Lots of understandable distress and anxiety over vulnerable relatives/friends flouting the official social-distancing instructions.

Leaving aside older people who are perfectly tech-savvy and FaceTime/WhatsApp/Skype etc. regularly (my 80-something Mum, for one), some others hear "but you can still keep in touch with everyone by computer these days" and think sod that, not interested.

Or don't necessarily have (and can't afford) the gadgetry/know-how.
Or have health limitations which preclude use.

If that avenue's completely closed off to them, then I guess the prospect of months alone would look very bleak, and downplaying Corona seriousness allows carrying on (stubbornly!) with normal life out and about.
The far more attractive option.

I reckon (non-video) group phone chats on conference call principle might sugar the pill.

i.e. Would allow them to chat with pub mates Bert, Harry & Reg (similarly confined in their own homes), as if they were all propping up the bar together as normal...

U3A are recommending Whypay, which I'd never heard of. But seems a legit service.
Am cynical: 'free' sounded too good to be true, but Trustpilot reviews check out well.
(Do any of you already use it? What are your views?)

No flash devices/online access needed (they'd just need any touch-tone phone, so a landline or basic ancient Nokia brick mob is fine, for any hardcore gadget-haters!).

And totally free with any bundled minutes (or, if none, is cost of a usual landline call).

They can have up to 50 people join in! Party Lines were popular decades ago, so my 74yr old neighbour tells me.
Who knows: might make them them nostalgic in good way, and trigger some nice memories and interesting conversations about happy times past.

Just a thought.

whypay.net/fighting-loneliness-during-self-isolation-for-covid-19-pandemic/

Sources:

uk.trustpilot.com/review/whypay.net

www.u3a.org.uk/component/content/article/197-covid-19/556-keeping-in-touch?Itemid=490