Thoughts on social responsibility during the Covid pandemic, constant lockdowns and who's there to actually blame.
By: Lukasz Raczylo
Tags: Pandemic, Lockdown, Covid 19, Lockdown Diary, Psychology

I am deeply appalled by the outrage the recent Tier 4 lockdown caused. I am not sure if you are aware, but your family members, friends or maybe even you are at fault and the only ones you can blame for it. I am not here to discuss the fact if COVID is as deadly as they say or if it even exists as some say.

First chance to get it right

Do you remember the first lockdown in March? Dead empty streets, shops and small businesses closed and people self-enforcing the social distancing. This allowed us to keep the virus contained and decrease the infamous R to the level with which NHS could cope with. It cost thousands of people their jobs, savings, mental stability sometimes even relationships and yes — we all paid a hefty price for it, with no exceptions.

After lifting the initial lockdown, people managed to stick to the rules of social distancing and 101 of the self-care and precautions as prescribed by the Government. What happened next was a completely different story.

Shopping malls overcrowded with people simply walking around to pass the time. Pavements, usually sufficient to keep the safe distance, even after taking one lane of the traffic out — couldn’t handle the crowds of people willing to travel to the busiest parts of London just for the sake of going somewhere. It’s not like virus suddenly ceased to exist. It’s definitely not the way to even say “thank you for your sacrifice” to thousands of the first-line workers who kept in all the areas allowing us both to keep the bellies full, through the safe travel in disinfected buses or tube and ending on the essential frontline services like healthcare, police and fire brigades.

Eat Out to Help Out scheme crowds.

Second chance and Eat Out to Help Out crowds

When the Eat Out To Help Out scheme arrived you definitely helped — restaurants in a temporary manner ( even if all this time you could’ve ordered meals using Deliveroo or Uber Eats ), but the spread of the disease. At the cost of the half-price meal, you showed the middle finger to all those people who suffered the loneliness, dealt with depression after the job loss or those who were subject to the physical abuse, locked down with the perpetrators during the previous lockdown. I have never seen longer queues in front of anything, and even the infamous queues outside the Apple Stores during the iPhone premiere were close to nothing in comparison. You suddenly forgot about the need for social distancing, meeting friends in a group and allowing this disease to grow, the whole summer.

What happened next? Another lockdown was announced and hundreds of thousands of absolutely irresponsible people calling themselves adults flooded the streets and pubs for an opportunity to grab the last pint before it happened. It’s not like the virus was patiently waiting till midnight to start another deadly wave. You created that wave, surprised that the November lockdown was not that effective. How could it be really effective when it is you who literally spent last day or two on partying outside, participating in all the protests possible — pretty often jumping on the bandwagon of the recent trends rather than deeply identifying yourself with the cause.

Last chance to get things right

Crowds in central London post-November lockdown

Hopes for typical Christmas were high this year but you again — blew it, thanks to the goldfish like memory — you crowded the streets of central London just to see the lights. Really? View of few shiny bulbs is worth being locked up for the next few weeks or putting your family members at risk?

The prime minister announced the lockdown starting at midnight the next day, which was one of the greatest mistakes ever and should’ve been implemented at the time of issuing the statement. Thousands of “responsible adults” from the Tier 4 stormed train stations with hope for leaving London before midnight. It reminded me of the scene from the Day-Z, but there were no brains in sight. I do understand the fact that people miss their families, I haven’t seen my parents in months but all the people participating in today’s Exodus from London are nothing more but selfish — with absolutely no guarantee they’re virus-free, locked in the overcrowded train carriage for next few hours with 70 random people who they know absolutely nothing about — by the time you will reach the destination you may be another super-spreader bringing way more than a Christmas spirit to your family, neighbours and local pub.

Crowds at King’s Cross after announcement of Tier 4 lockdown starting at midnight.

Please THINK and LISTEN

Listen to government advice. Don’t try to be smarter and find the workarounds. Using the raft you built out of your latest IKEA shopping to travel through the Thames does also count as leaving London ( and is illegal ) as soon as you pass the M25.

Finally — think about others more than yourself, this is the only way we can beat this pandemic and come back to normal life. Human life is worth more than window shopping and the pint.

If you refuse — stop complaining about another lockdown and how much it’ll hurt you, because nobody will care, the same way as you didn’t.