My daughter and son-in-law both had the virus. Both were ill with cough, temperature and loss of taste and smell. Both stayed indoors and recovered without putting pressure on the NHS. At one point, my daughter, who was heavily pregnant, with two boys aged five and three years, to look after, passed out and fell, witnessed by her children who were frightened by the experience. They all managed in circumstances much more difficult than certain others' e.g. one four year old (not a toddler!) and two parents, one of whom was, apparently, asymptomatic and fit enough to drive 260 miles with said four year old and sick wife.
If my son, who lives in London, or I (in the North East) had set off to drive to Bristol to help my daughter with childcare (desperately needed) when she was about to have her baby (she had recovered), we would almost certainly have been stopped, lectured, fined and turned back. I would have travelled through the most aggressively policed areas e.g. Derbyshire, probably chased by drones. Of course, neither of us went to help, even though we were sorely needed and wished to go. Nor were we expected or asked to go under the circumstances. My son-in-law remained at home looking after his two boys and missed the birth of his daughter. BJ was present when his son was born.
We stayed home! We followed the rules that we believed applied to everyone! We felt, and still feel, upset and, in my case, traumatised by not being able to help our family! My daughter was left to the care of strangers, brilliant though the midwives were. I have not been there to help her since she came home. My granddaughter is now three weeks old and I have no idea when I will be able to travel to Bristol. I'm sure many other people will identify with my situation. I feel for the many families who have lost loved ones to this virus and were not allowed to be by their side of attend their funeral.
Of course the press have leapt on this DC revelation and it is being used as a stick to beat the government. It's likely that many others in public service are looking over their shoulders now, waiting to be found out for breaking the rules. However, there's definitely, one rule for us and another for the architects of that rule.
