COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News weekend update 19th / 20th September 2020.

The UK added 3,899 cases today (+4,422 yesterday) and now has reported a total of 394,257 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 233,199 tests on Friday

1,081 people were in hospital on Thursday 17th, with 138 using a ventilator on Friday 18th. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 18 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days (+27 yesterday). We now very sadly have a total of 41,777 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 32,933 (+395) cases and 1,792 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 31,113,280 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 963,293. Already 22,713,152 people have recovered.

Exciting news - for me at least. I managed to get 2 of us tested. I went for a "last attempt" late on Friday night and was offered a walk-in appointment a far more reasonable distance away. It meant an 8am trip to Darwen - where they had a really a slick operation going, and were a really nice bunch. 5 minutes and we were back on the way home. No results as yet, but we're all doing okay anyway, which is really the important thing. 

The fact I was sent to Darwen, which has a far lower incidence of positive cases than my own local authority, does make me wonder just how much lack of local availability skews the figures... 

This is a biggie, and I don't see it making big news as yet, but it will do.
"From 28 September people will be required by law to self-isolate, those breaking the rules face fines starting at £1,000, increasing up to £10,000.
A £500 Test & Trace Support payment will be available for those on lower incomes who can't work from home."
This is a huge move to the English Government and probably indicates that in the next 10 days, they'll actually start clamping down. Supporting people on a lower income is fantastic news (although you do not have to be claiming benefits to be unable to manage if you lose 2 weeks pay).

Fines are hard, and don't only apply to the person self-isolating - pay attention to this bit:
"New fines for those breaching self-isolation rules will start at £1,000 – bringing this in line with the penalty for breaking quarantine after international travel - but could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and for the most egregious breaches, including for those preventing others from self-isolating.
For example, this could include business owners who threaten self-isolating staff with redundancy if they do not come to work, sending a clear message that this will not be tolerated."
Quite obviously the government want to keep the economy open as much as possible, and allowing spread will just hamper that.
All of a sudden, they've grown up in their approach and started doing up their laces.... 

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 18th September 2020.

The UK added 4,322 cases today and now has reported a total of 385,936 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 233,199 tests yesterday.

1,020 people were in hospital on 16th Sept, with 127 using a ventilator yesterday, Thursday 18th Sept.  

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 27 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 41,732 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

England 332,984 / 37,054
Northern Ireland 8,943 / 575
Scotland 23,776 / 2,502
Wales 20.233 / 1,601

Rep. Of Ireland 32,023 cases and 1,789 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 30,549,837 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 953,029. Already 22,206,538 people have recovered.

"There's no question, as I've said for several weeks now, that we could expect (and) are now seeing a second wave coming in."
Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister. 

Turns out some members of the UK SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) have asked for a second national lockdown in October. This was reported yesterday as including Chris Whitty, retracted, and re-reported. 

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock was on telly this morning talking about it:
"We'll do what is necessary to keep people safe, and the first line of defence is that everybody should follow the social distancing... hands, face, space....  The contact tracing system, which is working very well. That is the second line of defence.
After that these local lockdowns, and the last line of defence, is full national action, and I don't want to see that, but we will do whatever is necessary to keep people safe in a very difficult pandemic."
Errrrrrm..... yeah.... about that contact tracing.... 

"Birmingham Nightingale Hospital (which had been mothballed) is now on “higher alert” which means it can be ready to go within 48/72 hours"
Becky Johnson, Sky News. 

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 16th / 17th September 2020.

The UK added 3,395 cases today and now has reported a total of 381,614 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 236,219 tests yesterday. 988 people were in hospital on Tuesday 15th, up from 837 the previous week. 124 people were using a ventilator yesterday, up from 80 the previous week. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 21 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 41,705 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 32,023 (+224) cases and 1,789 (+1) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 30,234,786 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 948,320. Already 21,940,164 people have recovered.

"The issue of testing is one, that we have gone from a disease that no-one knew about a few months ago, to nearly a quarter of a million people a day can be tested. The Prime Minister is expecting that to go up to half a million people a day by the end of October.
And instead of this endless carping, saying it's difficult to get them, we should actually celebrate this phenomenal success of the British nation."
Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House of 'Commons', who can literally lift his finger and be supplied with as many tests as he wants, instantly, and will never know the joy of getting through after 20 or more attempts, followed by the deflation of being offered a test 61 miles away. Twice. 

There are unconfirmed reports that in the absence of comprehensive testing, the English Government estimate we have around 38,000 new cases a day, and Chris Whitty is pushing for another 2 week national lockdown. He's an epidemiologist, I honestly wouldn't expect him to be calling for anything less with those figures. It's literally his job to advise to prevent spread.
There are people now saying that Chris has denied the comments, and the figure is misquoted - although no actual word from Mr Whitty, and no-one seems to agree on what the actual figure really is (but it seems likely it's under 10k, possibly between 3.8k-7k per day). I'll leave you to make what you will of that...  

