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Key words and phrases have now entered the lexicon of daily life as Coronavirus (Covid-19) takes hold.
Among them are ‘self-isolation’, ‘lockdown’ ‘near-total lockdown’ or ‘partial lockdown’ and ‘shutdown’, as well as ‘social-distancing’.
London is expected to go into ‘shutdown’ (one-step removed from ‘lockdown’ it seems although it may be the same as ‘partial lockdown’) as up to 40 Underground stations were shut across the UK capital this morning.
Official figures show the virus apparently spreading faster in London than any other part of the UK.
According to Public Health England, 953 cases have been recorded in the city, accounting for more than a third of cases across the UK.
Other countries are now in ‘lockdown’ or ‘partial lockdown’ where people have to stay in their homes to ‘self-isolate’.
France has warned it may start turning travellers from the UK away, unless officials adopt a similar ‘near-total lockdown’ to what is in place in other European countries.
With EU Governments including Italy, Spain and France requiring citizens to stay at home to contain the virus, and Italy threatening to tighten restrictions even further, the French Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe, said if the UK did not follow suit soon, arrivals from here could be refused entry.
“Everyone in the EU must adopt logical methods and processes to fight against the epidemic”, he said.
And continued: “It’s obvious that if neighbouring states like the UK leave it too long, we would have difficulty allowing British citizens who are moving freely around their country to come to France“.
France, which has reported 9,134 confirmed cases and 264 deaths, closed all non-essential shops on Monday, and ordered people not to go out unless for essential shopping, travelling to a job that cannot be done from home, visiting the doctor or to take brief exercise.
More and more people are staying at home to work (or not work), while others must just amuse themselves as best they can while trying not to watch too much daytime television!
With this in mind we on The Eye are doing our bit by recommending reading material.
Our own Editor Phil Parry’s book is one to read.
The memories of his extraordinary 36-year award-winning career in journalism as he was gripped by the incurable disabling condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major new book ‘A GOOD STORY’, and can be ordered here.
If humour is more your taste, then why not try a book by our satirical writer ‘Not So Great Dictator’?
A further one (in Welsh) may keep the children amused for a while.
It is about an interesting youngster called Ffred and his pet, and will be available next week (the crisis is likely to last for months).
The link above takes you straight to the site, but if you prefer, here is the address which can be cut-and-pasted into your browser – https://www.waterstones.com/book/ffwlbart-ffred-drewi-fel-ffwlbart/sioned-wyn-roberts//9781913245023
It is important to stock up on decent reading material and these may help in your ‘self-isolation’.
You’ll find lots of words, but not the ones that are being bandied around today!
