A year ago, who could define social distancing? Now, we’re all aware, though even people in authority seem unsure of exactly what the distance is and when it matters.
Last month we took a train to Dorset, our first venture outside London since March. All my life I have marched past the first-class carriages with my nose in the air, but at the time of Covid-19 that is where we chose to sit. First class travel, I realise, has always been a form of social distancing.
Separation is built into the fabric of our society, so much so that it takes blatant injustice or a new threat for us to notice it.