A cautious optimist by nature, I agree with the advice “Hope for the best, plan for the worst” as it encourages you to have a back-up plan.
Golfers are stoic and more mature than most people as the game teaches you, through its glories and frustrations, to be humble, honest and reasonable. We all love the game and it’s sensible to see that, so far, golf is permissible during the movement restrictions imposed by the UK government. Don’t rake the bunkers, don’t shake hands and putt to an upturned cup means that we can all see our golfing friends and enjoy the fresh air in a healthy environment.
According to a very informative BBC programme recently, the rapid spread of any virus is due to the modern-day speed of transport: for example, a virus can move from continent to continent in a matter of hours if an infected person boards a plane. And viruses are also “encouraged” by human-led behaviour i.e. conditions in slaughter houses and the treatment of waste. So two things should occur to help avoid further unnecessary outbreaks:
- A health-screen check before we’re allowed to board a flight. Singapore recently led the way with thermal screening at airports and this practice should become the “norm” and perhaps initial local checks made before booking the flight or heading to the airport. While this adds to the “hassle”, it also leads to a far greater chance of a healthy flight and of keeping the spread of viruses at bay. Flights should become part of the solution rather than being a major part of the problem
- World-wide enforceable standards on the sanitation processes used to process live animals and meats. If a country wants to sell meat across the world (or even to its local people) there needs to the strictest of health and safety measures. People from different countries and continents are resistant to different bacteria according to their habitat and lifestyle. So, rather than the “local” and haphazard standards, there has to be a world-wide standard based on the highest common denominator. Globalisation has long been a debate – to what purpose does it actually now serve when almost any country can produce anything within its own borders? Cut down worldwide transport and you cut down the ability for illnesses to spread. Perhaps it’s a rather insular outlook but it might be wise to build greater level of self-sufficiency and trade within our own and nearby borders and only export/import from further afield when necessary rather than just to fulfil a superfluous trade deal. International tournaments and long-haul tourism would play a bigger role in cross-country relationships than politics.
I personally think that the appeal of fewer but longer holidays will come back. Rather than short breaks across the continent, we might become more attracted to the more leisurely two/three/four-week experience where the journey is part of the holiday and not just the means of getting there – so self-drive holidays and train holidays would benefit. The advantage of taking your car is obvious: practically no luggage restriction, the ability to return home under your own steam if necessary, space to bring back souvenirs and foods from abroad and, as yet, flights are not very eco-friendly. Long-haul holidays would still exist and be attractive but we’d have to make proper time for them. This isn’t anything new, it’s going back to how we holidayed until the advent of cheap flights in the 1990’s. And with the internet and the growing trend for home-working and flexible hours, you would be able to work as need be during your holiday.
Governments around the world have shown that they can unite and communicate quickly so they now have no excuses not to do the same after the outbreak has passed…Don’t just kick the ball down the street, let’s see real action and joined-up thinking. We also have to be aware that, so far, Covid-19 has only killed a fraction of the number of people killed by the winter flu. As of March 23, it has killed 14,700 against 109,783 killed by the winter flu (see www.worldometers.info). Both figures are tragic and it would be wonderful if all viruses became treatable but we must also bear in mind that death comes to us all. So we need to decide do we live for quantity of years lived or quality of life experienced…Otherwise we may end up making panic-led decisions for the wrong reasons and these decisions may have far longer consequences than the virus.
To sum up, I think we’re heading towards longer holidays closer to home and a greater demand on governments to ensure that that any worldwide trade is justified and honourable.