"Singapore and Thailand to be added to the England travel corridor list at 4am Saturday 19 September 2020. Guadeloupe and Slovenia to be removed from the list at 4am Saturday 19 September."
(You won't need to quarantine on return from Singapore and Thailand, but you will on return from Guadeloupe and Slovenia.)

Today Baroness Dido Harding said the latest English daily testing capacity figure is 242,000. Demand for tests is outstripping capacity 3 to 4 times - implying that up to a million people a day are attempting to request tests. Requests for tests for children under 17 have doubled.
Yes, that doesn't bode well, but before you go into a complete panic:
-  I personally have tried at least 50 times over the last 3 days (and although I wanted to test more than 1 person, I don't want to test 50).
- It wouldn't really be a surprise to discover that about 1 in every 68 people has a cough, or a fever - even in places where there are many cases, only a relatively small percentage will actually have COVID.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 14/15 September 2020.

The UK added 3,105 cases today and now has reported a total of 374,228 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 227,075 tests yesterday. 972 people were in hospital on Sunday 13th, with 106 using a ventilator yesterday, 14th September. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 27 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 41,664 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 31,192 cases and 1,784 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 29,617,178 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 935,946. Already 21,419,484 people have recovered.

"As we often say, there is no zero risk. But with the right combination of measures, we can keep our kids safe and teach them that health and education are two of the most precious commodities in life."
Dr Tedros, Head of the WHO.  

I completely forgot to mention these, so I am sorry if it affects you:
"French Polynesia, Hungary, Portugal and Réunion removed from the travel corridors list at 4am Saturday 12 September 2020. Sweden added to the list at 4am Saturday 12 September."
Confusingly that means you DO need to quarantine if you come back from French Polynesia, Hungary, Portugal and Réunion, and you now don't when returning from Sweden. 

English COVID Testing is now in an even worse mess. Lab capacity is so overwhelmed,  we've been sending tests to Germany and elsewhere, and it appears all of them won't be making it safely home.
Personally I know someone who's been waiting on a COVID result for 9 days and been told there's no-one available to chase lost results (it's clearly never coming). My kids have temperatures and despite trying for 2 days, we haven't been able to book anyone a test. Far worse than our situation, NHS workers can't even get tested, so they're at home when they're really needed.
Expect an announcement very soon about rationing tests, because they're trying to play catch up with time-sensitive samples, and they're falling further behind by the day. 

Usually at this time of the year I'm feeling a bit quiet and missing the noise of the Summer holidays. The kids are back at school, shattered, and the morning rush to be ready is something all of us are pleased to have done with. This year it's different... 

My kids are already doing school-at-home, and self-isolating, after a mere week back, which followed the longest holiday most people will ever get. Yet this year I wasn't so glad to send them back to school, It was accompanied by a lot of doubt, and a little worry. In fact, most parents in the UK felt nervous about sending their children in (we aren't alone). It's our job to worry, it goes against nature to turn it off. 

Coronavirus is putting all of us into positions we didn't expect, and we may not enjoy. It's out of our control and for a lot of people, it just looks like more and more to come. It seems endless. It's disappointing, frustrating, upsetting even. It makes us scared for ourselves, scared for our families and friends... it makes us see what is actually important. 

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News weekend update 12th / 13th September 2020. 

The UK added 3,330 cases today and now has reported a total of 368,504 positive cases of COVID-19. We reported 3,497 yesterday. Last Saturday and Sunday we reported 2,593 and 2,988. It's up by almost 1/3. 

884 people were in hospital on Thursday 10th, with 79 using a ventilator on Friday 11th. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 5 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 41,628 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

England 318,121 / 36,964
Northern Ireland 8,314 / 568
Scotland 22,679 / 2,499
Wales 19,390 / 1,597

Rep. Of Ireland 30,730 cases and 1,784 (+1) losses of life. (Not yet reported cases today.) 

There have now been a total of 29,107,970 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 926,910. Already 20,947,030 people have recovered.

"We may not get back to our normal lives until the end of 2021."
Dr Anthony Fauci, US COVID lead, being very brutal and honest about when it's likely the US, and a lot of the world, are going to be able to put the face masks away, or go to a packed theatre etc, without risk of catching COVID. 

Hope school reopening is going well for you. We had 3 cases already in my 2 sons' schools by close of play on Friday. Awesome. My kids however were delighted to be back. 

The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine trial has resumed. Whatever adverse event the UK patient suffered - and they can't really tell us because of patient confidentiality laws - independent scrutiny has found it not to be a reason to stop the trial, or consider the vaccine unsafe. Good stuff. 

The UK added 3,539 cases today and now has reported a total of 361,677 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 227,465 tests yesterday. 863 people were in hospital on Wednesday 9th, up 120 on that time last week. 78 patients were using a ventilator yesterday, up 2 from the previous week. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 6 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 41,614 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 30,360 cases and 1,781 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 28,497,524 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 916,620. Already 20,462,599 people have recovered.

6 months ago today, on 11th March 2020, the World Health Organisation finally called the COVID situation a 'pandemic'. They had already, back on January 30th, declared their highest state of emergency - a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 

The R number in England and Wales is now officially above 1. No kidding! We all understand R numbers now, don't we? It's the Reproductive Rate.
If 3 cats have 1 kitten each, who in turn has 1 kitten, who has 1 kitten etc etc, you do have a slight increase in the number of cats initially, but only for a short while, and then it'll reach a plateau and never go above that. If 1 cat has extra kittens, the number will go up, and if all of the cats in each generation have 3 kittens, it'll get exponentially bigger. Likewise, If any 1 of the 3 cats doesn't have any kittens, the number of cats will begin to drop.
The number of cases is rising, so therefore the R rate in England and Wales has to be above 1 on average.
Official SAGE (government advisory group) figures put the current R rate at between 1.0 and 1.2, but the IPSOS MORI / Imperial College data says it is 1.7, with cases doubling every 7-8 days.
Sadly I know which one I personally trust the most... 

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update September 10th 2020.

The UK added 2,919 cases today and now has reported a total of 358,138 positive cases of COVID-19. Tests completed has not been updated since last Wednesday - when the total to date was 17,619,897. 837 people were in hospital on Tuesday 8th, with 80 using a ventilator yesterday.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 14 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 41,608 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 30,360 (+196) cases and 1,781 losses of life. 

There have now been a total of 28,214,209 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 911,165. Already 20,221,164 people have recovered.

"I don't believe the UK is exceptional. My personal belief is we're two to four weeks behind what's happening in continental Europe… I think that community transmission is going to increase over the coming weeks... The next six weeks are going to be absolutely critical..."
"Nobody should be under any illusion: This infection is not going away. This is now a human endemic infection.”
Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust. He also had plenty to say about vaccine safety:
"It's absolutely critical that we assess these vaccines robustly. That it's done in an independent way without political interference. That the regulators are absolutely in control of assessing that data, and that the nature is transparent and shared with people... The first generation vaccines will not be perfect in my view, but an imperfect vaccine can have a major impact on reducing transmission and preventing severe disease. The second generation vaccines will inevitably be better."

 COVID English Press Conference EXTRA update 9th September 2020. 

Scientists Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance, and that man Boris held an English press conference today. It was clear it was going to be bad news. Luckily it didn't really turn out to be 'new' news, as we had it all leaked last night.
Chris stressed that it was important to lay down the background, so that what was coming was said "in context".
Numbers are up "going up much more rapidly over the last few days". He stressed that in some age groups, the rise is much more sharp (ski slope sharp). This is mainly in the bands containing young people aged 10-30.
Chris stresses - This is a real phenomenon, not just due to increased testing.

Rates of increase in school-aged children have been very low, it is those over 17 where it's happening - the worst group by far is 17-21 year olds. (You young folk, tsk...).

He compared the UK's graph with France, Spain and Belgium. (Their increases are also reportedly driven by young people thinking they're bombproof.) They are a little ahead of us with this wave, and we can see how it is likely to pan out if we let this carry on, and in barely moments it'll start to reach more vulnerable populations. We can't just let that happen. 

Chris had several graphs and animated charts explaining the position in the UK and how it has changed, and showing how new cases have been spreading, and how that has sped up. 

Over to Boris, winner of the Crap Podium Decoration of the day. He reminds us that if you have symptoms, book a test. If you don't have symptoms, please don't book a test unless a medical professional asks you to, save them for people who need them. He also went over washing hands, staying apart and wearing face coverings.
'If we are to beat the virus then everyone at all times should minimise interactions.' 

In England from Monday we are introducing a 6 person LAW. You cannot socialise or gather in any group larger than 6. This will apply in any setting indoor or out, and you risk dispersal or a £100 fine, or even arrest, if you don't comply.
There are exemptions:
- Single adult households can maintain their bubbles with the other household.
- People with more than 6 in a single household
- COVID-secure venues (e.g, Churches - with their own specific venue guidelines and limits on occupancy).
- Education
- Workplaces
- Organised sport
- Weddings and Funerals
(A full list of exemptions is expected sometime very soon, so no word about drama club or Brownies, or anything that may be regarded as 'leisure' or 'extra-curricular' or 'educational' just yet.)

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 7th/8th September 2020.

The UK added 2,948 cases today and that was later amended to 2,460. It now has reported a total of 352,520 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 175,687 tests yesterday. 756 people were in hospital on Thursday 3rd, 757 on Sunday 6th, and we had 77 people using a ventilator yesterday (7th). 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 30 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. That was later amended to 32. We now very sadly have a total of 41,586 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 30,080 (+306) cases and 1,778 (+1) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 27,602,144 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 898,652. Already 19,694,577 people have recovered.

"The epidemic is taking off again. I don't think we've hit this sweet spot where we've been able to control the epidemic and allow a degree of normality.... I don't think we've managed that. I'm quite worried the schools have just returned, cases are increasing, exponentially. They ARE increasing exponentially."
Professor John Edmunds, member of the UK government's official Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) - speaking reluctantly in an ITV telly interview. Jonathan Van Tam has also stated that cases are "creeping" throughout England.