We have to strike a balance between freedom and caution warns Sheffield boss

It has been an interesting week, as I tentatively come out of isolation to take my car in for service and visit the local shop and opticians.
By Graham Moore, Westfield Health chairman
Published 30th Jul 2020, 10:18 BST
Travellers returning from Spain face having to quarantine themselves following a spike in cases thereTravellers returning from Spain face having to quarantine themselves following a spike in cases there
Travellers returning from Spain face having to quarantine themselves following a spike in cases there

My daughter acted as chauffeur to assist and I experienced wearing a mask for longer than normal on a warm day.

Doing so increased my admiration for those, particularly frontline workers, who have to wear them shift in shift out.

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I found it uncomfortable, but maintained discipline, in spite of finding it also made it difficult to communicate.

Graham Moore of Westfield HealthGraham Moore of Westfield Health
Graham Moore of Westfield Health

My experience highlighted how efficient those organisations were in maintaining social-distancing and customers wearing masks.

The roads were quiet, which contrasted from my pre-self-isolation experience.

However, the incidence of coronavirus is starting, worryingly, to creep up, which shows easing of lockdown has come at a price, indicating we cannot yet drop our guard.

This is a concern, with quickly introduced quarantine measures for travel from Spain, with consequences for both travel industry and those desperate for much-needed holidays after lockdown.

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Hopefully this is temporary, as we all need a break, not least our NHS staff who will have to deal witha backlog of patients who saw procedures postponed due to the pandemic.

Families, too, need respite, with many working from home, balancing these responsibilities with educating and caring for children unable to go to school.

Many employees working unusually from home are also missing the closeness of working in a office/factory environment and the imminent ending of furlough is both a challenge for them and their employers.

We all will have to adjust to new normals with coronavirus still not beaten, balancing enjoying coming out of lockdown with still having to maintain discipline.

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It will be challenging for those who have shielded for months in self-isolation – I have experienced both the joy of doing so, with the trepidation of fearing a second spike.

We have to enjoy that freedom, expressing gratitude for those who have kept us safe and supported, but still having a degree of caution, so we can all enjoy the things we have missed during lockdown.

We have to free ourselves from fear of the coronavirus to enjoy life again, while regarding sensible precautions as just good habits.

Related topics:SheffieldSpainNHS