100,000
Yesterday, we reached 100,000 deaths, and the daily death rate is running at 1631. In deaths per million population, we are pretty much the worst country in the world, only Gibraltar, San Marino, Belgium and Slovenia are worse.
How did we blunder so badly?
There were a number of bad mistakes, starting with locking down too late, the "Test, trace and isolate" fiascos, "eat out to help out", the Christmas fiasco, the failure to secure our borders at airports, the failure to recommend masking right from day one. Or, to put it another way - omnishambles.
But whereas the omnishambles in "The thick of it" were comedy, these are tragedy.
Government policies have been a series of U-turns, forced partly by the situation with the virus, and partly by the blind optimism of the government until reality was actually hammering on the door. And all the while, chanting "We're following the science" even when very obviously they were not. And still are not.
But I hear the hooves of the cavalry, just over the hill. We've vaccinated 10% of the population, and are now steaming on at three million per week. The death rate is very high, but the number of new cases per day has come from the 68,000 peak down to "only" 20,000. And the number of patients in hospital has started to come down from the 40,000 peak (which was twice as high as the desperate days of last spring).
I'm concerned at the falling daily rates of vaccinations - have seen no explanation. Having secured a vaccine appointment for Friday, I am hoping that this is not dependent on supplies that are yet to be delivered:
ReplyDeleteEngland and Scotland gave out just 281,725 Covid vaccine doses on Monday as UK misses daily jab target for two days in a row amid European supply row
The UK needs to be vaccinating at least 400,000 people every day for the next three weeks to fulfil promise
Only 221,067 vaccines were administered on Sunday and down by more than half from 493,013 on Saturday
NHS England figures show 281,725 jabs were carried out yesterday amid promise of 15million by mid-February
The question (re. falling daily rates) was asked at yesterday's Downing Street briefing, but wasn't really answered. They hinted at supply still being "lumpy", it being early days, and explained that they were not manufacturing widgets.
DeleteThe AZ plant in Wrexham had to be evacuated yesterday while a suspect parcel was made safe. Production schedules were unaffected, reportedly.
And then there is the threat of EU order fulfilment being delayed (even though EU approval is outstanding). AZ contract with EU has not yet been published (citing reasons of commercial confidentiality), but contracts with other suppliers say that delivery is on "best endeavours basis, bearing in mind supplier's contracts with other customers".
This government feels like the epitome of the boy who cried wolf with all the u turns.
ReplyDeleteIt's hardly a wonder people are ignoring the masks/distancing/etc rules and advice when they keep being exposed to this flip-flopping.
But what do I know? After all the "science is done" and "all the scientists are in agreement" with whatever the government said most recently.
At least one good thing to have come from brexit: at least the vaccine orders were sorted out sooner than our EU contemparies, although I'm sure the politicians will find some way to mess it up (perhaps they'll leave them all on a train)