COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update New Year's Eve, 31st December 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update New Year's Eve, 31st December 2020.

The UK added 55,892 cases today and now has reported a total of 2,488,780 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 420,492 tests yesterday. 

23,813 people were in hospital on Monday 28th (up from 20,917 a week earlier), with 1,847 using a ventilator (up from 1,529 a week earlier).. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 964 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 73,512 officially reported losses of life in all settings. Up until Friday 18th December, 82,624 people in the UK had COVID written on their death certificate. 

Rep. Of Ireland 90,157 cases and 2,226 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 83,476,768 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,819,871. Already 59,111,145 people have recovered.

On 31st December 2019, Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, China, reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Rumours and videos were already circulating, although official Western media was really disinterested, and over here we were mostly relying on Chinese or Taiwanese Journalists who were kind enough to translate. (At one point I could recognise several place names in Chinese. I have now deleted that skill.)

It is the end of a very long and hard year that we could never have seen coming or prepared for. We've all shown an ability to adapt and to cope which we wouldn't have thought possible a year ago. Allow yourself a smile, because we got this far, so we know we can get through the next few months until vaccines and antibody cocktails begin to really make their impact. 

There is some news today and some of it isn't great, as really you would have to expect. Some of it is better news. It's never all bad. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update and UK Briefing 30th December 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update and UK Briefing 30th December 2020.

Bad news, good news today, and the inevitable UK Briefing with Bozza. It really is a tale of two halves, and they're about as opposing as you can get, so please don't forget the good bits. We WILL get there. 

The UK added 50,023 new cases today and reported another 981 people have succumbed to COVID. Yes, that includes some backlog from Christmas, but these people have still tested positive, or been lost. I am sorry to every person who has lost someone they care for, including those of you among my own friends. This will touch everyone. 

The awesome news: The AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine has received approval from the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), so vaccinations can begin as soon as they can be arranged. 

The bad news: Case numbers are high (1 in every 70 people in the UK had COVID just before Christmas), hospitalisations dangerously so. Some Londoners have received text messages urging them to call 111 unless life is in immediate danger, because the system is really stretched. Matt Hancock has announced that from midnight tonight 23 more areas of the UK will move into Tier 4 restrictions - STAY AT HOME WHEN POSSIBLE. This affects over 20m people. Some other areas will also change Tiers upwards. 

From 1 minute past midnight TONIGHT: 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 29th December 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 29th December 2020.

The UK added 53,135 new cases today and now has reported a total of 2,382,865 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 357,238 tests yesterday. 

People in hospital with COVID on the UK Government dashboard hasn't been updated since 22,286 on 22nd December.
PHE reported 20,426 yesterday in England alone, up from 15,053 a fortnight earlier. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 414 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 71,567 officially reported losses of life in all settings. 

Rep. Of Ireland 86,894 cases and 2,205 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 81,994,887 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,787,952. Already 58,039,145 people have recovered.

Yes. Whatever words you exclaimed when you saw 53,000 new UK cases today, I agree. Totally. I wish I could offer some comfort, but the UK reported 41,000 new cases yesterday. Although there will be some Christmas 'catch up', it doesn't cover it. We knew this was coming. Straighten your skirt, look straight ahead, deep breath, and let's keep going. We can do this.

The UK now has more people hospitalised due to COVID than during the first peak in Spring 2020. The hospital situation in London is under pressure and getting an increasing amount of press this afternoon, as hospital staff speak out. They are shattered and demoralised, and they have already been asked to take on extra shifts to cover workload over Christmas and New Year. 

An Oxford Paramedic has appeared on Sky News this afternoon stating that 'Ambulances are queuing outside of hospitals, patients are being cared for in the ambulances and there are patients out in the community that don't get an ambulance response because there's simply none left to send.' 
There have been mention of triage tents being set up temporarily outside some hospitals. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Christmas Update 27th December 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Christmas Update 27th December 2020.

The UK added 30,501 cases today and now has reported a total of 2,288,345 positive cases of COVID-19.  

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 316 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 70,752 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 85,394 cases and 2,200 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 80,927,778 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,768,880. Already 57,117,746 people have recovered.

