COLUMN: Let’s all do our bit to keep our initial recovery from lockdown strong

That means wearing a mask where required but it also means taking advantage of the protection it and social distancing provides by still using local services, eating in local restaurants and shopping on the high street that we all value so much.

Everything we do involves risk, but the clear fact is that even those who are less at risk can pass on the virus to those who are older or have underlying health conditions.

And while this is a very low risk in small children, it increases with every age group, and the risks posed by Covid are most significant for those who are oldest.

Nobody wants to return to the full lockdown that characterised every country’s initial response: it is right to be more targeted, but ultimately there is a risk that large swathes of the UK face conditions will require more stringent measures.

Only by obeying the simple rules can we all make sure that the country can get back to something approaching normality, and that we derive the maximum benefit from the huge programme of measures put in place by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. The furlough scheme, Eat Out to Help Out and the host of loans and grants available have made sure our initial recovery is strong: let’s all do our bit to keep it that way.