COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th / 8th June 2021.

The UK added 6,048 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,528,442 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 928,425 tests yesterday.

The counter says 40,573,517 people (77%) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 28,227,362 people (53.6%) had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

957 people were in hospital on Sunday 6th June, with 148 using a ventilator yesterday, 7th June.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 13 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 127,854 official losses of life in all settings.
Up until Friday 28th May, 152,289 people had COVID listed as a cause on their death certificate.

Rep. Of Ireland 264,826 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 174,567,089 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,756,585. Already 157,901,736 people have recovered.

"6 months.
68,800,879 doses given.
40,573,517 first jabs.
28,227,362 second jabs.
1000s of volunteers.
1 United Kingdom.
Let’s finish the job. Please keep coming forward to get vaccinated when it’s your turn."
Boris Johnson. UK PM. (My partner thinks he's having a dig at Scottish independence at every opportunity. As if.)

From today in England if you're aged 25 or over, or if you turn 25 before 1 July 2021, you can now book your COVID-19 vaccine.

Congratulations to the residents of Calderdale, specifically Todmorden, Park and Warley wards. You are today's winners of some extra surge testing and a doorstep visit from Test & Trace, along with the entire populations of Greater Manchester AND Lancashire.
If you're particularly lucky, members of the armed forces on surprise visits bearing gifts will ring your bell.

Surge Testing PLUS bonuses to try and protect against Delta Variant:
Bedford, Leicester (some areas), Hounslow, North Tyneside, Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan), Lancashire (Burnley, Chorley, Fylde, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Wyre), Blackburn with Darwen, Yorkshire and the Humber, Kirklees

Regular Surge Testing Boroughs:
Brent (targeted areas), Ealing (targeted areas), Harrow (targeted areas), Hillingdon (targeted areas), Redbridge (targeted areas within IG1, IG6 , IG5 and IG7), Sefton (targeted in Formby, Sefton), Hampshire (targeted areas across Hart District, Rushmoor Borough and Surrey border), Reading (targeted areas), Wokingham (targeted areas), Nuneaton, Derbyshire (Gamesley Ward, High Peak), Yorkshire and the Humber, City of Bradford (targeted areas), Calderdale (targeted areas across Todmorden, Park and Warley)

Yesterday Matt Hancock said that out of 12,383 people confirmed to have Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in the UK up until June 3rd:
- 464 people went to emergency care.
- 126 have been admitted to hospital.
Out of the people hospitalised:
- 83 were unvaccinated
- 28 have had 1 dose of a vaccine
- 3 have had 2 doses
On the face of it, that's a low number of people going to A&E (just over 1 in 30), and a low number of people admitted to hospital (just under 1%).
These numbers are a bit skewed, because some Delta variant people without symptoms won't ever be spotted, and everyone going into hospital is far more likely to have their sample sequenced to see which variant it is - so the reality is actually better than those figures (although on the other side, some more of those people could still be admitted to hospital now, but it's likely to be a very small number). 
1/2 the UK population have had 2 vaccinations and 3/4 have had at least 1, so the vaccines are looking really good so far. That comes out at well over 90% effective. 

The Welsh Government have a really interesting report on Long COVID.
"‘Long-COVID’ is commonly used to describe signs and symptoms that continue or develop after acute COVID‑19. It includes both ‘ongoing symptomatic COVID‑19’ (from 4 to 12 weeks) and ‘post‑COVID‑19 syndrome’ (12 weeks or more)."
They found that "prevalence of at least one symptom for 12 weeks or more ranges from around 2% to 10% in community samples, to over 70% in people who have been hospitalised".
'Suspected COVID' can be listed as the cause, because so many people either weren't tested when they were ill, or didn't realise they actually had COVID.
They make the point that we really REALLY need to make sure we have facilities in place for children who are suffering. Long COVID occurs much less often in children, but because of the sheer volume, it's definitely not rare. Currently facilities and clinics are really aimed at adults. 

My local authority never dropped masks for secondary school pupils, due to our proximity to plague central, and all of Greater Manchester have just reintroduced twice weekly in-school lateral flow testing.
Delta Variant COVID loves a classroom, and quite frankly it's the least we can do for the staff - many of whom will have only had 1 vaccination (or none) at this point.
Overall the twice-weekly lateral-flow-testing-at-home had dropped to around half the level it was at originally, and this is a point indieSAGE made last Friday. We really need to keep on top of it, or complacency will catch us out.

UK singles will soon notice Government messaging on dating apps. as lots of the big names have partnered up to offer vaccinated people special stickers, super-likes and other bonuses.
A recent YouGov poll found that actually a lot of people have strong feelings about this, with 28% of people saying they wouldn't date someone unless they were vaccinated, and another 31% saying they'd prefer it. 