Since I last reported Mexico, Italy, Germany and some other countries have started immunisations. The Queen did a new video and told us 'life has to go on'. Trump has warned staff who didn't support his voter fraud claim "I won't forget ". The US has imposed mandatory COVID testing for arrivals from the UK. Several countries have now reported odd cases of the UK COVID strain and /or the South African strain, and a little thing called BREXIT finally got a deal. Most of the world has had a holiday though, and chance to take a breath. 

Medics, nurses, care staff, buildings and cleaning staff are among those who didn't get a day off. Thank you all for keeping it going in our absence. 

Even though most of us couldn't spend Christmas in-person with all of our loved ones, I hope yours was fun and funny and made you laugh and smile. I hope you could grab everything you have and give it a little sparkle, even if it was partly over zoom... 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update and UK Briefing 23rd December 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update and UK Briefing 23rd December 2020.

The UK added 39,237 cases today. 

20,917 people were in hospital on Monday 21st, with 1,529 using a ventilator yesterday, 22nd December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 744 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, bringing the total to 69,051 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

There have now been a total of 78,692,150 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,730,347. Already 55,354,162 people have recovered.

Very bad news today as some more of the UK will move to Tier 4 restrictions from Boxing Day. Also special instructions for visitors to/from South Africa. 

The lorry driver thing has come to an agreement - yeeeay. Last night France agreed to let limited traffic through, including long distance hauliers:
"Planes, boats and Eurostar trains will resume service as of tomorrow morning. French nationals, people living in France and those with a legitimate reason will have to be carrying a negative test" - French Minister Delegate for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari.
He had a big thank you too, for Grant Shapps, the UK Transport Minister. He must have done something right. Well done Grant.
The Army arrived to help with testing this morning, but the bad news is that it's going to take days to clear the backlog completely - everything would have been fully booked. Get those people tested!! Get them home for Christmas... 

Bizarrely some papers are reporting this as "Macron caves in after being ordered to open the border"... errr. Wow. Not exactly, no. The European Commission has now said no country should impose a blanket ban on the UK, but France had never shown any wish to keep it closed, they were just rightfully getting some back up on what the heck to do. 

Lorry drivers need a negative PCR swab test or a LAMP / lateral flow test result which is effective in spotting the new UK Strain. With some tests 1 of the 3 areas currently looked for is missing in the new UK variant, so you'll get more false negatives.
That's a perfect example of sod's law.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 22nd December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 22nd December 2020.

The UK added 36,804 cases today (up from 18,450 a week earlier) and now has reported a total of 2,110,314 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 423,675 tests yesterday. 

18,943 people were in hospital on Friday 18th, with 1,364 using a ventilator also on Friday 18th December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 691 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 68,307 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday December 11th, a total of 79,349 people had COVID as a cause of death on their death certificate. 

Rep. Of Ireland 80,267 cases and 2,158 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 78,045,694 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,715,901. Already 54,856,475 people have recovered.

Most of the Western world has now imposed a ban on UK arrivals, including France, who have a 48 hour bar on humans crossing the border. 

Hundreds of lorries are parked on disused Manston Airport in Kent, and hundreds more have been stacked on the M20 J11-9, ready to move to Manston. Estimates earlier were that around 1,500 lorries and drivers in total are currently waiting to cross to France..
A decision on what happens next is expected before 11pm tonight. 

Northern Ireland last night advised against all but essential travel to and from Great Britain / Republic of Ireland, with immediate effect. They are keeping the situation under review, but so far have not actually barred travel.
The situation will be kept under review and further updates will be provided.

It goes without saying, but if you had any plans to leave the UK, or return, you may no longer be able to travel, and your plans will be affected. Contact your airline or travel provider. 

Panic buying doesn't appear to have actually occurred in any significant amount *phew*. It would be tragic to think people would be throwing out 15 soggy cucumbers next week, when someone else's Christmas Day gin is ruined.
Why would anyone panic buy lettuce?
Just cos. 

The English government's next Tier review is due for 30th December, and it seems very likely that at least 44 areas currently in Tier 2 or Tier 3 will move to Tier 4, as they now have higher numbers than Hertfordshire. Areas most at risk are Burnley and Lincoln.

