Global confirmed cases: 2,501,156; total deaths: 171,810 (JHU)
UK confirmed cases: 129,044; total deaths: 17,337 (DHSC)
ONS data suggests death toll from COVID-19 likely to be much higher than the daily government figures show
Initial data suggests only a small proportion of the global population has developed COVID-19 antibodies, WHO warns
An RAF plane dispatched yesterday to bring a shipment of PPE to the UK remains grounded in Turkey
Rules. There are heaps of them at the moment. Well, there are and there aren’t. (You know all this, person reading today – this is another ‘so we don’t forget post’.) So, the government rules on lockdown are:
Stay at home
- Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
- If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
- Wash your hands as soon as you get home
- Do not meet others, even friends or family. You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
…but then there is the Read more about what you can and cannot do link which adds more detail. If you take this advice exactly as it’s set out, it’s pretty clear. Sort of. But then, people have added their own take on it. Nowhere does it say how long you can go out for, for example. I’ve seen ‘discussions’ on social media about how long is too long to go out running, for example. If you run for four hours in the countryside and don’t see a soul, is that ok? Does it even count? Can you go out again later? Or is it unfair because people in cities don’t have that luxury and we should all ‘be in it together? Is it worse to go out exercising in a busy park or invite family to your house? One is clearly not allowed, but if the only people that stupidity effects is the people in the house, does it matter? (It really does in my mind, but not according to others)
And everyone has their own opinion. The only comment I can find on how long you can exercise for is Michael Gove, by the way and he said “Obviously it depends on each individual’s fitness, but I would have thought that for most people a walk of up to an hour or a run of 30 minutes or a cycle ride is appropriate.”
So it got a bit muddier as for many, this became a ‘maximum of one hour of exercise a day’. Then a few days ago the National Police Chiefs’ Council published some guidelines. And now we’re in silly territory because – well, take a look. This article sums it up better than I can. I particularly like the lines:
‘Exercise must involve
some movement, but it is
acceptable for a person to
stop for a break in exercise.
However, a very short period
of ‘exercise’ to excuse a long
period of inactivity may
mean that the person is not
engaged in ‘exercise’ but in
fact something else.’
As someone has pointed out, what about planking? ;)
On frequency they say ‘likely to be reasonable’ is:
‘Exercising more than once
per day – the only relevant
consideration is whether
repeated exercise on the
same day can be considered
a ‘reasonable excuse’ for
leaving home.’
And I don’t think I even know what that is supposed to mean. So its no wonder people are a bit confused. So there you go. Photos today are of some of the signs that popped up at the start of all this:
And because they are a bit sad, here are some of the things kids have been putting on pavements locally. And yes, I do them all when I am out on my morning plod. (Just the once, usually just over an hour, for the record):
Stay safe, lovely people. x
PS: This is very long and not written by me, but Sister 1 spotted it on face book and it kind of sums up all of the above and made me smile and then not smile. But you have to smile, don’t you? Credit to a gentleman called Graham Hope. Here is the link to his post: https://www.facebook.com/g14luv/posts/10157202142536367
Coronavirus UK guidelines.
1. You MUST NOT leave the house for any reason, but if you have a reason, you can leave the house
2. Masks are useless at protecting you against the virus, but you may have to wear one because it can save lives, but they may not work, but they may be mandatory, but maybe not
3. Shops are closed, except those shops that are open
4. You must not go to work but you can get another job and go to work
5. You should not go to the Drs or to the hospital unless you have to go there, unless you are too poorly to go there
6. This virus can kill people, but don’t be scared of it. It can only kill those people who are vulnerable or those people who are not vulnerable people. It’s possible to contain and control it, sometimes, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster
7. Gloves won’t help, but they can still help so wear them sometimes or not
8. STAY HOME, but it’s important to go out
9. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are many things missing. Sometimes you won’t need loo rolls but you should buy some just in case you need some
10. The virus has no effect on children except those children it effects
11. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…
12. Stay 2 metres away from tigers (see point 11)
13. You will have many symptoms if your get the virus, but you can also get symptoms without getting the virus, get the virus without having any symptoms or be contagious without having symptoms, or be non contagious with symptoms…
14. To help protect yourself you should eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand as it’s better not to go out shopping
15. It’s important to get fresh air but don’t go to parks but go for a walk. But don’t sit down, except if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant or if you’re not old or pregnant but need to sit down. If you do sit down don’t eat your picnic
16. Don’t visit old people but you have to take care of the old people and bring them food and medication
17. If you are sick, you can go out when you are better but anyone else in your household can’t go out when you are better unless they need to go out
18. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house. These deliveries are safe. But groceries you bring back to your house have to be decontaminated outside for 3 hours including Pizza…
19. You can’t see your older mother or grandmother, but they can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver
20. You are safe if you maintain the safe social distance when out but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance
21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours … or four hours… six hours… I mean days, not hours… But it needs a damp environment. Or a cold environment that is warm and dry… in the air, as long as the air is not plastic
22. Schools are closed so you need to home educate your children, unless you can send them to school because you’re not at home. If you are at home you can home educate your children using various portals and virtual class rooms, unless you have poor internet, or more than one child and only one computer, or you are working from home. Baking cakes can be considered maths, science or art. If you are home educating you can include household chores within their education. If you are home educating you can start drinking at 10am
23. If you are not home educating children you can also start drinking at 10am
24. The number of corona related deaths will be announced daily but we don’t know how many people are infected as they are only testing those who are almost dead to find out if that’s what they will die of… the people who die of corona who aren’t counted won’t be counted
25. You should stay in locked down until the virus stops infecting people but it will only stop infecting people if we all get infected so it’s important we get infected and some don’t get infected
26. You can join your neighbours for a street party and turn your music up for an outside disco and your neighbours won’t call the police. People in another street are allowed to call the police about your music
27. No business will go down due to Coronavirus except those businesses that will go down due to Coronavirus
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