LOCKDOWNS IN LONDON Words and Photography by Urmila Gurung
I
live in west London and this is my personal observation on the two lockdowns that my city and my area has lived through. Last March, when the number of deaths increased uncontrollably around the globe due to a new flu strain named Covid-19, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first national lockdown. This lockdown constrained millions of people to live indoors. Due to the Coronavirus, many were separated from their families and many more lost their lives. The pandemic caused existing inequalities to surface such as homelessness and poverty. The UK has entered into a second national lockdown to help contain the continuous spread of the disease. However, I noticed that even if the gravity of the situation has not changed, the general population in this second lockdown is behaving differently. My impression is that many are not following the rules. For example, not many are respecting social distancing or wearing masks. Whilst on my walks around the neighbourhood, I observed that many are even hugging and/or shaking hands. I am sharing some photos of my impressions.
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