COVID

So new levels imposed. Apparently the IoW ferry has been fully booked with people avoiding restrictions – and the rate goes up – shock horror! Cornwall has also seen a 217% increase in the last 7 days. So why wait until Boxing Day – BoJo has no balls! Scotland has introduced travel bans, this seems like an obvious no-brainer! The 3 main roads into Cornwall should have road blocks to ensure essential only travel. And I repeat – impose shutdown over next 10 days and declare a public holiday for a couple of extra days at Whitsun or start of August.

And can BuffoonJ stop whining that Labour are not supporting him – any sensible PM would have created a coalition to deal with this crisis. Instead of which we are all denied fast access to the statistics and facts.

And for the bozo’s who ignore all advice on distancing we should publicise the following: ‘Criminally negligent homicide occurs when the perpetrator acts in a reckless, dangerous, or negligent manner which causes the death of another person.’

I am sure the government has enough lawyers to avoid the finger of guilt pointing at them when the verdict is given.

COVID LATEST

Firstly the stats. In parts of Essex I have looked at the infection rate is over 1000 per 100000. That is 1 in a hundred infected in the last 7 days. Surely a complete lockdown is required immediately. Travel should be heavily restricted as we have seen that a fair % of people ignoring all restrictions. On the spot £1000 fine or seizing car to a pound. harsh but necessary. In other areas restrictions need to be maintained, but at a lower level with the proviso that they could be increased with no notice.Winscombe, Langford and Blagdon have 6 cases or rate of 71/100000. A few miles away the rate is 449 – Wedmore and Mark. so restrictions need to be maintained as people travel!

COVID STATS 22 DECEMBER 2020

Table was messed up before so I have revised it


27.0923.105.1119.115.1219.1222.12
North Somerset3179177304142134153
Cornwall20294790254466
Bristol46228350480168137153
Chelmsford416891150109431597
Exeter28317512816810296117
Braintree426058109104462582
Plymouth30116150225637292
IoW10244178292871
Liverpool51656833027697103138
Manchester
458466372175175173
Sunderland274297309412161151155
Newcastle445298284449156160152
Swansea

397231368756747
Cardiff

301156247629678
Glasgow

286275147148146
Aberdeen

415861142158
Belfast

317213109114140
Newry

199118113218244
Sandford





82
West Bodmin





0
Lostwithiel





55

Basically everywhere is up or the same as 3 days ago. Three days! Bungling Boris and Hapless Hancock and other cast members of the governments winter pantomime have know about this new strain for weeks, the figures have been ballistic for many days.

I do wonder about a certain level of herd immunity in the north as they have had high numbers for weeks. But increases in South East and South Wales are a bit scary. And Cornwall and IoW jumping up (from a very low base mind). Bristol and North Somerset go down a tier and numbers go up! Well f*** me, that was a surprise, especially with a new strain of the virus spreading.

Just resign and be satisfied with being one of the worst PM’s ever, and there have been a few!

JUST A THOUGHT

Parliament is located in Tier 4 – no travel in or out? If there is a Brexit agreement it will need to be voted on by Parliament. Err ‘Houston we have a problem’ situation? The Houses of Parliament are a potential fire hazard. It would seem to be a no brainer to use this current crisis for a bit of sensible geography/econmomics.

Relocation to the Midlands/.North would seem obvious. Using a dedicated (non-hackable? zoom type link surely most debates could be done on line. I guess face to face meetings will be needed sometimes, but surely not all the time. Savings on expenses could be huge.

Wentworth Woodhouse would seem like a grand location with 250.000 sq.ft of rooms it is similar in size to HoP. But if not a new bespoke building would seem sensible. Jobs created in building, transport links and the add ons.

EDUCATION

A considered answer. I think I have this right.

In January students at all secondary schools will have a staggered return (apart from Years 11 and 13 and the children of key workers and ‘at risk students’ (there is probably a better title for them, but they must feel shit to be in that group whatever the label). All or some of the students will be given a test (which is about 50% accurate) by persons unknown. Oh and this is a good news story as stated by Gibbs; as long as all the negative aspects about it are ignored! DfE’s civil servants have been offered £1000 to work over Christmas. But none for teachers! No pay, no play should be the motto. The first day/week back will therefore be chaotic. Will the tests be in school, who should administer them? Will heads allow unverified volunteers onto school sites?

On a superficial level suitable for readers of the Express, Mail and Sun it is a brilliant idea – mass testing at last, and being stopped by snowflake left wing whingers! They will ignore the facts – unworkable at such short notice, not practical without education about what a negative result means (possibly negative), not necessary in some areas. Basically they are admitting that TTTI has been a billion pound failure!

All this is not hindsight – I have posted similar posts for months!

EDUCATION

Why are the ejits who run Education (if only) surprised that there are predictions for a surge in Covid numbers. After all it is the government who made the fatal decision to reduce restrictions over Christmas. They also have had access to data about growing infection rates amongst school students. I am fed up with people saying that this unprecedented pandemic is throwing curve balls. Yes it was unprecedented and there is some leeway in excusing incompetence back in March/April. However the last 6 months have produced a litany of bad decisions whose consequences should have been foreseen.

So teachers have to prepare lessons for remote learning, to teach those exam classes that are in school together with those vulnerable children. And organise testing. Even if the Army or volunteers are roped in to help, it is still the school that has to organise it. And they will probably give a contract to Serco to provide the tests! I am not sure I would want a random stranger poking things up my Childs nose and throat! The tests are also not particularly effective, some say it is better than nothing; but it might give false results, a negative test might give false confidence, and the accuracy is said to be about 50% Will they all be verified – which normally takes a while. On a phone in I heard someone complaining about left wing union snowflakes whom should just get on with helping the nation in this pandemic – my response would be that maybe all lorries should have loads of 100 tonnes?

But perhaps more than anything I would ask Mr Williamson and his sidekick Gibbs, why this was not planned for during the summer? This WAS predicted.

So a prediction. There will be a surge in January and some schools will be shut in some areas. This will result in discussions about exams in England. Someone will have a bright idea that test, track and then isolate could work really well if administered via a school. And proper testing of those who need it rather than a politically motivated mass testing. Are Cornwall, Isle of Wight, etc. also included?

DARK MORNING

8.12 and still dark. Papers and shopping done before the rain comes. Exceptionally mild. Heavy rain predicted for here, possible floods. Vacuumed and stripped beds. Might be a cake making day.

MORE MIS-INFORMATION

All countries in Europe are suffering. This is a true statement. But look closer. We have had about 3 times as many deaths as Germany. We are about on par with Italy. Everyone is struggling, but most are taking more stringent measures than us.