MENCAP have produced an easy to read visual online leaflet with the Tier 4 stay-at-home guidance. 

President Bolsonaro of Brazil said on Saturday that people were idiots for getting vaccinated because the pandemic is almost over, and as Pfizer are not responsible for any side effects, "If you become an alligator, it is your problem". For reference, he also said COVID wouldn't bother him because he's "an athlete". 
Brazil have lost over 187,000 people to COVID, including 549 yesterday alone. 

Antarctica has COVID. It was the world's only remaining continent free of the disease, but media are reporting that up to 36 people from the Chilean Army base 'General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme' (snappy name) tested positive for the virus on Monday.

One of the mutations in the new COVID variant affects one of three targets used by some of the PCR tests. This means that with those tests, we could get a higher percentage of false negatives. They're on it. 

Latest ONS (Office for National Statistics) figures were high, but going the correct way. Sadly we know that even at just 10 days delay, they're already out of date, and the picture is not as good.
"The number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 11 December 2020 (Week 50) was 12,292; this was 11 fewer deaths than in Week 49.
In Week 50, the number of deaths registered was 14.3% above the five-year average (1,542 deaths higher).
Of the deaths registered in Week 50, 2,756 mentioned "novel coronavirus (COVID-19)", accounting for 22.4% of all deaths in England and Wales, a decrease of 79 deaths compared with Week 49; this is the second consecutive decrease."
"Using the most up-to-date data we have available, the number of deaths up to 11 December 2020 was 579,491, which is 67,864 more than the five-year average. Of the deaths registered by 11 December 2020, 72,546 mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate. This is 12.5% of all deaths in England and Wales."

From tomorrow 90 members of the Army will be assisting the Welsh Ambulance Service as drivers. Wales are struggling a bit and this should help relieve pressure on services.

There are some comments floating around about the new UK COVID strain being more transmissible by children. They are only comments at the moment, no evidence, and certainly positive rates among children have gone up, but don't forget that over the last few weeks, for a lot of households, only the children have gone out and mixed. Children are also regularly asymptomatic, so were tested far, far less often than UK adults until recently. Studies are ongoing. 

The US had vaccinated 272,000 people by Saturday morning. 6 have had a severe allergic reaction. People in the UK who have a history of severe allergic reactions are advised NOT to accept the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for now. All patients have recovered (the best time to have any severe allergic reaction is when you're already in a hospital). 

Marcus Rashford won a special award at last Night's Sportsperson Of The Year Awards, for his charity work. He has given it to his Mum. 

Taiwan has reported their first locally transmitted case in 253 days. Darnit. They've responded includes cancelling all outdoor gatherings at Christmas Land in New Taipei City. Bah humbug COVID. 

Scientists are cute. They absolutely will not say something for definite unless they have undeniable proof. One of the heads of BioNTech, Ugur Sahin, was asked at a press conference if his vaccine would work against the new UK strain:
“We don't know at the moment, if our vaccine is also able to provide protection against this new variant, but scientifically it is highly likely that the immune response by this vaccine also can deal with the new virus.”
"“The vaccine contains more than 1270 amino acids, and only 9 of them changed, so that means 99% of the protein is still the same.”
I think those are probably the best odds we've seen all year. They are, just to be sure, already conducting lab tests to see if it's reduced efficacy and should have results within a fortnight. 

 UK Students who decided to stay at uni for Christmas have been sharing photos of amazing Christmas dinners they've cooked for their housemates. My daughter cooked her housemates Christmas Dinner the other day. I'm proud to say she contacted me to ask how to make fluffy crispy roasties. (For parents with younger kids, this is the same level of pride you feel when they say a new word).

The Sikh community living in Gravesend in Kent have come together this afternoon to make 800 hot meals for the lorry drivers stuck in Dover. You blooming stars. Thank you. 

If you have a medium or bigger frozen turkey you may need to get it out now to defrost it. You're welcome. 

I plan to be back tomorrow with a short update report, hopefully no unexpected news, but we should have an agreement on international travel, at least within the EU. Fingers crossed the UK situation settles, but there are no guarantees. 

Keep your own self safe, and behave as if you have the virus, to help keep everyone else safe. And open a window...

