COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 23rd / 24th June 2021.

The UK added 16,703 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,684,572 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,150,834 tests yesterday.

The counter says 43,656,327 people (82.9%) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 31,908,103 people (60.6%) had received 2 doses and will be fully vaccinated from 2 weeks after their 2nd dose.

1,533 people were in hospital on Tuesday 22nd, with 246 using a ventilator yesterday, 23rd June.

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, making a total of 128,048 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 270,097 (+304) cases and 4,989 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 180,555,472 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,911,136. Already 165,251,093 people have recovered.

"The COVID19 situation in Africa is worrisome. Both the number of cases & deaths are almost 40% higher than the week before.
Vaccines donated next year will be too late for those who are dying, infected, or at risk today. VaccinEquity - if not now, when?"
Dr Tedros, Head of WHO, reminding us that fortune often depends entirely on where you were born.
In Europe 25% of people are fully vaccinated and 14% are partly vaccinated.
In Africa 1% of people are fully vaccinated and 2% partly vaccinated.
Most of the cases sequenced from Congo (DRC) and Uganda over the last month have been Delta Variant. 

20 Dreams is a really unique card game, so when I was contacted by the developer and asked if I wanted to review, I was very excited to accept. Suitable for 2-6 players, you have to tell a story using picture cards, but also have an Emotion Card, which you keep to yourself, and have to convey through the story for the other players to guess.

Before I even played, I really liked the fact you are showing your emotions. It might sound a bit twee, but everyone is just expected to hide our emotions a lot of the time. It can be incredibly frustrating, and make it hard to actually let our feelings out when we want to. Playing 20 Dreams you are letting go and behaving freely. It's a rare thing these days. 

20 Dreams is a card-based game, and it's entirely plastic-free (yeeay!). Everything is stored in a really neat little box with a magnetic closure. I love it when games pack away so small, because they're better for storage and ideal for visiting and travelling. You could pop 20 Dreams in any bag. 

UK COVID Briefing 23rd June 2021 - NOT with Boris...

UK Cases: 4,667,870 (+16,135)
Losses of Life: 128,027 (+19)
In Hospital: 1,508 (Monday 21st June)
Using a Ventilator: 227 (Monday 21st June)
At least 1 vaccine dose: 43,448,680 (82.5% of UK adults)
Two vaccine doses: 31,740,115 (60.3% of UK adults)

3 out of every 5 UK adults have now had both doses of a COVID vaccine.

Some extra surge testing Bingo winners today, and they're over the border from me, in Yorkshire. From 24 June, all adults living in these areas should take a PCR test:
Wakefield North, South & East
Pontefract North & South

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 21st / 22nd June 2021.

The UK added 11,625 cases today (up from 7,673 a week earlier) and now has reported a total of 4,651,988 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,019,739 tests yesterday.

There's an I.T. issue, so England's vaccination figures haven't been updated today: At least 43,148,843 people in the UK (81.9% of adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 31,489,240 people (59.8% of adults) had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

1,378 people were in hospital on Sunday 20th (up from 1,136 a week earlier), with 227 using a ventilator yesterday, Monday 21st June (up from 188 a week earlier).

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, making a total of 128,008 losses of life in all settings.

Nation / Cases last 7 days / Cases total
Wales 1,091 / 215,380
Scotland 7,302 / 257,742
Northern Ireland 928 / 125,084
England 53,242 / 4,053,782

Rep. Of Ireland 269,321 cases and 4,979 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 179,693,775 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,891,246. Already 164,383,401 people have recovered.

Couple of deliberate mistakes in the post on Sunday - well done to everyone who spotted that it was in fact Ascot, not Cheltenham, which took place last weekend (can't think why I had Cheltenham on my mind...) and the young maskless person asked to sit at the back of a theme park ride was apparently a young lady. (Apologies if that was you!)
I blame it all on the kids, and father's day, and the weather probably. 

Aqua Perfecta are well known and respected for their water filtration, but they also make air purifiers, and we've been sent the freestanding air purifier, the PerfectAir Sense, to review. I've had a full 5 weeks to get to know my air filter. We've tested it properly and seen performance under different conditions. We've tried it in different rooms and positions, and at different times of the day and night... I love a proper review, so it's really a pleasure to have that luxury. 

Air purifiers filter out airborne particles such as pollen and pollutants, and they also actively clean the air, killing many different bacteria, and viruses - including the Coronavirus. The PerfectAir Sense is recommended for rooms up to 50m2, and the average UK home has rooms around 25m2, so this purifier would also do the trick for smaller offices. (The full technical specs are at the bottom of this post.)

EDIT: 19/07/21 - after using the Air Purifier during the recent UK heatwave, I have to add that this is brilliant for cooling too. I'll explain more below.

I also have a 10% Discount Code on all Air Purification from AquaPerfecta for all of my readers: thebrickcastle10

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 19th / 20th June 2021.

The UK added 9,284 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,630,040 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,034,415 tests yesterday.

The counter says 42,964,013 people (81.6% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 31,340,507 people (59.5% of UK adults) had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

1,316 people were in hospital on Thursday 17th, with 210 people using a ventilator.

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, making a total of 127,976 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 269,048 (+288) cases and 4,941 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 179,127,503 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,879,122. Already 163,675,395 people have recovered.

