The number of deaths recorded in the UK today is over 30,000. Extremely sad news. However, the government and the scientists are telling us that we are past the worst and that the first steps back to normality are in sight.

This Pandemic has brought out the worst and the very best in people. Strangely, there are signs that a new way of life may emerge following our release from ‘Lockdown’. The government’s recent buzz word since the suggestion and then the mandate for us to “Stay At Home”. Rather than going back to life as it was before COVID-19 it looks like we may have learned lessons about how best to spend the time that we have left on this beautiful blue planet.

At present, the idea is, as this disease is so very contagious, that we keep well away from other people to halt the transmission and hopefully stop COVID-19 in its tracks.

Air, Rail and Road transport has been drastically reduced, the consequences of which have given us blue skies and cleaner air. All countries are reporting less pollution. Businesses are closed and those people that can are working from home. Those that can’t have been helped financially by the government to stay at home. Key workers like the health services, military, delivery drivers, postmen, police, shop workers, etc have had to carry on to help the rest of us. They have shown that they are essential to our way of life and so we need to look after them in the future.

Schools have been closed too resulting in parents and children being able to spend time with each other at home. All over 70s have been told to stay at home as if they should contract the disease they are more likely to develop a serious illness. This also applies to any other sick or vulnerable person. Pubs, clubs, take away food businesses and restaurants are closed so more people are eating a home-cooked meal together. Some children’s school lessons have been held online so no school runs. No more rush hour!!! Less pollution.

Supermarkets are doing many more home deliveries to help with the ‘stay at home’ order. Garden centres were talking about destroying many plants as nurseries were closed. Now new websites have been set up where we can order our plants online. On second thoughts deliveries mean pollution but perhaps not as much as previously as most nurseries are delivering in their own area.

Farmers were having real problems as the restaurants and bars are closed and so didn’t need their usual deliveries. However, now they have changed their business methods and are selling to the public directly via a website or word of mouth.

I hope that some of these beneficial changes will continue when the battle with the pandemic has been won. I hope less travel will be the order of the day and those business meetings will be held virtually as is the new normal. I hope doctors’ appointments will continue to be carried out online too wherever possible.

Finally, and very importantly I hope that our government has realised that we need to carry out much more of our own manufacturing and not rely on buying in from abroad. When I was younger jobs were easy to come by as our manufacturing industry was flourishing. It seems that we have been a country supporting the rest of the world instead of looking after our own people.

Support for new emerging businesses is needed. Good affordable housing and jobs for people so that they can afford to live well. Also, much more support for the Health Services and other key workers that we have relied on so much throughout this crisis. They deserve higher pay and better conditions across all the sectors. This would encourage new nurses and doctors to fill the many vacancies we have in the NHS here instead of going overseas to work.

We need to hold on to cleaner air, less traffic on the roads and in the skies, and more sensible shopping. More local food producers delivering to their local area cutting down on carbon emissions. Blue Skies, that’s what we need for the foreseeable future.