Prepare yourself for the post-lockdown dystopia

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is bringing in drones to police its beaches this summer.

It is spending millions of pounds preparing for the easing of lockdown restrictions – hiring Covid marshals and deploying drones – as it expects a surge in tourist numbers. Thankfully, reports suggest that the drones will be ‘unarmed’.

Drones have become an unsettling fixture of anti-Covid measures across the world. While in early 2020 many Westerners were shocked by China’s deployment of drones to shame and harass non-compliant citizens – including, in one viral video, an old lady – it didn’t take long before the UK followed suit.

In March last year, Derbyshire Police used drones to film people on ‘non-essential’ walks in the Peak District. The force shared the footage in order to shame the hikers on social media.

But going to the beach – like going for a walk – is safe. Government scientist Mark Woolhouse confirmed last month that the busy beach scenes last summer did not lead to a single Covid outbreak. And the government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, recently said it was ‘difficult to see’ how outdoor gatherings could lead to Covid spikes. And yet, the beachgoing public will still be monitored and surveilled.

Even as the lockdown eases and we emerge from house arrest, so many remnants of the Covid dystopia are clearly here to stay.