Category: Topical

Winter light over the River Weaver

The government seems to be letting Covid cases escalate without taking any action. They admitted yesterday that new cases could reach 100000 per day. Yesterday we had over 43000 new cases. Compare this with our European neighbours, France had 4776 (masks are compulsory in many venues, passports are used, school children wear masks all day at school while they are inside), Italy had 2697 cases, Spain 1902 and Germany 11378 cases.

In terms of deaths our death rate is 136 per day, France 49, Italy 70 and Germany 92. Spain did not provide an up to date figure

We had an exceptionally good start to the vaccination program but most of western European countries have now overtaken us. The rollout of the booster jab is late and slow. Israel, by way of example, took the view that protection from the virus provided by the vaccination waned after 5 months and so started the booster program accordingly. Their daily cases are 1330 and daily death rate is 2. 42% of the Israeli population have had three doses.

A study carried out at Harvard University came to the conclusion that the vaccines were very good at avoiding serious illness but masks and social distancing were more important in avoiding communication.

Our government appears to be failing with the vaccination rollout and is not taking the obvious steps of enforcing mask wearing and social distancing and appear to be content to allow cases to double. The more cases the greater likelihood of new variants which could be more serious and more infectious.

For my part I would rather family and friends were alive and well rather than able to go to night clubs etc without wearing masks.

The pressure on the NHS will inevitably increase as it does every winter even without Covid. The good work of our original vaccination program is being wasted by a government that appears to have frozen in the headlights and does not know what to do next.

UK currently has higher daily infection rates than both Brazil and India in both of which the people have demonstrated against their respective governments. The Netherlands have been forced to reverse relaxation measures after only three weeks. New Zealand has successfully taken the completely opposite position to the UK in response to the Delta variant.

WHY is our government relaxing restrictions and more or less guaranteeing more cases, more hospitalisations and more deaths?

Does ITV’s decision to pull the final episode of “Viewpoint” because of unproven allegations against one of the leading actors create a precedent?

No more football matches if a player has been convicted of or alleged to have behaved illegally.

Limited political coverage if the politician concerned has been convicted or accused of illegal behaviour.

No one with historic or current convictions or allegations to appear on our screens.

Do allegations of fraud preclude appearing on TV?

Do allegations of having lied preclude someone from being on our screens?

If the allegations are proven to be true they must not be condoned but ITV is acting as judge and jury. These are very serious allegations to be decided by a court of law.

However, a lot of familiar faces on our TV programs will appear no more if this precedent is followed. Maybe that is a good thing.

Spring approaches. Afternoon light.