Local lockdowns and Leicester: do they show us part of the next normal?

The Prime Minister has suggested there will be no further national lockdown to combat the COVID-19 crisis but has not completely ruled it out.

With widespread fears of a second wave of the virus hitting the UK later this year, it’s hard to be certain of anything at this stage.

And, even if the whole country isn’t plunged into another stay-at-home scenario, local lockdowns have already begun.

Local lockdowns begin

Leicester finds itself shut down, while the rest of the country eases restrictions. It’s unclear how long for, with infections rising. The Government has warned other cities face similar prospects. Blackburn is the latest.

At the weekend a list of 20 other UK areas that could face being locked down again was reported.

Looking worldwide, we’ve recently seen authorities in Melbourne have ordered 3,000 people to stay in their tower block homes for at least five days. In northern Spain, 200,000 people have been put back into lockdown.

Elsewhere, restrictions have been reinstated in parts of Germany after a sudden surge in coronavirus cases and Pakistan has done similar in selected areas of several cities.

The next normal

The message here? Things are not going back to how they were – or at least not any time soon.

Clearly, businesses will have to continue to operate in a more flexible way, enabling staff to work from home where possible. Indeed, UK Government guidelines continue to state that employers must restrict staff numbers even they are returning to their offices.

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