Still-busy trains tell us that Covid-19 restrictions may have to go further | Gaby Hinsliff
Corporate chiefs may not like it - but a heavy-handed state is now essential to help the country truly adapt to our new way of life
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The sun came up as usual this morning, but for the first time since this crisis began, that almost felt like a surprise.
For life as we know it is over now, the blurry outlines of something new emerging before disbelieving eyes. Barely a fortnight ago, all we had to do was wash our hands. Now Britain is in the economic equivalent of a medically induced coma, almost all usual life suspended to save the patient; nobody must now leave the house unless it's essential (to buy food, exercise, seek treatment or provide care, or to work where that cannot be done from home). A public health strategy designed to unfurl over months, allowing Britons the luxury of gradually shrinking our horizons, has collapsed into a few dizzying days. It still feels unreal to many, which goes some way to explaining why tube trains were reportedly once again packed this morning even though a daily YouGov poll showed a staggering 93% support for the lockdown.
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