"Fantastic news that over 700,000 jabs were booked on Friday, when we opened vaccinations up to ages 18-20.
It’s great to see young people stepping up and playing their part in the national effort.
When you get the call, get the jab."
Matt Hancock, UK Health Secretary.
(Young people have been stepping up and playing their part since March 2020 Matt, and I for one appreciate how hard its been for them, so choose your words more carefully - but hurrah on the vaccination bookings!)

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 18th June 2021.

The UK added 10,476 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,610,893 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,034,415 tests yesterday.

The counter says 42,460,632 people (80.6% of the adult population) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 30,898,467 people  (58.7%) had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

1,251 people were in hospital on Weds 16th, with 210 using a ventilator yesterday, 17th 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 127,956 losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 4th June, the ONS report that 152,397 people had COVID listed as a cause on their death certificate.

Rep. Of Ireland 268,046 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

3,861,742 people have now officially lost their lives to COVID worldwide, although we know the real total is likely to be several times this number. There have now been a total of 178,386,378 reported cases worldwide. Already 162,909,621 people have recovered.

I had an internet failure disaster this afternoon, so I apologise now if there are any errors. I managed to lose about half my post, which I've attempted to swiftly re-write. I've no doubt missed at least one of the big stories, so feel free to laugh, and point - and mention anything interesting you spotted in the comments.

Wales is delaying relaxation of lockdown restrictions by 4 weeks, due to concerns about the Delta Variant. Wales are doing loads better than England (get a fence up, quick!).

"As we open up vaccinations to everyone 18+, I want to take a moment to thank our young people.
You’ve acted selflessly and sacrificed so much to save others in this pandemic.
Now the end is in sight. Please get your jabs as soon as you can."
Joris Bonson, UK Mime Sinister.
He isn't wrong - the younger you are, the more of your life COVID has taken up. The older you are, the more it's taken away.

ALL ADULTS aged 18+ in England can now book your COVID vaccinations. Second jabs for people who are more vulnerable or over age 50 can be booked or re-booked 8 weeks after the second, and will be offered to you by 19th July. If you live in a surge area or somewhere they're doing particularly fabulously, you may also have the option of no appointment walk-in clinics. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 16th / 17th June 2021.

The UK added 11,007 cases today (up from 7,393 a week earlier/ 5,274 a fortnight earlier) and now has reported a total of 4,600,623 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,101,741 tests yesterday.

The counter says 42,216,654 people (80.1% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 30,675,207 people (58.2%) had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

1,227 people were in hospital on Tuesday 15th (up from 1,048 a week earlier / 919 a fortnight earlier), with 208 using a ventilator yesterday, 16th June (up from 158 a week earlier / 129 a fortnight earlier).
(That does imply quite a high percentage of 'severe' ICU patients, which could simply mean that more moderate cases feel well enough to cope at home, or there are less moderate cases, or as we are still in fairly low numbers, it could mean nothing. Delta Variant is still a new thing.)

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 19 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 127,945 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 267,673 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 177,966,027 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,851,742. Already 162,486,764 people have recovered.

"Four in five adults in the UK have now had their first dose of the COVID19 vaccine.
Thank you to everyone who has come forward for the vaccination so far."
UK Dept. for Health & Social Care

Wales is expected to delay to their lockdown relaxation plans due to concerns about the Delta variant. The announcement will be in tomorrow's briefing, but no major restrictions are likely to change before July, including rules around meeting indoors. Sorry guys.

Scotland is also considering delaying their lockdown relaxation, in fact Nicola Sturgeon said it would "in all probability" be paused. That is likely to also be until July. 

It's Summer! It certainly feels like it (on and off) and the warmer weather and sunshine is good food for the soul. It's also full of immunity-boosting Vitamin D and virus-killing UV light. Going outside and catching some sunshine is genuinely great for your health - you've got every excuse. 

Of course, you might have to battle the pollen. But let's glance over that... 

The sunshine and the relaxing of restrictions have had you all out and about over the last month, and you've shared lots of photos of people doing normal stuff that they simply haven't been able to do for ages - it's great to see. Lets hope there are plenty more, because the smiles are second to none. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 14th / 15th June 2021.

The UK added 7,673 cases today (up from 6,048 a week earlier) and now has reported a total of 4,581,006 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 930,123 tests yesterday.

The counter says 41,831,056 people (79.4% of adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 30,209,707 people (57.4% of adults) have received 2 doses and will be considered fully vaccinated in 2 weeks time.

1,136 people were in hospital on Sunday (up from 957 a week earlier), with 188 using a ventilator yesterday (up from 148 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 127,917 losses of life in all settings.

Nation / Cases Total / Cases Last 7 Days / Cases per 100k population in the last 7 days:
Wales 214,102 / 698 / 22.1
Scotland 248,515 / 6,215 / 113.8
Northern Ireland 123,981 / 633 / 33.4
England 3,994,408 / 39,321 / 69.9

Rep. Of Ireland 267,061 cases and 4,941 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 177,191,169 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,832,150. Already 161,485,802 people have recovered.

"More than 10,000 people are dying every day. During this press conference alone, more than 420 people will die. These communities need vaccines, and they need them now, not next year"
Dr Tedros, Head of WHO.