Whether there is news about floods in continental Europe or the state of international travel or the return to normal level of activity in spite of the fact that the pandemic is ongoing, we are bombarded with massive amounts of data that we have little time to assess or interpret. We try to cover as many bases as possible but unavoidably some stuff get through the net.
Everything is offered with some kind of interpretation that favours a specific agenda and the end result is total confusion. Whether you trust or don't trust the messenger, whether you know or don't know enough about the subject matter, the influx of data can be overpowering.
If we don't have enough information about what is really causing the floods in Germany and in neighbouring countries, we might end up over-generalizing and believing that this is about major chaos when in fact it is a very localized problem.
With regards to international travel, as the situation in each country remains fluid, it is easy to conclude that when you travel you need to take into account that conditions in terms of where you can go and what rules you need to follow might suddenly change. Which countries are on the green list? Which countries are on the amber list? Countries can suddenly go from green to amber and suddenly you are faced with different immigration controls and forced to go into quarantine.
With regards to a return to normal levels of activity, there is the same degree of uncertainty. Britain has been under various degrees of Lockdown since March 2020. How each individual will react after July 19th 2021 is a mystery. Some will continue to be overly cautious and others will disregard any limitations.
Conditions in each of the four home countries could be remarkably different. We also know that because public health is a devolved issue, each of the four home countries might adopt different rules when it comes to freedom of movement. What do we know at the moment? In certain areas wearing a protective mask will continue to be mandatory requirement. We also know that in some venues it could be practically impossible to enforce certain rules.
We await to hear news about issues regarding enforcement and about a potential change of direction should the ongoing health emergency lead to new quarantine measures.
Will the new opening last? July and the period until the return of students to full time education would be a time to relax movement limitations. We are not so sure about what will happen in September at the start of the new school year. What is certain is that a rising number of people can no longer cope with quarantine conditions. Just across the Channel there are mass demonstrations carried out by people who have had more than enough and cannot or don't want to accept any more movement limitations.
How will people in general react in the United Kingdom if there are stricter quarantine rules? There are definitely two sides of the argument. Those who support movement limitations say that we are not out of the water and that we need to be patient. Those who oppose any restrictions go as far as saying that restrictions will never necessary.
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