Last week a not-yet-peer-reviewed study was released regarding a South African woman with HIV, who had a very lengthy battle with COVID. She tested positive for a massive 216 days. During this time the virus mutated more than 30 times, including 13 mutations on the spike protein (these are the vaccine/antibody escape mutations).
COVID really isn't very stable, it is a bit rubbish at making copies of itself and has tons of errors and missing parts (mutations). This has generally not been in our favour. 

The UK's RECOVERY Trial has found that aspirin is not useful as a treatment to prevent blood clotting in hospitalised COVID patients. Darn shame. It was definitely worth the test because it does help prevent blood clots with some other conditions, but sadly not with COVID.
"For every 1000 patients treated with aspirin, approximately 6 more patients experienced a major bleeding event and approximately 6 fewer experienced a thromboembolic (clotting) event."
Scratch that one off the list. 

India has opened up vaccinations to anyone over 18, free of charge.
Although it's good in theory, you do need to be able to actually get a vaccination, and there are only so many they can do in a day. If you live in an area of India which is less affected, you may have to wait a few weeks or months before your turn.

The situation in India really does seem to have improved massively, with 86,498 cases reported yesterday, and any Oxygen shortages far less visible than before.
They are encountering some real issues with the Delta variant though, it seems to trigger a much wider range of symptoms than original wild COVID, and shortness of breath or a cough are less of a feature.
I've talked before about the Black Fungus affecting a number of people who are recovering. Some reports say over 28,000 people have been been diagnosed with it already. Now Indian medics are warning that they are finding more people with severe stomach pain, stomach upset, hearing loss, swollen necks, severe tonsillitis,  joint pain, and micro blood clots which cut off circulation, causing pain and even killing tiny parts of the patient. Sometimes amputation of a finger or toe is necessary, and a small number of patients have clots in the intestines, with a rare few of them developing 'gastric gangrene' (I can't word this nicely. Turning rotten inside). 

Going back to the Black Fungus, or Mucormycosis, problem in India. It appears during recovery from COVID, and first impressions were that it seemed to be linked to unnecessary use of steroids, and possibly high blood sugar levels was a feature, as it seemed to happen mostly to diabetic people who aren't in full control of their condition. A not-yet-peer-reviewed study has looked at 187 cases and they found this to be true.
Yesterday India revised their health guidance, and issued some fantastic easily understood advice sheets, stressing that antibiotics, anti-parasitics and others shouldn't be used, and there should only be CAREFUL use of steroids & Oxygen.
In any country where healthcare can be a bit of "nurse them yourselves" situation, when you are worried for someone's life, it's understandable people have been buying whatever they can and overdoing it. They just want to be able to help. 

The EU have agreed a common COVID travel pass, and several European countries have begun issuing them to residents already.
The 'EU Digital COVID Certificate', unlike the name suggests, can be either paper or digital, and will allow members restriction free travel across all 27 EU member states, plus some other countries. The certificate has information on if and when the bearer has been vaccinated, tested or has recovered from COVID-19.
EU residents can still travel without a certificate, it's not mandatory, it's there to speed things up. Likewise, having a certificate won't guarantee anyone entry anywhere. Any country can independently decide to change their entry rules at any time. And some no doubt will. 

The UK government has delayed the new NHS data-sharing scheme. They were going to share lots more of the data held by your GP with Public Health England, but it included a lot of things which are very private - sexual orientation, test results, mental health etc. You are allowed to 'opt out', but there were a lot of concerns that it hasn't been widely publicised, there isn't enough consultation with the public, and that it will erode patient trust, and also GP trust.
The project has been delayed for 2 months at the moment - so you've still time to make your own thoughts known. 

Armel hoch! Or "Arm up!" is the slogan in Germany, and they've brought out the big stars to promote it. None other than David Hasselhoff himself is in their latest government video - looking pretty much the same as he did in the early 80's, when his co-star was a talking car, or in the 90's when his co-star was Pamela Anderson.
Standing outside in the sunshine and with far too much energy for an early morning, he says:
"Arm up! That's right. I, David Hasselhoff, am supposedly a hero because of Knight Rider and Baywatch and the Berlin Wall, but I've found freedom with vaccination. You can too. Hoff off."
If that doesn't convince people, clearly nothing will... 