Some numbers. All were their parent's most precious gift:

Countries / Cases / Losses of life (in larger countries some states /provinces have yet to report today):

USA 18,503,777 (+30,061) 327,327 (+555) 

India 10,097,581 (+22,159) 146,438 (+293)

Brazil 7,284,166 (+19,945) 187,685 (+363)

Russia 2,906,503 (+28,776) 51,912 (+561)

France 2,479,151 Not yet reported today 60,900

UK 2,110,314 (+36,804) 68,307 (+691)

Turkey 2,062,960 (+19,256) 18,602 (+251)

Italy 1,977,370 (+13,318) 69,842 (+628)

Spain 1,830,110 not yet reported today 49,260

Germany 1,548,342 (+14,226) 27,832 (+535)

Mexico 1,325,915 (+5,370) 118,598 (+396)

Poland 1,214,525 (+7,192) 25,783 (+309)

Iran 1,170,743 (+6,208) 54,003 (+187) 

Ukraine 979,506 (+8,513) 16,897 (+232)

Netherlands 710,683 (+9,810) 10,633 (+114)

Indonesia 678,125 (+6,347) 20,257 (+172)

Czechia 635,414 (+7,860) 10,562 (+55)

Belgium 626,911 (+981) 18,697 (+71)

Romania 598,792 (+5,009) 14,636 (+155)

Canada 519,699 (+4,385) 14,380 (+48)

Switzerland 418,266 (+4,275) 6,864 (+83)

.

.

Sources: 

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

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

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-22/coronavirus-cases-confirmed-in-antarctica/13007596

MENCAP easy to read Tier 4 guidance: 

https://www.mencap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-12/Tier%204%20guidance.pdf

https://twitter.com/i/events/1341057351667884032

https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/22/army-drafted-to-help-welsh-ambulance-service-cope-with-extreme-pressure-13790428/amp/

https://twitter.com/FCDOGovUK/status/1341032367641780227?s=19

https://nypost.com/2020/12/19/brazilian-prez-bolsonaro-claims-covid-vaccine-could-turn-people-into-alligators/amp/

https://twitter.com/kakape/status/1341303838008094722?s=19

https://twitter.com/WilliamYang120/status/1341294512836988929?s=19

https://twitter.com/niexecutive/status/1341190192728838144

https://twitter.com/mencap_charity/status/1341020517298520065?s=19

https://twitter.com/i/events/1341380195366813696

https://www.quora.com/q/coronavirus?__ni__=0&__nsrc__=4&__snid3__=15355329435&__tiids__=17715190

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2020-12-22/sikh-community-prepare-hot-meals-for-stranded-lorry-drivers-on-m20

https://twitter.com/RaviSinghKA/status/1341379881301647363

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/weekending11december2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update and UK Briefing 21st December 2020.

 There's so much happening, so quickly, I've done an extra report today:

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update and UK Briefing 21st December 2020.

The UK added 33,364 cases today, and officially reported the loss of another 215 people (Monday figures are usually low because of weekend reporting).  

18,771 people were in hospital on Thursday 17th, with 1,364 using a ventilator on Friday 18th December. 

Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation:
"The lessons I've learnt after so many Ebola outbreaks in my career are:
- Be Fast
- Have No Regrets
- You must be the first mover.
The virus will always get you if you don't move quickly. And you need to be prepared. And I say this (he's Irish), one of the great things in emergency response, and anyone who is involved with emergency response will know this:
If you need to be right before you move, you will never win.
Perfection is the enemy of the good when it comes to emergency management.
Speed trumps perfection.
And the problem in society that we have at the moment, is everyone is afraid making a mistake, everyone is afraid of the consequence of error. But the greatest error is not to move. The greatest error is to be paralysed by the fear of failure." 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 20th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 20th December 2020.

The UK added 35,928 cases today and now has reported a total of 2,040,147 positive cases of COVID-19. 

18,771 people were in hospital on Thursday 17th, up from 16,531 a week earlier. We had 1,364 people using a ventilator on Friday 18th, up from 1,275 a week earlier. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 326 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have an official total of 67,401 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 79,542 (+766) cases and 2,158 (+4) losses of life. 

