I heard a very moving call from a lady to LBC around 4.15pm today. She was stressed and in tears as she is in the holiday lets business in Wales. She said that there has been very little help for her industry as the help has gone to businesses paying rates and furloughing staff. She has lost thousands in income due to lockdown and social distancing rules and has been living on her savings and is about to lose her home as the mortgage holiday is over and the banks want money. She said she was educated, has worked all her life but the Covid help schemes the government are promoting either do not apply to her or are not giving her more than £79 a month to live on - pay her mortgage, bills etc. The isolation also seemed to be having a devastating effect on her during what is the worst time in her life economically - she could not get comfort by seeing relatives (parents, sisters) or her partner as he lived in another house and was struggling with his own business problems.
She wanted the government to end lockdown, preferring to take her chances of dying or falling sick to economic ruin and social isolation that she felt was as bad for her health as Covid-19. I had a lot of sympathy for her call. I have found it useful to not spend money on eating out etc but understand that a lot of people's livelihoods are built on us spending money on hospitality and leisure. I do not think there is any danger of the majority of people losing interest in spending their money on restaurants and bars - especially given the human need for social interaction. After hearing her call I have a better understanding of why some people are flouting the rules as the alternative to living in limbo in social isolation and facing economic ruin. She said the virus is part of Nature and it's here to stay and there is a limit to how effective we can be at fighting its population control.
