I read an interesting article on the BBC about suffering from fatigue when it comes to following COVID-19 coverage and, though as a journalist I have a responsibility to keep up with what’s happening, I have to admit I’m starting to feel it myself.
Every day brings fresh horror, as the UK’s death toll continues to spiral, and there’s only so much I can cope with reading.
I write this weekly blog on a Friday, so I don’t know how far the government has decided to ease up lockdown restrictions.
At the time of writing the government was due to make an announcement on the subject on Sunday. There’s talk of one form of daily exercise being allowed per day, along with a restarting of sporting activities. Bars and restaurants could also be set to reopen.
Enabling exercise seems a fantastic way of helping people cope with the situation mentally, but I hope Brits manage to curb their rebellious streaks and resist having reckless gatherings, or we could see another spike in cases.
I found last week’s tabloid front pages very strange, with their euphoric headlines like “Happy Monday” and “Hurrah! Lockdown Freedom Beckons” – the tone appears to be one of reckless abandon.
Boredom and sunny weather is likely to get more people out of their homes, but hopefully testing continues to be ramped up so those who should socially isolate do so.
Anyway, given that this has been a difficult time I’ve tried to pepper the magazine with some positive stories in the past few weeks.
Avory Smith’s experience shows that some young companies have benefitted from the lockdown, while this period has broadly forced firms to up their game in terms of utilising technology.
There’s still serious issues that need to be addressed however, which was reflected by the SOS call from construction professionals to the Scottish government for support.
We have a responsibility to fight COVID-19 fatigue to ensure that voices like theirs are heard, though I think we can all be forgiven for turning the television off once in a while.
Obviously I’m not telling you not to read the news I’m covering (I would be talking myself out of a job!) but it’s important to keep our spirits up and remember this period won’t last forever.
Hopefully the UK is able to limit further casualties, from the perspective of both individuals and businesses.
Ryan Bembridge, Editor, PropertyWire