There have now been a total of 76,914,030 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,696,536. Already 53,948,365 people have recovered.

The new COVID variant which has caused such a nightmare in England has also been spotted in South Africa, and in older samples from Australia and Denmark. We know Australia locked down thousands of people last week over 17 standard cases, so we can see how they managed to stop it dead. Denmark so far have found only 1 case of the new strain, at the beginning of December. 

The Netherlands were the first country to impose restrictions on arrivals from the UK. Air passengers are barred until January 1st at the earliest.

UK Coronavirus Emergency UK Briefing 19th December 2020

 UK Coronavirus Emergency Briefing 19/12/20

It's bad news. You may want to sit down. 

- Across all of England, Scotland and Wales the Christmas relaxation has been reduced to Christmas Day only.
- The areas of London, the South East and the East which are heavily affected by the new virus strain will move to Tier 4 (the same as the lockdown in November).
- People should not enter or leave Tier 4 areas.
- People in Tier 4 areas must not stay overnight away from home or mix with other households, even on Christmas Day. 

The UK Government have been holding emergency meetings since last night because case numbers in parts of London and the South West are really flying. They're rising incredibly quickly. (I personally think it's possible parts of Wales e.g. Merthyr Tydfil could also be in this position.)
With the same restrictive measures as other areas, we aren't getting the same effect. The situation has changed rapidly over the last 48 hours.
We do know there is a strain of COVID that has appeared there which is different. It has a better ability to lock onto it's target. It's definitely beginning to look like it could be easier to transmit - or else everyone in these areas is holding secret choir practise. It could be as much as 1 1/2 times as catchy.
Even a tiny bit more makes a big difference when you have high numbers, so whatever change there is will be amplified.
Left to run free, we think everyone with COVID on average usually infects around 3 to 4 others. Restrictions try to bring that number, the R or Reproductive Number, down below 1.
English Tier 2 restrictions almost universally have failed to do this. In some areas Tier 3 aren't doing it either.
If the new strain is even more catchy, we need to come down really hard, or we will have an explosion of cases incredibly quickly.
Running out of hospital beds over Christmas and New Year would be a disaster. Exponential spread over Christmas and New Year would mean January would be hell on Earth. 

Also a disaster for any country would be to let a more transmissible strain out. Just imagine for one second that any other country had that strain - Germany,  Russia, Namibia, Taiwan, anywhere. If they found it and knew it existed, didn't act swiftly and it managed to escape, the rest of the world would be furious. It would also lead to potentially many thousands of extra people having to live the rest of their lives without someone they loved. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 18th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 18th December 2020.

The UK added 28,507 cases today and now has reported a total of presumably 1,977,167 positive cases of COVID-19. (The UK dashboard broke at this point, so I can't be sure what total they've given.) 

18,469 people were in hospital on Wednesday 16th (up from 16,136 a week earlier), with 1,340 using a ventilator also on Wednesday.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 489 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 66,541 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 78,254 (+576) cases and 2,149 (+6) losses of life. 

There have now been a total of 75,641,366 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,674,733. Already 53,089,262 people have recovered.

On Wednesday there were just 10 critical care beds empty in the whole of Wales. Surge capacity has been put into place, but the situation is very tenuous. Part of the problem is staff members are also ill or isolating, so overall capacity is reduced. Either way, if there's no bed or no-one to staff it, there's no bed.

Northern Ireland will have a strict lockdown after Christmas. The Christmas bubbles 23-27 December (with an extra travel allowance of 1 day either end if necessary) can remain, but this is the only mixing between households allowed until 2nd January. 
From Boxing Day for 1 week until 2nd January:
- non-essential retail and close contact services close.
- hospitality will be take away / delivery only
- essential retail / business must close overnight 8pm - 6am
- no household mixing indoors or out, including exercise
- no sporting events, including elite sportspeople
After the initial week, for another 5 weeks:
- non-essential retail and close contact services close. (This will be strict e.g. no click & collect or homewares.)
- hospitality will be take away / delivery only
- Sales of alcohol to take home 8am -8pm only.
- Childcare bubbles can resume
Schools will reopen as planned. There will be a review after 4 weeks.
Yesterday Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said that there have only been 5 days since 21st October when the hospital occupancy has been below 95%.

Wales have already announced a strict lockdown for the same time period. 

Scotland are expected to also impose extra restrictions after Christmas. A decision will be made on Tuesday. 

England, pfft, who knows. Probably we'll all have to commit to buying 12 frothy Coffees, 3 suitcases of sale clothing and a room full of housewares, and then we'll be given an 'Alert' badge and allowed to go home. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 16th / 17th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 16th / 17th December 2020.

"The number of new UK cases reported on 17 December 2020 includes around 11,000 previously unreported cases for Wales as a result of system maintenance in the NHS Wales Laboratory Information Management System."

The UK added 35,383 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,948,660 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 364,388 tests yesterday. 

18,009 people were in hospital on Tuesday 15th, with 1,340 using a ventilator yesterday, Wednesday 16th December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 532 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 66,052 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 77,197 cases and 2,140 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 74,928,265 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,662,489. Already 52,640,295 people have recovered.

There was a UK briefing about Christmas yesterday, and London and other areas of the South West moved into Tier 3 restrictions. 

Matt 'Crocodile Tiers' Hancock made the announcement to parliament that there are a few changes to allocated English Tiers. From Saturday morning:
Bristol and North Somerset move down from Tier 3 to Tier 2
Herefordshire moves down from Tier 2 to Tier 1.
(Well done, all of you!)
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Peterborough, Hertfordshire, Surrey (except Waverley), Hastings and Rother, Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant will all move up into Tier 3.
(Sorry guys.)
This isn't universally welcomed. Some Northern areas with steady and dropping cases have been left in Tier 3, and somehow Worcestershire seems to have escaped being moved up. 

December #TBCSmiles... 76 Months.

I think we all need the smiles this month, I know I do. Crikey it's been a hard year hasn't it? Give yourself a pat on the back because you really did make it, and if we can get this far, we can get to the end. Right now is possibly the most scary time of the whole year. Christmas is fast approaching. and we're all looking forward to a break, but spending time with people we love and care about is a different thing entirely in 2020. 

We're all worried it'll go wrong. Christmas can be stressful any year, this one even more so. 

Remember that you are only human. You are allowed to feel scared, anxious, stressed, frustrated, but don't let it overwhelm you. Don't expect too much of yourself. In a normal year you might worry the bows match the paper, or the decorations are symmetrical. This year you have other worries to take up your headspace, so only concentrate on what is truly important. 

I say it each year because it's true, when you sit and list exactly what HAS TO HAPPEN to make your Christmas, the list is incredibly short, and the rest is sparkle. Sparkle is great, but if you don't prepare any in advance, you will make your own as you go along. The very best sparkle is never planned...

UK COVID Briefing 16th December 2020

There was a UK Briefing today with Bozza and Mr Christopher "still not blinking" Whitty. (Crikey they both look absolutely shattered. I can see why this briefing is really early - they'll be asleep by 7pm.)

"It's just a week since we began the biggest vaccination programme in our history. 138,000 people have already received the vaccine. 

Now the bad news: "We are already seeing worrying rises in some parts of the country."

Tomorrow Matt Hancock will announce the outcome of the latest tiering review. (I'm going out on a limb to say it won't be great news.)

"This is a moment for us to exercise extreme caution." Boris reminds us about asymptomatic spread (up to 1/3 of cases). "Having looked at the latest data with our colleagues in the devolved administrations.(Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) we've decided that the overall situation is alas worse, more challenging, than we'd hoped when we set the rules. So while it would not be right, we think, to criminalise people who have made plans and simply want to spend time with their loved ones, we are collectively, across the UK, governance at every level, asking YOU to think hard and in detail about the days ahead. And whether you can do more to protect yourselves and others."
We're keeping the laws the same, but we all want to send the same message:
"A smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas.
A shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas."
Up to 3 households can meet for up to 5 days. This is not a target, it's a maximum. It's always going to be safest to meet with fewer people. We are asking people to reduce contacts from this Friday. Avoid staying away from home overnight if you can, or travelling to a different Tier.
If you have an elderly (or vulnerable) relative, you might want to avoid seeing them until after they're vaccinated. We are aiming to vaccinate all elderly or clinically vulnerable people by early next year.
 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 14th / 15th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 14th / 15th December 2020.

