COVID-19 City Tales: London. “The British government should be putting strategies in place to deal with the mental health issues that will worsen as a result of this”.
A conversation with… Daniel, 26, Theater Maker, Brockley. Self-isolated since March 18th.
Firstly, can you let me know if you are self-isolated or quarantined? How many days has it been?
I have been in self-isolation for the past 4 weeks now.
Are you spending it alone or with company?
I am spending the time with my partner and 2 other flatmates.
How are you coping with confinement?
I don’t actually find it difficult to do things at home, it is more the idea of not having the option to do what I used to do. I lost my job as a result of the crisis but that doesn’t mean I am any less busy. I would advise finding a project to focus on and enjoy the small things that you didn’t take time to appreciate before.
Describe the area where you live. Did you know your neighbours much before this happened? Has your relationship changed since this started?
I live in a very local community in South East London. There is a park nearby from where you can see Canary Wharf. My street has a lot of trees, including cherry trees that have already blossomed. We have some neighbours downstairs that I have spoken to from our garden. The relationship has definitely changed since this started, we are more aware of each other.
What was the last thing you did before isolating?
I was travelling around South America, in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Everything changed really quickly right after I came back to London. The day I left Uruguay, the country had recorded their first cases. It was quite weird to come back as everything was unfolding — felt very apocalyptic.
Do you miss the outdoors?
We are very lucky as we have a garden, and we are allowed to go out for one form of exercise a day in the UK. However, I miss going out for drinks, seeing other friends and going to cultural events in London.
Do you agree with the way the British Government has handled the crisis? What would you change?
I think all governments have made mistakes, but this was something unprecedented that nobody knew how to address. I truly believe the UK government has acted following the advice of public health experts. They’ve had to make difficult decisions and it is debatable how sooner or later they should have imposed confinement. However, I don’t think they have done enough to mitigate the social and economic backlash.
Let me break it down:
- The mortgage holidays are not really effective, as people have to pay it afterwards anyway. This makes it more difficult for landlords to be understanding with their tenants.
- The financial support for self-employed people is only beneficial if you made a certain amount and you can only claim it in June.
- Also, the benefits for people that have lost their job as a result of COVID-19 are not enough. I’ve had to apply for Universal Credit, which has into account the earnings of my partner, even though we are not married and are financially independent. I am not likely to get much.
- The government should be putting strategies in place to deal with the mental health issues that are going to worsen as a result of this.
Do you think this will have positive consequences as well?
I am having more time to take care of myself. I am eating better as I cook most meals, I am reading more and I have more time to do exercise. I am also moisturising every day so going to have great skin after this! Overall, I am hoping this crisis will promote a new kind of economy that doesn’t harm the environment in the near future.
Lastly, tell me something new you’ve learnt about yourself during isolation.
I have learnt that if I can overcome this crisis, I can deal with anything.
