Here are some of the changes that lockdown has brought and may remain after:
7. Demise of cash
Cash is no longer king as people contemplate how many hands their banknotes have passed through. The contactless payment limit was raised from 30 to 45 to allow shoppers to make larger purchases without having to punch their pin into a potentially dirty keypad. But this can spell difficulties for the elderly and those in the gig economy as banks shut their doors and ATMs are removed. Some banks and cash machine operators made a 12-month pledge in April to help maintain the spread of free-to-use ATMs amid fears some could disappear as cash use plunged.
8. Rethinking travel
Thousands of planes have been grounded, while train and coach operators have suspended routes and there has been a major drop in use of buses. The shutdown has also shown how technology has made a lot of business travel obsolete. AA president Edmund King has suggested the use of roads and railways could be reduced after the crisis, telling the BBC that people travelling up and down motorways just to hold meetings is inefficient, expensive and not good for the environment.
9. Enjoying nature
Many of us have been able to hear birds singing from our open windows and balconies during lockdown in an uplifting sound of spring. Veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough has called for a new relationship that respects rather than exploits the wonders of nature. Sir David, who is a vice-president of Fauna & Flora International, said in May: As the world responds to this pandemic, we must be led by the science, and the science is telling us that the destruction of nature, and encroachment of humans and industry into natural habitats, is making the emergence of new and dangerous viruses ever more likely. Photo: pexels.com
10. Work
Home networks have been under increased strain with more people working from home, children using online platforms for school work, and greater gaming and streaming as a source of entertainment. Broadband providers have been holding up against a surge in demand, with download speeds only falling an average of 2%, analysis by Ofcom suggests. The communications regulator measured broadband performance for 3,481 users at the beginning and end of March, to compare results before and after lockdown started. Despite a spike in usage, data suggests the average download speed remained stable, dropping only 2%, although some networks suffered the effects of increased use more than others. Photo: pexels.com