The Guardian view on Covid-19's resurgence: we can make ourselves safer | Editorial

The picture in Europe and further afield is grim. But we must not resign ourselves to a large-scale recurrence of coronavirus

Is the brief respite over? In England, and other European nations hit hard by coronavirus, bars and cafes have reopened, and people have begun to fly abroad again for holidays. Guests have gathered for weddings. Babies have met their grandparents for the first time.

Though many remain wary, the government's keenness to get back to business has encouraged a dangerous sense of complacency; some are increasingly casual in following the rules. Less than two weeks ago, Boris Johnson made the remarkable suggestion that there could be a return to normality" by Christmas, with even distancing requirements dropped. Now the prime minister has warned there are signs of a second wave in Europe. Spain's sharp rise in cases has already prompted England to reimpose quarantine for returning travellers; it may soon do so for Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia. Niall Dickson, who heads the NHS Confederation - representing NHS leaders - has told MPs that managers are very worried about a second spike, perhaps before winter, citing exhausted staff and the need to rebuild other services.