On 5 May WHO 2023 declared that Covid-19 was no longer a ‘public health emergency of international concern’. The same day our local convenience store took down the plastic screen which for three years had separated staff and customers. And that afternoon my sister’s Covid test was positive.
Most people have decided the pandemic is over. They have gone back to the ‘old normal’. Covid is no longer a prime topic of conversation or of consideration. My husband and I are among the few continuing to wear masks on public transport and in theatres. People are determined to travel and Ryanair has just ordered 300 new planes.
Governments have concluded that the pandemic is over. Most restrictions have been eased, Covid passes are no longer issued, the social distancing reminders on pavements fade into illegibility. It’s hard to get hold of a test, though it is still worth knowing if you have a cold or Covid. And we need to know if we are on the verge of a new wave. But the Office of National statistics no longer collects or reports on Covid numbers.
Photo: Carolyn Brown
