Solidarity in Isolation? Social cohesion at a time of physical distance Format As COVID-19 pandemic weakens bridges between diverse groups, swift government action is needed to strengthen social cohesion BRUSSELS — The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the ways and places in which people interact. Early evidence suggests that bridges between groups are weakening, as the closure of key pillars of public life, including schools and libraries, reduced casual encounters that once fostered connection between disparate groups. Instead, interactions have been concentrated within existing networks. While new, creative forms of virtual socialisation emerged, virus mitigation efforts may have intensified longstanding challenges in building social cohesion and bridging divisions in migrant-receiving societies, a new Migration Policy Institute Europe report finds.