It was world food safety day yesterday. Almost half a million people in the world are killed by their dinner each year. Summer is coming, barbecues will be super popular. Don't take risks.
Keep food cool and fridge food in the fridge, until you are ready to eat or cook it.
Make sure it's cooked through to the middle. It's okay to start the cooking in the oven, and then transfer to the barbecue to cremate the outside.
Don't leave the coleslaw or mayonnaise in the sun all afternoon.
Help drunk you out, and clear the table before you hit the shandies. Midnight snacking on fresh food that's been sat out for hours won't help that morning tummy.
Just because we have COVID, doesn't mean everything else has taken a break. Make it a time to remember for the right reasons.

Today it is exactly 6 months since the world began vaccinating people against Covid-19. The first vaccination (that was not part of a trial) was the lovely Margaret Keenan in Coventry Hospital, England (and look at what she was wearing!).
Over 2 billion vaccine doses have now been administered around the world. As Matt Hancock said yesterday:
"Thank you to everyone involved in this mammoth effort."

Some numbers. All of them represent people:

Countries / Cases / Losses of life (since midnight GMT. In larger countries some states /provinces have yet to report today):

USA 34,228,559 (+1,322) 612,761 (+60) 

India 29,084,518 (+87,569) 353,380 (+2,036)

Brazil 16,985,812 not yet reported today 474,614

France 5,713,917 not yet reported today 110,062

Turkey 5,300,236 (+6,609) 48,341 (+86)

Russia 5,145,843 (+9,977) 124,496 (+379) 

UK 4,528,442 (+6,049) 127,854 (+13)

Italy 4,235,592 (+1,896) 126,690 (+102) 

Germany 3,710,931 (+590) 89,994 (+29)

Spain 3,707,523 not yet reported today 80,236

Iran 2,980,116 (+8,846) 81,362 (+179)

Poland 2,875,729 (+400)74,255 (+95)

Mexico 2,434,562 (+881) 228,838 (+34) 

Ukraine 2,216,654 (+1,602) 51,333 (+118)

.

.Edited to amend the maths regarding A&E visitd by people with Delta Variant in the UK

Sources:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3136487/hearing-loss-organ-failure-fungus-gangrene-indias

https://twitter.com/tjt4002/status/1402165979807850497

Food safety: https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1401963607156461574?s=19

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-07/gangrene-hearing-loss-point-to-delta-variant-being-more-severe

https://www.recoverytrial.net/news/recovery-trial-finds-aspirin-does-not-improve-survival-for-patients-hospitalised-with-covid-19

https://www.krisp.org.za/publications.php?pubid=336

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leading-dating-apps-partner-with-government-to-boost-vaccine-uptake

https://t.co/EaKUETUXVl

https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1401959006504034343?s=19

https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-03/technical-advisory-group-long-covid-what-do-we-know-and-what-do-we-need-to-know.pdf

https://twitter.com/i/events/1401873165626839040

https://twitter.com/BMG_Bund/status/1401932276598988809?s=19

"Everything you need to know about the EU's COVID travel pass" https://twitter.com/i/events/1401873165626839040?s=09

https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1401914804512735234

https://twitter.com/ncarding/status/1402229770180562951

https://www.hsj.co.uk/technology-and-innovation/ministers-bow-to-nhs-pressure-to-delay-gp-data-scheme/7030250.article

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/surge-testing-for-new-coronavirus-covid-19-variants

https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1402293853982449664

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/9/21-0934_article

Indian Gov new advice sheets - https://dghs.gov.in/WriteReadData/Orders/202105270435011364109ComprehensiveGuidelinesforManagementofCOVID-1927May2021DteGHS.pdf

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 5th / 6th June 2021.

The UK added 5,341 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,518,892 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 806,272 tests yesterday.

The counter says 40,333,231 (76.6%) people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 27,661,353 (52.5%) people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

932 people were in hospital on Thursday 3rd June, which is the latest day reported. We have a rise in cases, but hospitalisations and losses of life, as we know, follow 3-5 weeks behind. We really are a little early to be able to assess how effectively vaccinations are protecting people from severe illness just yet - but we should begin to see it over the next week or so. Fingers crossed.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 4 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 127,840 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 264,449 (+313) cases and 4,941 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 173,913,062 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,740,587. Already 156,852,847 people have recovered.

"In just six months 40 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Thank you to everyone who has been instrumental in getting us here. Please keep coming forward for both doses."
Boris Johnson, UK PM

We've got a lot of Bingo winners today. Congratulations to the following residents:
Extra surge testing:
Canterbury - CT1 and CT2
Maidstone - ME14 1
Targeted areas in Bradford
Extra surge testing for everyone over 12:
Reading - RG1  3, RG1  5, RG1  6, RG1  7
Wokingham - Bulmershe & Whitegates, Evendons, Norreys, Wescott

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 4th June 2021.

The UK added 6,238 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,506,018 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 806,272 tests yesterday.

The counter says 39,949,694 people (75.8%) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 26,799,944 people (50.9%) had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

954 people were in hospital on Wednesday 2nd, with 134 using a ventilator yesterday, 3rd June.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 11 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 127,823 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 263,720 (+529) cases and 4,941 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 173,114,912 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,721,371. Already 155,865,907 people have recovered.

"It's not fine if kids get covid. Firstly, it isn't. Secondly, it can spread to other people, and thirdly it disrupts their education when they need to go home."
Christina Pagel, IndependentSAGE

“We’re certainly getting more data. Unfortunately, the news is not as positive as I would like in any respect about the Delta variant. The best estimate at the moment is this variant maybe 60% more transmissible than the Alpha (B.1.1.7 UK/Kent) Variant."
Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College on Radio 4 today.
If I tell you that's the best Delta Variant news of the day, you get the picture. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 2nd / 3rd June 2021.

The UK added 5,274 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,499,878 positive cases of COVID-19. (Yes, that is high. It will maybe have some added on figures from the bank holiday, but it's high.)
We completed 854,697 tests yesterday.

The counter says 39,758,428 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 26,422,303 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

919 people were in hospital on Tuesday 1st June, with 129 people using a ventilator yesterday, 2nd June.

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, making a total of 127,812 losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 21st May 2021, the ONS report that 152,183 people had COVID listed as a cause on their death certificate. 

Rep. Of Ireland 262,726 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 172,671,166 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,711,679. Already 155,411,508 people have recovered.

"I know young people have sacrificed so much over the last year.
 The 100 million hours of extra tuition we are providing should give parents confidence we are doing everything we can to ensure no child is left behind by the pandemic."
Boris Johnson,  UK PM.

"Over 500 community pharmacies have delivered over 5 million vaccines in England - including my own vaccination at Avicenna pharmacy in Lewisham.
Thank you to the staff and volunteers at community pharmacy local vaccination sites for their fantastic efforts."
Not me!! That's Nadhim Zahawi, UK Vaccines Minister. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 30th & 31st May / 1st June 2021.

Some of today's figures will not be very precise at all, as the previous 2 days were a Sunday and a Bank Holiday, and so reported numbers will be artificially low. That said, any zero day is a good day.

The UK added 3,165 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,490,438 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 602,019 tests yesterday.

The counter says 39,477,158 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 25,734,719 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, for the first time since a pandemic was declared, the UK officially reported the loss of no-one who had tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days.  The current official total is 127,782 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 261,982 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 171,613,606 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,567,937. Already 153,958,530 people have recovered.

"One day the COVID19 pandemic will be behind us, but the psychological scars will remain for those who have lost loved ones, and we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic."
Dr Tedros, Head of WHO, during closing remarks at the 74th World Health Assembly.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 28th May 2021.

The UK added 4,182 cases today (UP from 2,829 a week earlier) and now has reported a total of 4,477,705 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 959,007 tests yesterday.

The counter says 38,871,200 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 24,478,052 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated. (This is 73.8% and 46.5% of the adult population respectively. You lot are doing an amazing job.)

889 people were in hospital on Wednesday 26th (DOWN from 913 a week earlier) with 120 using a ventilator yesterday, 27th May (DOWN from 123 a week earlier).

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 10 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 127,768 official losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 260,299 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 169,938,197 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,531,425. Already 151,768,645 people have recovered.

"The R range for England is 1.0 to 1.1 and the growth rate range for England is 0% to +3% per day as of 28 May 2021"

Nicola Sturgeon today announced that Glasgow will stay in Level 3 restrictions. She hopes to be able to bring it down to level 2 with the rest of Scotland on June 5th.

Today's Surge Testing Bingo Winners are in Lancashire (yeeeay, terrific!). Most specifically Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Rossendale.
Please be polite to the Test & Trace volunteer, and don't forget to register your PCR COVID test online or on the phone BEFORE you put it in the box and post it. (Take photos of the numbers with your phone when you open it, and you'll have them then, just in case.)

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 26th / 27th May 2021.

The UK added 3,542 cases today (UP from 2,874 a week earlier) and now has reported a total of 4,473,677 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,132,061 tests yesterday.

The counter says 38,614,683 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 24,043,956 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

916 people were in hospital on Tuesday 25th (UP from 894 a week earlier), with 125 using a ventilator yesterday, 26th May (slightly UP on 122 a week earlier).

