Nations struggle to define ‘new normal’ as lockdown restrictions ease globally
Anxiety is rising about the impact of the “new normal” on people’s daily lives and businesses as countries around the world cautiously emerge from coronavirus lockdowns.
Schools, public transport, bars and restaurants are shaping up as the front lines as nations move out of lockdown but retain social distancing.
How each of those key sectors manages social distancing and reduces expected new outbreaks will determine the shape of daily life for millions as researchers race to develop a vaccine that is still likely months, if not years, away from being available to all.
What a return to normal looks like varies widely.
For hungry migrant workers in India, it was finally being able to catch trains back to their home villages to farm while city jobs dried up.
For cruise ship workers stranded at sea for months, it was finally reaching shore in Croatia.
For wealthy US shoppers, it was returning to the newly reopened boutiques of America’s famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
In Italy once-packed restaurants and cafes are facing a huge financial hit as they reopen with strict social distancing rules.
“We have to turn upside down all the activity that we did before,” said chef Raffaele di Cristo, who now must wear a mask and latex gloves as he prepares food at the popular Corsi Trattoria in Rome. “Everything is changed. Slowly, slowly, we will try to understand and to adapt to this coronavirus.”
Corsi reopened for business on Monday with half its tables removed to ensure the mandated one metre spacing between tables and customers. Hand sanitising gel was placed at the entrance and a new ordering system was installed so customers can read the menu on their phones instead of handling a shared plastic copy.
Slovakia reopened theatres, cinemas and shopping centres yesterday, all with new restrictions on visitor numbers, even though it has had only 28 deaths from Covid-19.
The head of the Dutch hospitality industry welcomed a decision to allow bars and restaurants to reopen on 1 June, but warned about the impact of mandatory social distancing conditions.
“The restrictions are unfortunately unworkable” for many businesses, said Rober Willemsen of Royal Hospitality Netherlands, adding that more government support is needed to ensure the survival of many bars and restaurants.
Education is also facing a radical rethink, with Cambridge becoming the first university in Britain to cancel all face-to-face lectures for the upcoming academic year.