to stop the virus spreading through Rossendale, given that it’s thought not to be here (although lack of testing could also be a factor here).

Now is the time to do the right thing. The right thing is to be kind, considerate - and follow the rules.

Hopefully, the three weeks will be over soon.