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 10 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 127,758 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 260,299 (+436) cases and 4,941 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 169,271,099 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,515,786. Already 150,949,234 people have recovered.

Blogger isn't uploading pictures at the moment, so sadly you'll have to just put up with adverts, or go and take a look at my Facebook page for the Govt slides/Dominic's scribbling until the situation resolves... 

To celebrate the launch of their 3 brand new Trapped Exit Room Games, Golden Bear Toys have offered one of my readers all 3 as a giveaway prize. These are family-friendly, suitable for children from around age 8 or older, and can be played by 2-6 players - so they're ideal for household games night, or a get together with friends or family.

You'll also be one of the very first people to play, as the games are only out this week (Thursday 27th May)....

The 3 games the winner will receive are:

The Zoo - Easy level, ideal for beginners or families with children approx 8yrs-12yrs+
Mission To Mars - Medium difficulty, best for families with kids 12-15+ or adults - word is that this one is particularly funny.
Flight 927 - Hard difficulty, ideal for families with older teens or for grown ups (it nearly beat us!).

Each game pack contains everything you'll need except paper and a pen if you want to make notes....and your living room. You use the resources inside to transform your room, and then follow the clues to solve the puzzle - and then make your escape within the hour! 

The games are loads of fun, and everyone has their own talents at puzzle-solving, so with a wide variety of different clues, there is something for everyone to get their teeth into. You are under time pressure, which adds extra excitement, but thankfully there are also hints if you are stuck (which we were!).

Trapped escape room games are an excellent way to spend an hour or two together, you really do work as a team together, and there's a great sense of pride when you solve a clue! 

You can find my full Trapped Exit Room Game Pack review here - we played through the HARD Flight 927 scenario, and we did escape - in the end...

Trapped Exit Room Game Packs are available to pre-order or buy from games stockists, including online on Amazon (affiliate link), rrp £12.99, currently many reduced to £9.99.

You can use a social media log in, and I only look at any of your details if you are drawn randomly as the winner - and then only to contact you about your prize. Once admin of the giveaway is completed, the form is deleted. For a link to help if you are new to Gleam, and to see my current UK giveaways, please go to my giveaways page. 

No entry is mandatory, but each extra task completed will earn you additional entries into the draw at the end. The giveaway will end at midnight Sunday 20th June 2021 and is open to UK entrants only. Full terms and conditions are at the bottom of the gleam form.

Trapped Exit Room Games Giveaway (age 8+) with Golden Bear Toys

We were sent our copies of the 3 Trapped Escape Room Games for review. Amazon links are affiliate, which will earn me a few pence if you buy through my link, but won't cost you any more. It helps keep the website running. 

I love a puzzle game, so 'escape adventures' or 'exit room games' are right up my street. Golden Bear Toys have just added 3 new titles to their range of family friendly escape room game packs, which everyone from around 8+ can join in with together.

We were sent the 3 new games to try - The Zoo (Easy), Mission To Mars (Medium), and Flight 927 (Hard). All of the games are suitable for 2-6 players, and we played with 4 people. 2 adults, plus our 11 and 12 year olds.

 
Everything for the game is packaged neatly in a single envelope style box. It's actually a very small pack. It's light, and handy for taking with you for a visit or overnight stay. When you open it, there is a lot inside, and most of it is NOT to be looked at, or even revealed until the right moment in the game. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 24th / 25th May 2021.

The UK added 2,493 cases today (UP from 2,412 the same time last week) and now has reported a total of 4,467,310 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 946,830 tests yesterday.

The counter says 38,192,417 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 23,228,511 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

978 people were in hospital on Sunday 23rd, (this is UP on 932 a week earlier) with 121 using a ventilator yesterday, Monday 24th (this is slightly DOWN on 125 a week earlier).

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 15 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 127,739 losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 14th May, 152,068 people had COVID written as a cause on their death certificate.

Rep. Of Ireland 259,050 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 168,285,383 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,493,078. Already 149,743,997 people have recovered.

Bolton is not doing any better. In the last week 33 people have been admitted to Bolton Royal hospital with COVID, the week before that figure was 13. (I have no idea which of these people are vaccinated.)
Royal Bolton hospital have asked that people attend A&E ONLY IF NECESSARY, and they are focussing on discharging patients in case of a surge in admissions.
Cases in Bolton are currently running at 451 per 100,000 people in the 7 days to 20th May (around 80 times the England average). 

Today's surge testing bingo winners are in North East Hampshire. Congratulations to the Hart District, Rushmoor Borough and Surrey border. You win a doorstep visit from a Test & Trace representative bearing gifts. Remember: Mouth first, nose second.