![]() “I don’t want people to feel that this is, as it were, the moment to get demob-happy, this is the end of Covid … it is very far from the end of dealing with this virus,” he said. This week, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out his plan to shift the focus away from legal requirements to personal responsibility for things such as social distancing and mask wearing.īut he also issued a stark warning that “this pandemic is far from over and it will certainly not be over by 19th,” explaining that Covid-19 cases are still rising across the United Kingdom. #ImDone trended on Twitter and British tabloids ran foreboding headlines about the future – The Sun newspaper asked “Will we ever be free?” beneath the words “Nation’s torment” on its front page. The decision sparked an outcry from some corners of the population desperate to put the pandemic behind them. “I can’t imagine getting on a plane and going to a different country, or even going to a club,” said Grew, who has been seeing a therapist to work on coping mechanisms.Įngland was originally set to mark “freedom day” – when the final remnants of its lengthy lockdown would end – on June 21, but the government hit pause until July 19 amid concerns over the Delta virus variant first identified in India, also known as B.1.617.2. “As soon as things were unlocking they were like, ‘I can’t wait to go clubbing, I can’t wait to go to festivals or go away.’ And I’m just like, ‘Oh my God, I feel anxious just to go on the bus to my work.’” “A lot of my friends have sort of adjusted,” said Grew. "I just have to get used to it." Sarah Tilotta/CNNĪs Britain looks to shake off the last of its coronavirus restrictions, despite an ongoing battle to contain a shape-shifting virus that continues to spin off new variants, many Britons such as Grew are finding the idea of returning to the office, taking crowded public transport or grabbing a pint with friends at a busy pub overwhelming, if not terrifying. "When I do go out, to places that are not close to my house, I instantly feel my heart beating harder, my chest feels tight," Grew said. ![]() The last time she went on the Tube – now plastered with signs asking passengers to wear masks and maintain social distancing – was in January 2020. Leaving home, even to walk around her neighborhood, became daunting. But during lockdown her anxiety and agoraphobia, which she had kept at bay before, worsened. “It’s like training to run a marathon,” she added.īefore the pandemic, Grew would take the bus or the London Underground to work. ![]() These practice runs, which she describes as a kind of exposure therapy, are her way of mentally preparing for a return to the office in August or September – the date has yet to be decided. “I have been trying to practice, to go out every day and go a bit further and a bit further,” said Grew, who works as a project manager for Britain’s National Health Service, helping to organize London’s Covid-19 vaccination rollout. Most evenings now, after logging off and closing her laptop, the 27-year-old unfolds her red Brompton bicycle, puts on her helmet and sets off down a suburban lane of terraced houses toward the city. In May, as the United Kingdom began to emerge from one of the world’s longest and most stringent lockdowns, Kitty Grew started doing dry-runs of the commute from her home in north London to her office five miles away. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |