On these days in 2020...19th and 20th March

THURSDAY 19TH MARCH 2020

Facts and figures.

By the close of play, there were 3,269 cases and 144 dead in the UK.

Italy has surpassed China having the most fatalities with 3,405 dead.

 Daily news.

Call in the army.

The news mentions 20,000 troops put on stand-by and that this is ‘frightening’. I think they forget that they are our troops, not an enemy’s. They will be helping with all manner of things I’m sure, such as deliveries of food, NHS work, burying the dead perhaps, that sort of thing. They may also need them to enforce lockdowns and criminal behaviour.

As an ex-CID Detective Sergeant, I can guess what the criminal fraternity will be plotting once the streets go quiet. I’m sure the powers that be will have a plan in place to deal with this. I hope people are locking their doors.

‘London will never be locked down.’

The Prime Minister reportedly says that London will never be locked down and closed off from the rest of the country.

The Bank of England has reduced the interest rate to 0.1

The Queen has put a message out, which includes:

 ‘The country is entering a period of uncertainty. Our nation’s history has been forged by people and communities coming together as one for the common goal.’

 5 pm Press Briefing. The Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister states that we can ‘turn the tide’ and ‘send the virus packing’ in three months if everyone complies with the advice. He is suggesting that in this period, scientific progress will come into play. This news feels like the ‘carrot’ part of the government’s carrot and stick policy. The ‘stick’ bit came from a scientific briefing informing young people that they will get very sick, and many are on intensive care units around the world. They are not immune from the coronavirus, and not invincible.

Americans have been told by their government to ‘come home.’ This request sounds like they may be closing their borders soon.

The first British patient is trialling a potential care relief drug.

Hydroxychloroquine.

The President of the USA, Donald Trump, has suggested that an existing antimalarial drug is beneficial, and they need to trial it. Something called ‘hydroxychloroquine.’

Another drug called ‘remdesivir’ originally developed to treat Ebola is also close to being approved.

The FDA, who authorise medications in the United States seem a little cooler to Donald Trump’s enthusiastic reaction. As I watched him talk about medication, he clearly knew little about. Why would he? Yet I suspect because he is the President, he believes this makes him an expert in everything, or that he ‘should’ know everything, when, let's face it, he clearly doesn’t. We have all met people like this, have we not? He has some of the finest experts in the world at his disposal and there he is making stuff up on the hoof. Strange.

 Family life.

Dad’s army.

I have seen in the magazine Police Oracle that they are considering calling up retired police officers so I may be getting the call-up. I am relatively young at 56, but I have been retired for some time, so where I would be positioned on a call-up list, I do not know. Naturally, I am prepared to do my bit for Queen and country should it be required, although it would be a risk.

Food shortage.

We called at Morrison’s for some bread and bits after Jackie finished work at 8 pm. I stayed in the car to minimise potential infection. Many shelves are empty, bread, drinks, crisps, baked beans that sort of thing, totally stripped from the shelves.

The first big hit to the family is Jackie’s youngest son, ‘CALLUM, HAS SUSPECTED COVID-19’. He is 25 years old. He texted his Mum to tell her and that he and his partner Lottie are self-isolating. Callum has a temperature and is struggling to breathe and has a cough. It sounds ominous, but there is no way of checking. We are worried but are communicating and ready to drop food off etc. if necessary. At least they are with each other, and he is not alone.

Quote of the day:

‘Ignorance is toxic. If a man hands you a cup of coffee and pours in what he calls liquid sugar when the container clearly says poison, how bliss is your ignorance?’ – James Jean-Pierre.

FRIDAY 20TH MARCH 2020

Facts and figures.

39 new deaths in the UK, making a total of 177.

In Harrow, London, Northwich Park Hospital has declared a ‘critical incident’ because it is at capacity. It is unable to take any more patients. One fears this is merely the start, and I can almost hear the howls of derision when this crisis starts to bite, and hundreds, if not thousands, begin dying every day.

 Daily news.

Key workers.

Today the list of ‘critical workers’ has been issued by the government. These are the people whose children can continue to be schooled to enable their parents to work. It is a comprehensive list – the headings are as follows:

Health and social care

Education and childcare

Key public services. (Justice system, religious staff, management of deceased, journalists).

The local and national government

Food and other necessary goods

Public safety and national security

Transport

Utilities, communication, and financial services.

