Locking Us up to Stop Coronavirus Will Do More Harm Than Good
Banning outdoor exercise needs careful consideration. It isn’t just our physical health at stake.
Two weeks ago, my daughter sent a message to say Boris Johnson had announced the UK was going into lockdown. Living alone, this news was a kick in the guts. I was looking forward to us walking in the woods thick with bluebells and cycling in the Norfolk countryside, hedgerows decked with blossom and hemmed with cow parsley, delicate as lace. With my husband working abroad, my son between London and New York, and my daughter working away for months on end, life can be lonely. It’s exciting to have her living locally for a while. At least, it was.
In the UK, we knew China, Italy and Spain were suffering soaring cases of COVID-19 infection and vulnerable people were dying. We knew healthcare workers were crying out for protective equipment to keep them safe. We knew these countries were in lockdown — we saw St Mark’s Square deserted. We guessed that coronavirus had stowed away to the UK, sneaking through our airports, train stations and shipping ports.
Just like President Trump’s insistence that the most powerful country in the world wouldn’t be closed for business…
