Well, things keep getting “better”. Since Christmas we’ve had more cases, and more deaths, than at any time in the whole Pandemic. And govt strategy continues to be rudderless, reactive and clueless.
Till literally Sunday, the govt was insisting schools were 100% safe. Meanwhile scientists were warning that schools were the biggest transmission vector, all those kids crammed together, not getting sick themselves but exchanging the virus and taking it home to granny and mum the nurse and dad the cancer patient. Teachers agreed, also highly concerned that they themselves would be vulnerable or would be vectors to carry the virus around. The govt dug its heels in, Johnson even went on the Marr show on Sunday reiterating their position. So schools reopened on Monday.
And then at 8pm on Monday night, Johnson went on telly to announce a new lockdown, and to say schools would be closed till mid February, all university and school education will remain online. Absolutely absurd. kids went back, swapped virus and then went home….
Anyway, argh.
So we’re back into hard lockdown as of midnight 5th Jan, with parliament debating the rules tomorrow.
Scotland meanwhile went into lockdown last week. People have been sharing the below meme, which seems very appropriate.
Meanwhile, David and Cat are now not going back to university this spring.
David has made a plan to bubble with his girlfriend, whose family have a flat in Headington. I’m ok with this, though it will be a test of their relationship. Lets hope it works out. He will miss the choir and his college friends but hopefully by March things will be easier.
Catriona’s uni have told her not to come back till at least the end of January, in line with Scottish rules but it seems likely this will be extended. Her flatmate from the US is coming over in Feb anyway, as she really can’t work remotely from Baltimore due to the time zone difference.
The govt statement was kind of strange. They’re rolling out the vaccine, and hope to get through the top four groups by mid Feb. Allowing 2-3 weeks for the vaccine to be effective, we will probably be able to relax restrictions by March. Thats a tall ask though, as that group contains about twelve million people.
They hope, with the wind in our sails, etc etc. The Johnson Buzzword Bingo score was high…
The lockdown runs till mid Feb soonest, and till then its back to the restrictions of March 2020 – no leaving the house except for specific essential purposes, no meeting anyone from outside your household bubble, no travel outside your area, no gatherings, etc.
But…. unless people actually take notice, i fear we’re at the start of an ongoing cycle of lockdowns. The below meme is also being circulated widely…
