The Second Day: 24 March 2020 (8,077 confirmed infected, 422 died, in total)

"I applaud the NHS, engineers, and the military for their continued work on setting up the new NHS Nightingale Hospital." – Matt Hancock

The confirmed cases in London has increased by five times during last week. To mitigate the pressure on the demand of hospital beds, a new hospital after the name of the legendary nurse is being built on the base of a conference centre in East London. Morgues are being built at many places, too. Horrifying.

I am not sure whether it is the effect of the lockdown order released yesterday, or people have finally realized the scary nature of this virus, but today’s streets and train station do show me a drastically changed view. A great portion of workers started to work from home, so the trains are not crowded as usual. There are still a number of pedestrians on the streets, because the lockdown order still allows people to leave their home to buy food and medicine, go to essential work and even exercise, but most of them are visibly in a hurry and uneasy mood. Buses and other public transportation are still operating, but the frequency is obviously lowered. About one third of shops on the high street are closed. Even wildfowls have expanded their territories as a result of decrease in human activities.

I kept at home and did not go out today – well, I have to say I am not the kind of people who must go out for fresh air or do some outdoor exercises. To the contrary, I am even some degree of those Japanese-called “otaku” (people with obsessive hobbies and reluctant to go out of home). I found my healthier neighbours doing exercises on their balconies – girls doing aerobics, and a man even bumping his football.

I have heard about Italian and Spanish people holding “balcony concerts” during their lockdown life – no virus can stop them from making melodies and rhythms. Perhaps balcony sports will become trendy in the following days here in London.