Just a thought about Italy, - am wondering would the Mass ceremony, or whatever they do at their Roman Catholic services be another means of the spread of infection, besides the obvious risks of large groups of people together at chapel? I have always thought it crazy the hygiene risks with priests reaching bread into the mouth of each person and the drinking of wine from one cup. Absolute idiots in my opinion to be daft enough to accept that.
I see he is up in Scotland, by ignoring all requirements and advice from the Government. He has also taken away much needed services from a rural community for use by himself and his mrs, that the members of the community cannot get. He has also taken a huge entourage with him and this will not only have put them in danger, but the whole community through his selfish attitude that he is above the law and stuff everyone else and can just do as he pleases. Why should he get tested on the NHS, when the rules stipulate, you need to be hospitalized for testing. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-slam-prince-charles-heading-21754528 https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/prince-charles-been-utterly-reckless-21755949
My family is in Spain. Just a few weeks ago they were watching Italy like we are watching the rest of Europe today, from a "safe" distance and thinking it wouldn't ever get as bad in Spain. As of today, Spain has the highest rate of deaths per day in the world. The lockdown is having a huge impact on most households and businesses. If everybody stops thinking about themselves and stay at home and keep a safe distance with other people it will be over soon. If not, it will last months and many people will lose their lives. This morning I did my shopping at Lidl. It was shocking to see people queuing next to each other, the cashiers without gloves or protective masks, etc. No even a member of the staff disinfecting or making sure people kept a safe distance with each other. Some people were wondering what to cook and chatting relaxed with each other like it was a barbecue weekend in summer. We can't complain about how much this is affecting our pockets and still doing whatever we feel like.
My local Tesco got proper distances set up, sanitiser by the entrance. Max 5 in store at any one time (express store). Barrier by the checkout. Markings on the floor showing people where to stand. Big store had similar setup but obviously allowing more people in, one at a time
Local biggish Asda to me very similar. Queue outside with distance between everyone and a member of staff at the door only allowing someone in when someone left. Don't know how many in the store at a time but can't have been more than 15. Disinfectant and handwash next to the baskets and arrows on the floor to tell people which way to go round the aisles so they are not crossing.
Our village Co-op (for which we are now, more than ever, so grateful), is operating a similar system. Only worrying thing, they didn't seem to have had any more beer and crisps delivered since earlier in the week....
Went to the supermarket the morning after the announcement. 6.30 in the AM, pulled in, looked quite, happy days, get my bags and off I go. Somehow I missed the queue going round the carpark. About turn back to the van, popped in to the garage, bread, bacon, coffee, guinness. Job done. I am still working, had a worktop delivered wednesday and finished a kitchen. Today and tomorrow gardening, middle of nowhere no human contact. Council where out this morning cutting the verges, busses going by half full with people, halfords, pets at home, supermarkets, scaffolders, roofers, sparks etc etc all still out working. Its like half the country are indoors watching too much news and spending too much time on social media and the other half are carry on as normal, Obviously taking social distancing in to account. Crazy times. And where are all the social media posts of ill people, seen one, some fella coughing. You would think there would be dozens. What about the coach drivers from the original repatriation a few months back , no masks, nothing, how contagious is this really. Busses, trains, tube, taxis still running, Anyone over 65 or infirm should be on lockdown the rest of us should be out working and supporting them. We need to build up resistance to this not hide from it. Its here to stay.
Wish the women in my local shop would keep their mouths shut. They seem to think they can shout and laugh to each other. So much for preventing airborne spreading of virus. Unfortunately if I tell them, they might refuse to serve me.
You completely missed the point of the figures I quoted which is that individual day's figures fluctuate - sometimes wildly. It's the general trend that matters. You can see the charts for every country in the world here - The pattern is pretty much identical everywhere - although the active case measurements are more dependent on testing capability than anything else. 103 dead in the UK today and we're well away from the peak yet.
People can see what's going on in the UK here https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/f94c3c90da5b4e9f9a0b19484dd4bb14 One interesting thing on there happens when NHS Regions is clicked on the bottom left. The midlands hardly had any 2 weeks ago, and not that many a week ago. Last week many had single figure numbers. They have gone up rapidly. The daily bar chart behaves a bit strangely as can be seen on previous drops. One was due to only testing people who were in serious enough condition to need to remain in hospital. Those are the ones being tested. If some one thinks they have it they isolate for 7 days and will be well aware they need the hospitals towards the end of it. 5 days it seems is typical. Other countries are sticking to 14days as the virus may well be still around when they have recovered. Our lot do seem to be aware of that but don't seem to think it's relevant. The death figures are messed up at the moment due to the time they are recorded changing to speed up paper work. Next ones will be for the full 24hrs.
It's going to get worse before it gets better. I composed a long post last night but lost it somewhere. Briefly. as follows for UK :- The peak of number of people who have got it might be a month from now - takes us to say end of April They have no idea of how many have got it as few are tested . The only reliable figures are deaths . People who are first infected at the end of April and who die a month later takes us to end of May. As the peak of infections is predicted to end of April the daily death toll should reach a peak at the end of May. During May people will continue to be infected and some will die in June but I think they are hoping that from May the daily numbers of deaths will go down. This is where I believe the 12 weeks come from. (April May And June) This reduction could continue until they get a vaccine. And this is if everybody does as they are told. The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 are now law. A successful outcome depends on all other countries doing the same. I think the USA will have it bad with no NHS.
Following on from the above I have just read that in the USA they expect the peak of deaths to be in three weeks time. I thought it was peak of cases which I took to be infections not deaths. This makes one hell of a difference. Does anyone know which applies to the UK?
In the UK I understand it's the peak of patients in hospital - ie serious cases that need the treatments so very likely to correspond to deaths. Can't be any other peak as they are only recording the number in hospital really but may also be sampling some who aren't serious yet and may never be. To be honest having looked at the page I linked to for some time I wonder if figures are being massaged to a certain degree by changing the times things are reported. There was a mutter about this on the news yesterday and the latest daily rate has shot up again as it has before. It also seems Trump has asked S Korea for lots of virus test kits and it seems that the UK isn't on their list. The Koreans defeated it via test kits and being ready for it thanks to sars, and mers etc. Seems some other countries were prepared as well. Tracking mobile phones and sending texts figured in the Korean method.
Breaking news Boris Johnson has tested positive! I really think they should now have a national government bringing in Labour and the SNP and Lib Dems. Rishi Sunak as PM?
Are you serious ? If you really want to bring the UK to a standstill.....just involve any one or combination of the bitter losers.