I first heard about this maybe five weeks ago. It was reported people in Wuhan China had it and were dying. There there were concerns of it becoming a pandemic and because it was a completely new virus there was nothing available to combat it.

I thought oh yeah we’ve been here before it’ll be a flash in the pan and before we know it, it will never be heard of again. Then all of a sudden it was spreading in Iran but they were closely guarding numbers of cases and fatalities. All of a sudden it reached Europe and took a hold of Italy, then Spain, France, Belgium all in turn went into lockdown forced in doors, off the streets but still the death toll continued to rise until now Italy has had more deaths than China but within a much smaller population.

Last night I was concerned and worried. Tonight though I am angry because as a country we are carrying on as if nothing is wrong and that is because we are being allowed to.

The Government, the advisers, the supermarkets issue statements please don’t panic buy there is plenty to go round if we’re all sensible but what sort of a stupid statement is that because we’re not all sensible and so like a little naughty child who is told don’t do that what do they do in defiance they do it more because they can.

I’m going out to work as are so many others because I still can and for that I go into different supermarkets daily. The sight in every store of empty shelves and staff close to breaking point is heartbreaking and deeply distressing but those greedy people taking supplies that should be for everyone don’t see that they just see their shopping trolley full and say well I’m alright Jack.

I didn’t vote for Brexit but eventually I was pleased when it got done. The scary thing is Boris Johnson used the same phrase today. He said with this virus we can turn the the tide in the next twelve weeks but only if we all take the steps that have been outlined so please please please follow the advice. Unfortunately for Boris he’s over estimating our ability to follow the rules because most of the population now are born post war time so have never had to do that. I hope I’m wrong and Boris is right because if not the way our daily lives are just carrying on as normal here with a couldn’t care less attitude I fear our death toll could be even higher that Italy.

It will be drastic measures but unlike with Brexit let’s not dilly dally and take three years to get something done that should have been completed in twelve months. We need to act now !!!

Enforce us into lockdown, take the decision away from all of us unable to make one for the best, certain sectors will have to keep operating like the NHS, Police, Fire, supermarkets but give them a chance to breath because people are not out and about risking getting ill anymore and putting even more pressure on those vital services.

Zero hour contract workers like me will stop going out there because I still can at the risk of me picking up the virus and then passing it on unknowingly to others but I can’t change what’s happening so I just have to believe this was meant to be so eventually I will find some way to survive in such challenging times.

Self employed businesses out there yes you will have to change your ways of working you may have to let staff go but you were clever and brave enough to start your own business in the first place so don’t go down the woe is me route you know you have it in you to pick yourself up. You’ll find ways to rebuild and who knows new opportunities could present themselves going forward and you’ll need more staff than you previously did – mull over that whilst in lockdown – think of the positives.

Lockdown will put a stop to all our fabulous Supermarket staff getting abused daily by shoppers who just want to stock up for the sake of it but those shoppers could actually be incubating the virus and don’t know it yet therefore passing it on to whoever they have been able to come into contact with which means more and more infected every day.

Whatever happens we all need to be thoughtful and considerate of others. Think of everyone we can help less fortunate than ourselves. We need to take our own health very seriously because that is the most important thing in our lives and let’s face it if we don’t have that we have nothing. We need to all do everything we can to stay safe and well. Good luck out there each and everyone of you !!!!!!