‘Sex banned indoors for Tier 2 couples living apart, No 10 confirms.” That was the headline from the London Evening Standard that went skittering across my digital screen. It is possibly the ugliest sentence I’ve ever read in the English language. “Tier 2,” which designates a section of COVID-era London, not an actual neighborhood, gives it an Orwellian mouthfeel. “No 10 confirms” gives the impression that the United Kingdom’s prime minister, Boris Johnson (who used to be fun), somberly nodded at the ban. But then you read it again and realize the implication: Sex is not banned outdoors. Perhaps it’s encouraged.
Anyway, that’s how the pandemic is going in the United Kingdom. I’m suddenly glad I live in the United States during this pandemic.
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