Saturday
Total world cases: 4,097,044-------------------89,752 increase
Total fatalities: 280,131------------------------4,394 increase
UK total: 215,260------------------------------- 3,896 increase
UK Fatalities: 31,547--------------------------- 306 increase
Sunday
Total world cases: 4,176,512-------------------79,468 increase
Total fatalities: 283,634------------------------3,503 increase
UK total: 219,183------------------------------- 3,923 increase
UK Fatalities: 31,855--------------------------- 308 increase
Two days with lower figures for the UK - but they keep telling us that it goes down at the weekend because it is not being reported fully.
Today's news was all about the impending Boris Johnson press release at 7pm. So I'll just jump to what was said...
It was almost 2 months since we gave up our freedom - we have had hardships but it has been the only way to beat the virus. The death toll and suffering has been immense, but we did prevent a complete catastrophe - and now the death rates are coming down and admissions into hospitals are coming down, but we must continue to control the virus and save lives. We are all fearful of the virus and also fearful for our future and livelihoods.
He said he wanted to provide a rough sketch of how we are going to get back from this - what we could do - it is a conditional plan because we can't move forward unless we can protect NHS, see sustained falls in the death rates, and the rate of infection - get enough PPE to the people who need it - and we need to make sure that any measure we take does not push the R back up over 1. To chart our progress we are establishing a new covid alert level - the lower the level the fewer the measures we will need to take - the higher the level, the stricter we need to be. Level 1 = the virus is no longer present in the UK - level 5 - what it would have been if NHS was overrun. We are in level 4 - but we are starting to move into level 3.
To keep pushing it down we need to reduce number of deaths in care homes, and we need testing for 100,000 every day - have made progress but need more. Initially we hadn't seen this disease before with everyday we learn more. Our new system will be able to detect local flare-ups as well as giving an overall picture. We are only just below R=1. This is not the time to simply end the lock down - we are going to carefully modify it.
Work from home if you can and only go to work if you must. People who can't work at home should get back to work if you can but avoid public transport - use a car, walk or cycle. Workplaces are going to be given new guidelines to follow to keep people safe. From Wednesday - people should be encouraged to take more exercise, can drive to places and not be limited to an hour. But keep social distancing.
If we begin to fulfil the conditions and bring R number down we can move to step 2 - probably beginning of June - some shops could open again and some children can go back to school. But this is dependent on the R number going down. Step three - by July at the earliest - hoping to re-open some hospitality places. We are not going to be driven by hope, but by science and data - so all changes are dependent on how well we do.
Soon - we will be imposing quarantine people coming into the UK by air.
We are going to be monitoring progress and if there are any problems, we will but on the brakes. We have a plan, to save lives and restore livelihoods - but we all must make it work. If we cannot achieve these changes by theses dates we will delay it.
For now - stay alert, control the virus and save lives.
So - that was what was said. Then lots of people on social media criticised him for one reason or another, saying he was not clear enough, saying - things like...."The poor should be encouraged to go to work" "PM's lock down release leaves Britain confused and divided" that Boris had said "I'm not sure, we'll see" Matt Lucas - did an impression - Go to work, don't go to work, stay at home, but go to work....that kind of thing. All of this nonsensical chatter annoys the hell out of me! It was very clear to me what Boris Johnson said, so why people are taking the piss as though it wasn't....people just want to complain. Boris was saying - how can we just lift the lock down when the virus is still out there! He was saying - when it starts to go away and be under control then we can lift things gradually, keeping an eye on it at the same time and adjusting accordingly. Makes sense to me!
We are still in the middle of a huge pandemic and people can't simply be impatient to get back to normal, because it is just not going to happen. It can't happen or our death rates will rocket back up again and we will be back at square one. I am not all knowing, all-seeing - I am only taking what ever information I can from the news and by following Dr John Campbell (who does daily chats on youtube) but it is obvious to me that we need to continue to stay in until it is safe to come out, and if we have to come out (for work or whatever) then we must stay apart and not let it spread. Simple! Boris Johnson (and a huge amount of advisers) can only make decisions based on numbers and science.
Anyway - I think he is going to be saying more today and taking questions - so I'm sure he'll get slagged off all over again for one thing or another.
After I watched this news release on TV last night I felt really emotional all over again. Because whatever happens, I already lost my dad and nothing can change that, and lots of people have lost their own lives or people that they loved, and whatever we do now we can't bring those people back. The whole topic is much more personal for people that have been irreversibly effected - it's not just some inconvenient drama playing out....
I don't really have anything to talk about concerning the rest of yesterday because I was unbelievably lazy. We had yummy breakfast casserole, and we played on the VR - Arizona Sunshine - killing zombies! We completed the game, so stopped playing at that point - and we watched TV, ate lots of unhealthy stuff like chocolate and did nothing else!!
Today I have got up wondering why I seem to be on self-destruct and have been for ages - not getting exercise, eating healthy, being productive - I am getting more and more lazy and fat and I really don't like it but don't seem to have it in me to actually take any positive action - or when I do it doesn't last longer than a day and is halfhearted. I never used to be like this - was always at the gym, watching what I was eating etc. I used to feel really good about myself because I knew I had a healthy heart - that I could run if I wanted to - took pride in myself. I keep telling myself that I will change when I go back to work....but will I? I'll have less time to myself....
I have today and tomorrow - then I am back at work again. I need a plan.
