Boris Johnson in damage control mode

Boris Johnson’s first 100 days in office were not meant to end like this. Apparently, Downing Street was planning to go big on it, and roll out some headline-grabbing announcements to mark the historic moment. Instead, it was plunged into crisis management and found itself struggling to limit the damage caused by the government’s initial bumbling response to coronavirus.

In keeping with Britain’s famed equanimity—“Keep Calm, and Carry On”—it embarked on a policy that the rest of Europe struggled to make sense of. The policy effectively meant doing nothing and let the virus spread so it would create “herd immunity” to the virus. Predictably, the policy spectacularly backfired, prompting an embarrassing U-turn. Which meant doing what the rest of the world is doing: imposing a lockdown.“Did Johnson flunk his first big test as prime minister?” is the question being asked.

What pandemic?

The world may be quaking in its boots over coronavirus but for Britain’s dating agencies it looks like a blessing in disguise as fear of isolation is driving singles to seek com- pany. “Any time there’s a calamity, people start thinking about the fact they are single and don’t want to be”, accord- ing to the Association of British Introduction Agencies.

Owners of dating sites and speed-dating events have reported a sharp rise in business.

“Our UK business is up 20% over the past two weeks,” Gillian McCallum, chief executive of one agency specialis- ing in bespoke matchmaking told The Sunday Times. Fear of a lockdown appeared to have prompted a last-minute rush among “anxious singles” look out for potential part- ners. But kissing at dating events is being discouraged with “No Kissing” signs coming up at several places. Nobody knows if anyone is taking it seriously.

Kindness goes viral

Alone and in self-isolation because of coronavirus? Not to worry. Help could be at hand courtesy a British woman who has designed a postcard aimed at helping people to look after their neighbours, if they are self-isolating.

Becky Wass Cornwall’s “Hello!” card which anyone can print at home says: “Hello! If you are self-isolating, I can help.” It has space for people to fill out their contact details —and whether they would like help with shopping, posting mail or simply a phone call.

The card quickly went viral on social media with the hashtag #viralkindness after her husband Jonny Green tweeted an image of it urging people to “print this, fill it out and pop it in your neighbour’s letterbox. Simple.”

Ms Wass said the idea came to her as she and her hus- band discussed ways to help. “Because fear has spread so quickly, it’s really important to try to spread kindness,” she told the BBC.

The response, she said, had been “incredibly heartwarming”.

“I do think in times like this everybody wants to do some- thing to help, and this postcard just makes that a little bit easier.” Even if just one person felt less lonely or isolated when faced with this pandemic, she would feel better, she said. “Coronavirus is scary. Let’s make kindness go viral.”

Similar individual acts of kindness have been reported from other parts of the country.

And....

As major British stores scrambled to assure their cus- tomers how they were stepping up to the plate to continue to “serve” them in the time of coronavirus, Marks and Spencer sent out this email to its loyal patrons signed by its CEO, Steve Rowe, and “the M&S team”.

“Our expert fitters are still available to advise customers on the right styles and sizes for you, but we have paused our cubicle-based bra and suit fit services.”

Can coronavirus get any worse than this? M&S having to pause such vital “services”?

Small mercies

A more welcome news from O2, my mobile phone provid- er, offering not to charge for data used to connect to the National Health Service (NHS) website in view of the coro- navirus scare.

“Any data you use on this site won’t count towards your monthly allowance,” it said. Well, “every little helps”, as a marketing slogan says.

Boom? Or bust?

What will rise faster if British couples are forced to stay home longer because of coronavirus? Country’s birth rate? Or divorce rate?

In the time of quarantine, this has become a subject of animated discussion. Even politicians can’t resist having a go. After a former Labour MP Michael Dugher tweeted to speculate on the issue, his party colleague and MP Lucy Powell declared: “I’m only here because of the three-day week,” referring to the fact that she was born when Britain was forced to adopt a three-day week with “lights going out” across Britain during the 1974 miners’ crippling strike. A baby boom followed.

And, lastly, even the mighty Harrods, London’s iconic lux- ury store which remained open even during the Blitz, has been forced to close its doors because of coronavirus. Poor Sloanes! How will they manage?