So how do we make that happen? Here are four places we could start.

First, the Government. It needs to start leading from the front. The entire civil service should be told to be back at their desks on the 26th, with no excuses, and so should all the contractors relying on the state.

If the Government doesn’t set an example, then it can’t expect anyone else to perform.

Next, how about some incentives? We had to eat out to help in 2020 to get us back to the restaurants. The Chancellor, who is seldom happier than on a photo op giving away free stuff, could try something similar.

A week of free train, bus, tram and Tube travel would make the commute more bearable, and for good measure the sandwiches at Pret could be half price as well.

Thirdly, a tweak to the law. At the moment any employer who suggests someone staying at home should be paid a bit less than a colleague who is always at their desk at eight every morning is likely to find themselves hauled before a tribunal quicker than you can say HR.

And yet, in truth, that is perfectly reasonable, and if employment law doesn’t allow companies to discriminate between home and office staff then it needs to be changed.

Finally, a huge nudge. For the last couple of months it has been impossible to spend more than a couple of minutes on your phone before an ad popped up to get a booster jab. We should switch that budget towards a campaign reminding us that the office wasn’t so bad after all and the great return needs to be accelerated.

In reality, the economies that bounce back most strongly from the pandemic will be the ones that get back to normal as quickly as possible. It was great that so many of us could all work from home while Covid-19 was a real threat.

Some people may well enjoy it more, and have proved themselves more productive, in which case their employers will no doubt be perfectly happy to let them carry on.

And yet, the blunt truth is that for the vast majority of white-collar workers, output is lower, skills ebb away, while new projects remain unimagined, and new products unthought of, because nobody gets to spark any ideas off their colleagues.

If the UK can lead the way back to the office it will strengthen our economy, especially as much of Europe is still in semi-lockdown. But it is only going to happen if we want it to – and the Government needs to start leading the way this week.