Current Situation in the UK (by Carla)

Hello,

I hope you are all safe and sound. Hopefully you have been able to enjoy the break at home, despite the current situation we are going through.

I am sure that I am not the only one who is finding the situation quite difficult and overwhelming. According to the experts, the best way to cope with all this is to avoid the news and keep busy, so that's what I'm trying to do everyday. I have found that reading, yoga and baking are great ways to keep busy.

The situation in the UK is becoming more like Spain everyday... The two areas that have been most affected are London (where most of my friends live) and the West Midlands (where most of my family lives), so I am very worried. People are "encouraged" to stay at home, but there isn't an official lockdown like in Spain. Everyone is allowed to leave their home once a day to go for a walk, to run or to go cycling - but always respecting a 2 metre distance from other people. Unfortunately, not everyone is respecting the rules and staying at home, especially as the weather has been very sunny and warm lately. I hope they impose harder quarantine rules soon because this virus can affect anyone, even Boris Johnson (the British Prime Minister) or Prince Charles (Queen Elizabeth's son), so we need to be careful and stay at home.

On the bright side, British people have also started a "Clap for the NHS" at 8 pm like in Spain. The NHS is the National Health Service, so it is the British equivalent of the "Seguridad Social". We are very proud of it and all the healthcare workers who are working very hard to help us. I love this mural that shows how NHS healthcare workers truly are our superheroes:

The Queen gave a speech a couple of days ago to encourage us and thank all of the key workers (healthcare workers, supermarket clerks, the police, firefighters, teachers...). Regardless of your political views and your opinion about the Royal Family, I strongly recommend that you watch it and listen to her message: "We will meet again".

Until our lives go back to normal, we should try to keep busy, keep safe and stay at home.

Best wishes,

Carla