Category: Geography

Looking good

Latest briefing looked at maps of cases and changes in rates. Whilst they did not go into detail is was fairly evident that the cities, and especially in the north are higher.

I love them. Better than satnav. You can see what is nearby and deviate from a boring M or A road. I am not sure villagers would agree but whatever.

Oh, Alexander Johnson has announced a reasonably sensible road map – he almost sounded like a grown up! I am sure there will be hiccups on the way but slow approach is surely the correct one to avoid further lockdowns (not that people take much notice round here! – although people are being generally careful).

I just heard of 3 other people who had reactions to the Oxford vaccine. Enough for them to go home sick from their workplace. I hope this does not put people off. Good link to Covax

People flocking to book holidays – I wonder how many are really aware of the risks? Maybe not health ones although variants could cause problems. But quarantine on return if the country they visit has not vaccinated as much as us (huge expense), and what will be open at the destination? Night clubs would seem to be shut across Western Europe. Netherlands, Spain and Italy (amongst others) all have a higher incidence of the virus than us at present.

In view of the headaches statement today the stats are interesting.

I am going to leave it until Monday. At the moment the stats are generally down by 10%, but this is not enough to bring figures to levels where we can relax. I reckon about 80% reduction is needed, back to last Septembers figures. That means places like Cornwall having less than 20 / 100000, and then accepting the problems with cities, a graduation up to say 50 in cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Fascinating stuff. Apparently the first deaths in Europe were just 4 weeks after the first in Asia and then another 2 weeks to get to USA and another 2 to Africa.

I know we should be careful regarding the statistics for some African countries, but there does seem to have been an absence of the devastation caused in e.g. New York; Manaus, Brazil and Peru where bodies were stacked up. Why this should be is a puzzle? Why should countries with advanced medical services struggle most? Is it a societal thing – the ‘Robin Hood Syndrome’. There is probably more interaction between individuals in the west? But surely not true for the Far East? (e.g.Japan). I guess the reasons for differences between countries will be studied for years!

Minority groups, whether strict Jews in Israel or BAME communities in this country have certain things in common. Firstly they have a higher death rate from Covid (social and economic reasons?), and they are less likely to take up the vaccines offered. T~his last one is more difficult to understand – especially when we read of health workers refusing the vaccine. What is it, no I will start that sentence again, How sad that these communities have so lost faith in the government.

Many a true word said in jest! For many years I took sixth form students to Pembroke and part of the weeks entertainment was a river study on the Preseli Mts. where the bluestones for Stonehenge come from. I regularly joked that Stonehenge was originally sited there and the English whilst on holiday rather took a fancy to it and nicked it! Apparently this is now an accepted theory (well the bit about it being originally constructed there.!! Guardian article