Monday, June 14, 2021
It's now four weeks since the government's roadmap eased all kinds of restrictions, including those about meeting indoors, travelling and staying overnight.
Coronavirus restrictions have been eased following the move to step 3. However we must continue to exercise caution.
I have therefore finally taken the opportunity to go and visit my Dad for the first time in absolutely ages [15 months].
You should also follow the guidance on how to stop the spread of coronavirus at all times, including if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
I could have visited before but I'm only recently double-jabbed, indeed the day I travelled was exactly the requisite fortnight after jab number two. It means I'm safer but also, more importantly, it means those around me will be safer too.
Remember that the risks of close contact may be greater for some people than others.
My journey involved leaving the capital aboard an inter-city train [9 months] and travelling to deepest Norfolk [15 months].
When travelling within the UK, you should aim to do so safely and plan your journey in advance.
It was great to see my Dad again as I stepped down off the platform, but not euphoric. The beardy son ahead of me bounded up to his family with a broad grin and hugged them all, before walking back to his parents' car hand in hand with his Mum. I merely said hello with a smile and climbed into the passenger seat [15 months]. We have never been a huggy family.
If you are meeting friends and family, you can make a personal choice on whether to keep your distance from them, but you should still be cautious.
Once I'd sat down next to Dad the very idea of social distancing disappeared. We'd be less than a metre apart in a confined space for the 20 minute drive home, after which the need to stay apart for safety's sake would be entirely redundant.
New guidance on meeting friends and family emphasises personal responsibility rather than government rules. Instead of instructing you to stay 2m apart from anyone you don’t live with, you are encouraged to exercise caution and consider the guidance on risks associated with COVID-19 and actions you can take to help keep you and your loved ones safe.
One of the first things we did was go out to a pub [9 months] for a meal [15 months]. We could have sat outside in the alleyway under a gazebo but stuff that, we wanted a proper table indoors.
Indoor hospitality venues such as restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes can reopen.
It was only the second time someone else has cooked me a meal since March 2020. The fact it came with alcohol, a choice of vegetables and a dollop of ice cream was a bonus. The 'steak and Guinness' was also the finest pie I've eaten in recent memory, and I don't think I'm saying that due to unfamiliarity.
The further away you can keep from other people, and the less time you spend in close contact with them, the less likely you are to catch COVID-19 and pass it on to others.
I'd be staying overnight [18 months], so Dad and I dropped all pretence of distancing and pootled round the house as normal. He held the ladder while I went up into the roof, I sat beside him as we fixed his email and we both stood together at the window watching the baby wrens in the birdbox prepare to fledge.
It is safer to meet people outdoors. This is because COVID-19 spreads much more easily indoors. However, you can meet up indoors with friends and family you do not live with, either in a group of up to 6 from any number of households or in a group of any size from up to two households.
I also went round to see my brother and his wife [18 months], and to see my niece in her new house [18 months]. We did spend some time out in their gardens, it being perfect sunny summer weather, but most of the time we spent indoors where the comfier seats and big-screen TVs were.
Minimise how many people you’re in close contact with, and for how long. The more people you are in close contact with - particularly if they are from different households - the higher the chances of you catching or passing on COVID-19.
What struck me was how normal our behaviour felt, despite the unprecedented gap since I'd last experienced anything like it. Even such rare treats as watching the news together [15 months], walking round the village green [18 months] and feeding the tortoise [2 summers] didn't feel overly special.
You should think about the risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 both to yourself and to others before meeting people you do not live with.
I'm staying for a few days so I expect to be up here when Boris announces a delay to the unlocking of all further restrictions. Mid-June was always a very optimistic target, a dangled carrot to raise the morale of the nation until eventually reality cut through.
By following these steps, you can help to protect yourself, your loved ones and those in your community.
It feels like the nation has already loosened itself, at least where everyday interaction is concerned, in which case Freedom Day has already been and gone.
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