It’s hard to believe that a month has passed since my last blog. Sad to say the current situation that we find ourselves in has changed not for the better but for the worse.
Due to what is the arrival of the expected second spike (it’s just the case with pandemics) the Government, spooked by the medical and scientific boffins ‘worse case scenario’ based on the worst countries in Europe rather than those doing well, has imposed even more restrictions that in my opinion will not make the slightest bit of difference.
The thing I find fascinating is how clever Covid-19 is. Somehow it can tell when it is 10pm in bars and only become deadly then. On an aircraft when you remove your mask to eat it recognises that fact and doesn’t come near you. It is very good at mathematics as well, it can count to six and leave six people alone in a garden but as soon as the seventh person arrives it strikes one then. In the classroom up to 30 kids can mingle but as soon as it hears the school bell then they cannot mingle in a pals house anymore. It automatically can measure either 1 metre or 2 depending on the order of the day and it can tell the difference in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because we all have differing rules.
Once more we are being told to work from home if we can. Well that is not possible for those of us (like me) who work in the Arts. Entertainment is still on hold and indeed has been forgotten and recently classed as ‘unviable’ to receive special assistance from the Treasury. Theatres are shut, Cruise Ships are at anchor and there is no plan for when we can return. Those of us who have received the Self employed grant have had no assistance since the end of Aug and under the new deal will not receive anymore until the end of Jan to cover Nov, Dec and January. The amount we will receive is capped at £1875 .00 LESS TAX for the 3 month period.
And why is the country in this latest hold?
Because positive tests are up. Well excuse me, but of course they are up, we are testing more people but the deaths are nowhere what they were. Each death is a tragedy and we must sympathise with each family but the deaths from Covid last week were much less than deaths from other causes. The Times newspaper published the figures
Cancer – 450
Dementia and Alzheimer’s -214
Heart Disease -180
Stroke – 99
Flu and pneumonia -29
Covid-19 – 17
Accidents at home – 16
Road Accidents – 5
We must all learn to live with this Coronavirus just as we do with all the other strains of Coronavirus out there. There may well never be a vaccine, and again in my opinion it’s a race between finding one and herd immunity.
Let common sense prevail, yes wash our hands, keep some distance, in crowds wear a mask if you must, shield only the vulnerable but let’s reopen the world and get on with it. The damage to the economy will be worse than the pandemic.
