'After talking the talk, now it’s time we must walk the walk'

I feel more alive today after going outside to meet my family, see my dog Molly and have my first drive in months.
Hairdressers are among those having to get used to working in personal protective equipmentHairdressers are among those having to get used to working in personal protective equipment
Hairdressers are among those having to get used to working in personal protective equipment

I’m still a bit tentative and continuing to wear a mask, which feels strange, but I want to protect those around me for a little longer yet.

I suppose those of us making the first few steps out of lockdown will inevitably need to regain confidence as we are reminded coronavirus has not gone away and could return .

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However, many more shops are open along with dentists, opticians and physiotherapists too, along with others having to adjust to new ways of working in personal protective equipment and implementing social distancing measures.

Graham Moore, Westfield Health chairmanGraham Moore, Westfield Health chairman
Graham Moore, Westfield Health chairman

More workers will be returning to work, although some are still home, often with schoolchildren starting their summer holidays.

Balancing these competing demands will not be easy with normal grandparent cover still not fully available from lockdown self isolation.

Sensible employers will recognise that.

However, with deaths from the pandemic falling, we can start to live a little again, but not totally freely as we still need to both support each other and local shops etc.

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We have to be ever mindful not to lose new-found freedoms by lowering our guard.

Whether it is a temporary respite, or a more-long-term safer Britain will depend on us to learn new lessons of personal hygiene/discipline and lessons bring learnt by the government and Public Health England .

I welcome the initiative to resolve our national care home crisis within 12 months.

We have had similar ones before and this cannot be another false dawn as the general public will not forgive this time so easily.

Far too many casualties among our elderly will give us the impetus to hold decision-makers to account on this one.

The inevitable review needs to be independent and robust.

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It was a new phenomenon, but we have to learn lessons and candidly ask if our public health provisions and contingency planning were adequate?

After this huge assault on our freedoms, way of life and huge number of deaths we have to emerge better for it. Better education to make up for lost months and, above all, finally to address long standing health and social inequalities.

It cannot all be done at once, but we have to see the plans and implement them. We have talked the talk far too long we have to walk it now.