An official communication has come from Downing Street declaring that the new variant of the rapidly spreading coronavirus could delay plans to lift the remaining restrictions to an unknown date, therefore also including international travel for pleasure with the sole exclusion of travel to some countries included in the green list.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on the news that we will have to wait beyond the scheduled date in June and that it is better to be cautious.
According to Hancock, the variant of the virus identified for the first time in India is spreading throughout the United Kingdom and in the last few days the pandemic curve has grown on a daily basis, although the figure regarding the victims is stable and very low fortunately.
But scientists seem to believe that the new strain is more transmissible than the previous variant in the country, but they believe existing vaccines are largely effective fortunately.
Restaurants, pubs and indoor shows are in operation but social distancing and mask-wearing rules are still in place.
A friend of mine says that Covid has “flattened everything” and I know what he means because I feel the same way.
It has made people more wary and also more suspicious.
Some people were positive and used to say that we would all be better after the pandemic ended (which unfortunately hasn’t yet) but I unfortunately am not so positive about it.
Loneliness has become a real problem and in a big city it is felt even more.
Many “friends” are scared to hang out now and I feel awkward asking some people to hang out because I know they are not comfortable being outside.
Parties at home, barbecues and potlucks no longer exist and they seem a memory from a past which no longer exists.
It feels strange and sad.
This situation of extreme difficulty has pushed people further apart instead of making them closer.
But I don’t want to make this article too dramatic either because London is still a lively place and there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people (with the due precautions of course).
There are many ways to make new friends in the English capital.
A popular saying goes “those who have no friends, it is because perhaps they do not want them” and there is nothing truer at least in London.
After all it is not the quantity that counts, but the quality!
If you are always locked in your room, people will hardly knock on your door, so I would say that the first step is to leave the house!
Going to a pub alone is not considered weird here (as maybe it can be back home in Italy) so you can go to a pub, sit at a table and order a beer, a burger or whatever you want and chit chat or make eye contact with some people and have small talk.
I haven’t tried yet since the all Covid-19 situation has started but I’m positive that if people are out now are also out there to meet new people (with the due precautions as I said) or so I hope.
Also attending a course used to be an excellent opportunity to make friends but the problem is that now most courses are still online so it’s not the same.
But now there are many fitness courses done in the London parks and we know it, doing physical activity helps our body keep fit but not only.
You will have the opportunity to meet many new people, with the same passion for a particular sport or activity.
This is where I’ll start trying to meet new people I think instead of keep training all by myself.
Being outdoors is safer than being indoors anyway and it will be fun to participate in a group activity after such a long time.
There are many courses on offer from Pilates to Yoga and anything in between.
After all, post Covid-19 lockdowns, I think many people (including myself) need to shed some weight!
Group training outdoors
