I think it's Video call?
It's 6 weeks since we have been in 'Lockdown' - which does feel more and more implied than actually adhered to. Despite the fact that officially 28,000 lives have been lost, these are people that have passed away due to the COVID 19 virus, many people still believe it is a hoax and that the guidance does not apply to them.
People are starting to again congregate in groups, take up entire pavements and walk so close to each other that this should be classed as human tailgating. One would never believe that a deadly virus was doing the rounds. This is real people!
I've been traveling to work on the tube each morning at 8am, because I have no other means of transport, but if I didn't have to I wouldn't. There is an optimum way to travel on the tube. up to 9 people per carriage sat in a strategic zig-zag shape leaving 2 metres between each person. More than this means it is impossible to socially distance. This week the tubes have been increasing more COVID congested and most people aren't wearing a mask or gloves. This kind of close proximity on the tube is prime transmission real estate for this virus. This is a big problem is we are to get back to business as usual as soon as national government have been insinuating that we will be.
Of course most people in well paid office jobs will be able to utilise video conferencing and emails to continue working from home with the odd bike courier delivery of letters and supplies. I imagine they would also be paid, as on a contract, if they did get sick and possibly have reserves in any case. But these aren't the people who NEED to travel to work. It's the low income, no income and trying to make ends meet people who are traveling everyday. Several research papers came out this week stating that people on a low income are more prevalent to catching the virus and these are more likely to be the people doing the low paid jobs which them to travel to work.
So how can be travel made safer? Free masks at stations, anti-bac pumps before tapping in, a strict cleaning schedule for each tube carriage, limits on tube capacity and more frequent tubes? Increase basic wages and enforce contracts for anyone who wants that security? Ideas for a national government that cares about it's entire population, not just a select few.
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