LUKE MARSDEN: We mustn't drop our social distancing guard

It may seem like the world is on fire at the moment (in some parts it literally is!) on top of the global pandemic we’ve got to deal with, the tragic death of George Floyd in America has led to anarchy on the streets.
Correct social distancing outside GallowaysCorrect social distancing outside Galloways
Correct social distancing outside Galloways

Outside of Downing Street we’ve even witnessed mass protests and rioting, you’d be forgiven if you thought you were watching another Purge movie instead of the actual news. I get that people are angry, it’s an angry time for all of us. We’re all scared to leave our homes due to the unseen enemy let alone what could be happening on our street.

It is for all of us to look out for each other, the weekly clap for carers has showcased a renewed sense of community, my street in Whelley has been filled with the sounds of claps and pans banging, it will be missed but we must not forget that sense of togetherness we’ve all felt.

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One of my biggest concerns over the protests has been the lack of social distancing as though it never existed, we must continue to do this.

I was queuing in a supermarket this week and had to remind a guy who pushed past me to assess the length of the queue, that social distancing is here for a reason. Of course, it isn’t just on the streets and shops that it isn’t being observed properly, it’s in the House of Commons and who knows what they are bringing back up north from Westminster?

I know I’ve personally taken just sitting with my friends for a chat for granted, and as I attempted to cook a frozen sausage on a BBQ this week, I remembered that this used to be normal and if we all persevere, stick to the guidelines, peacefully protest injustices, normal will be resumed sometime soon, I hope.

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