‘Just a bug.’

I’ve noticed some weird stuff on social media. Many young people are not quite getting it because they think it’s just a bug and they will be fine. They are missing the point that they would become spreaders and possibly affect the vulnerable. Also, they do not realise how bad they could suffer; many young people get severe pneumonia and need to be ventilated, which is a horrendous procedure. Some are just stupid and selfish, but I hasten to add that this is not necessarily peculiar to young people, of course.

I tweeted that we should try to give people a bit of understanding if they say things we disagree with and be kind. We all have different coping strategies, and denial is no doubt, one of them.

Jailed for going out.

News in at 10.40 am that a 26-year-old man has been arrested on The Isle of Wight for refusing to self-isolate. They have a local law that refusal to comply incurs a fine and/or three months in prison. He is in custody.

 5 pm Press Briefing. The Prime Minister.

Today's science briefing has suggested that social distancing is likely to continue for a year, including closures of premises. This is likely to be an incredible change to our way of life.

P.M. Johnson says, ‘Lives can, must, and will be saved.’

He announces that the government is moving from ‘asking’ café’s, bars, and restaurants to close to ‘telling’ them to shut from tonight. It is the same for theatres, leisure centres, and gyms. It is to be reviewed each month. He expects that all will comply, but licensing laws can assist with enforcement if necessary. - WE ARE IN (SEMI) LOCKDOWN!

Chancellor builds a raft.

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announces a raft of financial initiatives designed to help unemployed people by the closures and the virus provisions. He describes it rightly as ‘unprecedented support.’

They will pay for people’s wages. ‘The coronavirus job retention scheme’ is a policy where the HMRC can be contacted and will give a grant of 80% of workers’ salaries so they will still get the bulk of their pay, topped up by businesses should they desire—backdated to March 1st 2020.

This will be for three months at first and reviewed. Author’s retrospective note - these will become known as furlough payments.

The chancellor hopes the first grant will be paid before the end of April, which is six weeks away, folks.

‘The coronavirus interruption scheme’ is a loan available interest-free for an entire year available for businesses affected.

‘Cash flow support’ through tax. He is deferring VAT payments until the end of June, and you can pay up to the end of the year without penalty.

He is increasing universal credit for the unemployed for the next year by £1000.

He is increasing working tax credits by the same amount.

There are numerous other measures, but these are the mainstream ones. Anyone on the PAYE scheme is included, which also covers non-contracted zero-hours workers.

 Family life.

Callum is still unwell but not too bad. Lottie is looking after him. There has been a request for soup and other items to be left outside their flat.

Jackie’s children, Aron, Ashley, and Callum seem to be taking it quite light-heartedly. It is probably the best approach. I fear they haven’t seen the awful apocalyptic pictures coming out of Italy and their hospitals. It is horrendous. I just hope that Callum doesn’t take a turn for the worst on day 5, as is the trend.

I felt a bit emotional thinking about it earlier. Maybe it is getting to us all a bit, knowing what is around the corner.

Hiatus.

My son Harry is in a hiatus, pending going to University in September. He has been working as zero-hours contract at The Nottingham Motorpoint Arena in the hospitality sector to earn a few pennies. He was ‘laid off’ when the coronavirus hit. I wonder if he can claim anything. And if so, how?

Similarly, Katie, Andy’s partner, is a music teacher and an operatic singer who is self-employed. I ‘What’s apped’ them on the family group to alert them to the new initiatives, but they seem aware, and they are going to enquire.

I picked Jackie up from Morrison’s at 8.25 pm – she went there when she finished work at 8 pm. She managed to get some tins of soup and some cereal and other bits for Callum and Lottie. We drove over to their flat, and having text them, Jackie left the bag outside the flat and stood well back behind a wall and watched Lottie collect it.

They made light of the strangeness as Jackie waved from behind the brickwork.

Square root.

I have worked out exactly what I am entitled to for my financial support from the government in the creative industry of writing, giving people comfort and entertainment while they are in lockdown. By my calculations I am entitled to the square root of sod all.

Quote of the day:

‘Reality. It is sometimes brought through foreign eyes; because if you do not know any better, you cannot see the worse (and vice versa)’. – Criss Jami.

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PART 1 IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON AUDIBLE AND ITUNES - PART 2 IS IMMINENT.

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