Life in the UK has been transformed since restrictions were brought in to curb the spread of coronavirus
Some fascinating insights here. I wonder how much of this change agenda will stick for the long term? This article tells us:
On 23 March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said all non-essential travel and public gatherings had to stop, with people urged to leave home only for exercise, to shop for essential items, for medical care, or when their work could not be done at home.
1) People are largely keeping their distance
The aim has of the lockdown is to limit the spread of coronavirus, to help the NHS to cope and ultimately reduce the number of deaths from the disease.
The government says the number of new cases is stabilising and suggests there is evidence that the public’s adherence to the measures is starting to have an impact.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, said: “It’s not taking off in that sharp uptake, it’s not gone sky high. And if anything there might even be some flattening. That is because of what we’re all doing with social distancing.”
The way people are using the health service is also changing. In March, the number of people attending A&E dropped whilst the numbers of calls made to 111 – the NHS hotline – reached record highs.
2) Fewer journeys made
The public’s use of transport has fallen dramatically, although this trend started before the lockdown measures were announced, as many people started to work from home.
Overall transport use – road, rail and the Tube in London – fell by 60% between early February and the beginning of April, according to the Department for Transport.
3) Crime is down – but anti-social behaviour is up
In England and Wales, crime fell by 28% in the four weeks to 12 April, compared to the same time last year. Home burglary, for example, was down by more than a third, as people spent far more time indoors. However, incidents of anti-social behaviour rose by 59%.
Meanwhile, the National Domestic Abuse helpline has seen a 25% increase in calls since the lockdown, the charity Refuge says.
4) Shopping sales
In the week before the restrictions started, supermarket sales were 43% higher than the same time last year, as many rushed to stock up amid fear of shortages.
But average sales fell by 7.4% over the first fortnight of lockdown according to consultancy Neilsen.
“When the country was told not to travel people stopped shopping,” says Mike Watkins, Nielsen’s head of retailer and business insight. “They had already bought a lot of stuff, and their larders and freezers were full.”
However, supermarket sales were back up to almost 9% higher than average in the week ending 11 April – perhaps people had eaten all the extra food they had bought.
5) More demand for benefit
Close to one million people have applied for universal credit since the lockdown began. Of these, 473,000 applied in the first eight days, almost as many as applied during the whole of the preceding three weeks, and almost 10 times as many as would apply in an average week.
Universal credit is a consolidated monthly payment for those of working-age, replacing a host of previous benefits including income-based jobseeker’s allowance, housing benefit, child tax credit and working tax credit.
6) Better air quality
Air pollution levels in the UK have dropped significantly in the weeks since the country went into lockdown.
The level of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has fallen across the UK, with the daily average down almost 40% on the same period last year.