Even though there appear to be hopeful signs that the spread of the Coronaviras is slowing, it seems very likely that the disease will be with us for some time. With one survey showing that, in England, one in two hundred of the population is carrying the virus*, the advice is still to observe the rule of 6, wear face coverings, maintain 2m social distance where possible and wash hands regularly to protect ourselves and others around us.

As it seems the new normal will be with us for possibly many months to come, we’d like to hear your stories and ideas for how to make the best of this odd new world. We know that book clubs have been meeting up online, others have been meeting up socially distanced on the green (weather permitting) or under pagodas, and a local group is organising a virtual Christmas Fair.

What have you been doing, and what are you planning to do, to bring some normality back to village life?

Let’s hear from you. Email: rushlakegreenvillage@gmail.com

*The latest REACT research, led by Imperial College London, (Published 1st October 2020) estimated that over 1 in 200 people across England have the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or 0.55% of the population, compared to 0.13% in the previous round of testing. Professor Paul Elliott, director of the REACT programme at Imperial, said: “While our latest findings show some early evidence that the growth of new cases may have slowed, suggesting efforts to control the infection are working, the prevalence of infection is the highest that we have recorded to date. This reinforces the need for protective measures to limit the spread of the disease and the public’s adherence to these, which will be vital to minimise further significant illness and loss of life from COVID-19.”