Express & Star comment: Time for you to have your say

The lockdown has never been easy, but as it continues, albeit with a gradual easing of the restrictions, you can sense that there is impatience among some sections who would like the journey towards normality, whatever we mean by that nowadays, to be more speedy.

Already along the journey there have been various landmarks, and the opening of non-essential stores is a big one of those.

As the coronavirus crisis started to bite, there was much uncertainty about the virus itself, how badly we would be hit, and the right way to combat it. We have been learning along the way, and some of that which we have learned have been hard lessons.

Several months in, there remain many things we don't know, but we also have a growing body of evidence and experience which should allow us to make some initial judgments.

Today we have launched a survey for our readers which will allow you to say what you think about the way things have been handled so far, and what you think about the measures now being taken to start taking us to the other side of this crisis.

For example, if you are a parent of a school-age child, do you think it is safe for them to go back to the classroom? What do you think should happen with pubs and restaurants – is it safe for them to reopen yet?

And businesses are pressing for the two metre social distancing rule to be halved, which would be the difference for many enterprises between being profitable, just about, and not being profitable.

While the lockdown was a blunt and straightforward instrument, impressively observed, the progress that has been made has opened the way to a more nuanced approach, and the rise in the complexity gives the potential for more confusion, or for people to interpret the evolving rules in whatever manner suits them.

The Government has largely carried the people with it, but if the trust breaks down the next stages are going to be more problematic.

Anyway, let's hear from you. You have made immense sacrifices and consented to the loss of many freedoms, but at least one freedom that hasn't been taken away is that of expressing a view.