The Brick Castle: COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News weekend update 27th September 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News weekend update 27th September 2020.

The UK added 5,693 cases today and now has reported a total of 434,969 positive cases of COVID-19. 1,727 people were in hospital on Thursday 24th, with 262 using a ventilator on Friday.

The UK officially reported the loss of another 17 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 41,988 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

England 373,719 / 37,286
Northern Ireland 10,729 / 578
Scotland 27,576 / 2,512
Wales 22945 / 1,612

Rep. Of Ireland 34,560 cases and 1,802 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 33,183,342 reported cases worldwide.

We pass a very grim milestone, as the number of people who have officially lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now over 1 million - 1,000,360. More positively 24,507,503 people have already recovered.

WHO Health Workers take care of yourselves

“I don’t quite understand how you can scream for freedom at protests and then freedom means that you can infect others. That is a notion of freedom and a way of dealing with illness, that I react to with deep outrage.”
Joachim Huber, Head of Media at Tagesspiegel (German Berlin press), who spent 5 weeks in a coma after contracting covid19 in March. He suffered a heart attack, pulmonary embolism and kidney failure.

"In the last 20 years, there have been eight outbreaks of a lethal virus, any of which could have escalated into a pandemic. Bill Gates sounded the alert in 2015, five years ago he gave that amazing prediction – almost every word of which has come true – and we responded as if to a persistent Microsoft error message by clicking “ok” and carrying on.
Humanity was caught napping. We have been scrabbling to catch up, and with agonising slowness we are making progress."
Boris Johnson, in his opening speech to the United Nations General Assembly. It was actually a very good speech, I liked it - especially his admission that UK Government could have moved a tadge faster.

"From tomorrow, people in England will be required by law to self-isolate if they have Covid19 symptoms, a positive test result or are told to by NHS Test and Trace.
That means no walks in the park and no meeting up with friends."
Department of Health and Social Care.

Curaçao, Denmark, Iceland and Slovakia were removed from the UK travel corridors list at 4am, Saturday 26th September. Arrivals will now have to quarantine.

"This is our biggest daily tally of cases so far. Important therefore to start with some caveats. We are doing much more testing now than in Spring. These figures are impacted by university clusters. And Test & Protect is working hard and well. However...
We have absolutely no room for complacency - on the contrary. Cases are rising across Scotland, as in other countries. The number of people in hospital (99 today) has doubled in last couple of weeks. And we can only beat Covid back together - we must all play our part..."
Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish first minister, yesterday. After reporting 714 new daily cases.

This week's Trafalgar Square Saturday lunchtime infectathon was actually illegal, due to not complying with a risk assessment lodged with the authorities. Pesky red tape. Something to do with not exposing attendees to harm or something...doh. Lead speaker was King of the New Age Conspiracy Theorists, "Son of a Godhead" (he said it himself!), and ex-BBC Breakfast sport presenter, David Icke. The Metropolitan Police allowed them an adequate amount of time to make their speeches and hug their neighbours, before dispersing the crowds. It wasn't entirely peaceful.

Following an increase in COVID19 cases, further restrictions have been introduced in parts of the North West, Yorkshire & the Humber.
Residents in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool & Leeds must not mix with people outside their households in private homes & gardens.

Two sets of Manchester Metropolitan University halls of residence were locked down last night after 127 students tested positive for Covid. A massive 1,700 students will have to self isolate for a fortnight. Oh. My. Crikey.

Welsh restrictions will affect over half the population by tomorrow night.
Tonight 6pm Cardiff and Swansea face extra restrictions.
Tomorrow (Monday) 6pm Neath Port Talbot, the Vale of Glamorgan and Torfaen will have new restrictions.
Extra restrictions are already in place elsewhere. Measures vary by county, and inter-county travel is limited to essential journeys only (includes work).

Yeeay, America are catching up. Dr Anthony Fauci has finally declared that COVID-19 is airborne. What's more, he says it is found in the stool, blood, semen or eye secretions of some patients - but how it gets there isn't always so obvious.

"We're giving up to 11,000 iPads to care homes to enable residents to connect with loved ones, & help to stop coronavirus outbreaks in their tracks."
Matt Hancock, UK Government. (I hate the phrase 'up to', because it can mean nothing.)

Prime Minister Modi has assured us that India’s COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity will be for everyone:
“As the largest vaccine-producing country of the world, I want to give one more assurance to the global community today. India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.”
India is about to begin third-phase trials of their own vaccine candidate, COVAXIN.

Hidden in some new guidance for the UK, released as a result of the pandemic,
"Schools should not under any circumstances use resources produced by organisations that take extreme political stances on matters. This is the case even if the material itself is not extreme, as the use of it could imply endorsement or support of the organisation. Examples of extreme political stances include, but are not limited to:
- a publicly stated desire to abolish or overthrow democracy, capitalism, or to end free and fair elections."
This is why you have to keep an eye on your political leaders. The exact wording could actually mean that teachers would be in trouble by talking about examples like Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg, Trade Unions or communist China. Even the history of the Labour party has periods of socialism.

Future pandemics shouldn't be an issue. Boris laid out a 5 point plan to the United Nations yesterday. For reference, several countries used the UK's pandemic plan against COVID. Some countries felt it had a really massive amount of PPE listed, and didn't actually follow the plan properly. It didn't go entirely well.

The US Health Department is reported by Politico to be filming a $300m ad campaign to "defeat despair" about coronavirus. Dennis Quaid has apparently already recorded his bit. (Dennis Quaid...hahahaha. What audience are they after?).

There was a big flaw with the English/Welsh COVID-19 App. and amazingly they've come up with a solution within 24 hours!! Well done, stickers all round.
“If your test took place in a Public Health England lab or NHS hospital, or as part of national surveillance testing conducted by the Office for National Statistics, test results cannot currently be linked with the app whether they’re positive or negative."
When Test & Trace contact those patients, you can now request a code for the app. from them.

The UN General Assembly was obviously the place to be if you wanted some excellent quotes from some of the world's highest ranking politicians.
“Some might see short-term advantage, or even profit. But I assure you, to anyone who may think along those lines, humanity will have a very long memory and be a very, very severe judge. Australia’s pledge is clear: if we find the vaccine we will share it. That’s the pledge we all must make.”
Scott Morrison, Australian Prime Minister.

The UK Government have published webinars and expectations for remote education.
I think this could be a portent, and if I was a betting person I'd put a 10p on some UK children doing school-at-home from half term to Christmas. There's clear intention to close schools to pupils when necessary as part of local restrictions:
"Where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate, or there are local restrictions requiring pupils to remain at home, we expect schools to have the capacity to offer immediate remote education. Schools are expected to consider how to continue to improve the quality of their existing offer and have a strong contingency plan in place for remote education provision by the end of September."
The end of September is Wednesday. If you are a parent in an area with lots of extra restrictions already and rising cases, be warned. (Oh rats... ).... If you are a teacher, best of luck.

Some people. All born on the same Earth, and almost entirely identical, yet unique:

Countries / Cases / Losses of life (some states /provinces yet to report):

USA 7,295,718 (+8,157) 209,242 (+65)

India 6,041,638 (+51,057) 94,971 (+437)

Brazil 4,719,099 (+984) 141,503 (+62)

Russia 1,151,438 (+7,867) 20,324 (+99)

Colombia 806,038 not yet reported today 25,296

Peru 800,142 not yet reported today 32,142

Spain 735,198 not yet reported today 31,232

Mexico 726,431 (+5,573) 76,243 (+399)

UK 434,969 (+5,693) 41,988 (+17)

Bangladesh 359,148 (+1,275) 5,161 (+32)