The traditional first Bank Holiday Monday in May was this year moved to Friday, 8 May 2020 – to coincide with VE Day. When the calendar change was proposed there was no inkling of the pandemic that was due to transverse the globe.
Just over one week into the month of May, and the prospect is that the UK will be locked down for at least three further weeks. Maybe even longer as many people have decided to have street parties to celebrate VE Day and in thus doing some have broken social distancing guidelines. But, we’re British, we’re OK.
This imperialist British Bulldog thinking is probably what has taken the UK to the top of the European Death League of Coronavirus on 05 May 2020:
The initial herd immunity policy has been a disaster in the UK, the lack of PPE and inadequate testing have added to the rapid increase in the figures of people who have succumbed to the virus. Britain is only second in the world to the USA in terms of fatalities; their leaders (UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Trump) have similar policies.
10 May 2020
Over the past couple of days, with the VE Day celebrations and the warm weather, there are some people who seem to have forgotten that the country is in the midst of a pandemic. As for me, I’m staying safe indoors, and practicing self-isolation and social distancing as if my life depends on it because … it does. I’ll rejoin the general population when medical experts and verifiable data say it is safe. Until then, I can be found at home. I’m not stupid.
100 days after the first two cases of Coronavirus were confirmed in the UK (31 January 2020) the fatalities recorded are 31,855 (10 May 2020) with 219,183 confirmed cases, and the PM has delivered a confusing briefing with hazy directives to relax the lockdown in England. This represents a devolution of health directives as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are continuing with their advice to #StayHomeSaveLives while the PM’s new slogan is “Stay Alert. Control the Virus. Save Lives.” This message from the PM lasted just under 14 minutes and although many words were spoken with vigour and intensity, clarity for the nation was not available.
The decision to make a major announcement at the weekend appears to coincide with the fact that reported fatalities have regularly been lower at the weekend than in the ‘working week of Monday to Friday’. This is the weekend when the number of global cases has passed 4 million.
This 100 day marker is the day when the UK – that has 0.87 of the world’s population – has achieved 11% of the world’s fatalities from Coronavirus; the UK’s Case Fatality Rate is one of the highest in the world at around 15% (10 May 2020).
On 3 March Prime Minister Johnson announced his plan to ‘contain, delay, research, mitigate’: it has not worked. The lack of essential supplies for frontline workers, the disorganisation of testing, aligned with a decimated NHS has meant that the Coronavirus death rates in the UK have continued to rise.
6 March – 6 May Covid-19 Deaths
* First 61 days across Europe:
Germany (9 Mar – 9 May) 7,549 deaths; Italy (Feb 21 – 23 Apr) 25,549 deaths; Spain (Feb 13 – 14 Apr) 18,265 deaths; Greece (12 Mar – 12 May) 151 deaths.
With the highest rate of Coronavirus fatalities in Europe Prime Minister Johnson announced today (10 May 2020) that he is considering introducing airport controls for travellers to the UK by the end of May at the same time he is lifting the “restrictions on freedom” of British citizens.
New Zealand implemented this measure, as part of their four level alert system beginning on the 21 March – their case recovery rate is 98% (UK’s rate is 1%); Germany introduced travel restriction on 17 March 2020 as part of their national lockdown measures that started on the 12 March – this includes a 14 day quarantine – their case recovery rate is 95%.
The UK Government’s plans continue to be too little, too late – unless that is the plan.
The only figure that is growing is the death rate from Coronavirus.
10 May 2020