The UK added 18,450 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,888,116 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 275,772 tests yesterday. 

17,329 people were in hospital on Sunday 13th (up from 14,807 a week earlier), with 1,288 using a ventilator yesterday, 14th December (slightly up on 1,271 the same time last week). 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 506 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 64,908 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 4th December, 76,287 people had COVID written as a cause on their death certificate. 

Country / Cases / Losses of life by death certificate:
England 1,618,678 / 65,061
Northern Ireland 59,121 / 1,480
Scotland 107,749 / 5,868
Wales 102,568 / 3,878

Rep. Of Ireland 76,776 (+327) cases and 2,134 (+8) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 73,526,544 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,634,963. Already 51,599,044 people have recovered.

Michael Gove held a phone call with the 3 leaders of the devolved nations this afternoon to discuss Christmas. Announcement imminent...
(And yet the kids are in school, the shops are open and tonight you can go to the pantomime if you're lucky enough to live in London or anywhere else in Tier 1 or 2. Head, desk, head, desk.)

In an incredibly rare move the Health Service Journal and the British Medical Journal have come together to practically beg the UK Government to scrap the plans for the Christmas COVID relaxation. The professionals don't want it.
They point out that we didn't get the same result as the first lockdown. They estimate that by New Year we will have as many patients in hospital with COVID as we did at the peak of the first wave, and it'll barely have begun.
"Ministers are meeting on 16 December to review current restrictions for England. When they devised the current plans to allow household mixing over Christmas they had assumed the covid-19 demand on the NHS would be decreasing. But it is not; it is rising, and the emergence of a new strain of the virus has introduced further potential jeopardy.
Of particular concern is the effect on staff, many of whom have already worked through the hardest nine months of their professional lives. Levels of burnout and sickness absence are likely to exceed those already experienced."

COVID UK Briefing and associated news 14th December 2020

 COVID UK Briefing and associated news 14th December 2020

There was a UK Briefing today with our Prime Minister of COVID, Matt Hancock. There's some background to today's briefing, and I'd already typed it up, so it's a shame to waste it:  

"Only by protecting one another, and particularly protecting the vulnerable over this period, are we going to get to the point where people are properly protected, and we can return to having the kinds of relationships that all of us want."
Chris Whitty, UK Chief Medical Officer. 

Because of a big spike in cases, Greater London, South and West Essex, and South Hertfordshire will go into Tier 3 COVID-19 restrictions from Wednesday morning. Hospitality moves to take out/deliveries only. 

On Friday 11th December I talked about the fact that there are 7 clear strains of COVID travelling around the world, and the 'G strains' seem to be the dominant strains. This is because they are more catchy, not because they are stronger or otherwise more dangerous to us. It's also hoped they might be the strains most receptive to the vaccines, as they have more spike proteins to target, but only time will tell. 

Matt Hancock on Monday morning announced that there may be a new variant of COVID which is causing cases to rise really sharply in the South West UK (+ Winter + Tier 2 restrictions, don't forget those eh Matt). 1,000 cases have been identified in the UK, mostly in the South West. DO NOT let this worry you unnecessarily. This is the first we've heard of it - unless it isn't, and it turns out he's just on about the G Strains. That's my guess. He does say they've found this strain in Europe too. 

It's clear that a few areas down South are seeing really big case numbers and you would have expected it to fall more by now, (in fact I spoke to someone down in Kent about that very thing this morning), but if it's because of this 'mutation', it's still very, very small. There is nothing to suggest that it will affect anything else, including vaccine efficacy or percentage of people who become very ill. It's appears to just be something that makes COVID a little bit more catchy.
You only need the virus to linger for an hour longer before it dies, or float better in the air, and it'll have an exponential effect. 1 extra case for every 20 very quickly adds up, and those extra people pass it on to extra people. 
The whole of Europe, and possibly North America, are finding COVID much harder to control this Winter.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 12th / 13th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 12th / 13th December 2020.

The UK added 18,447 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,849,403 positive cases of COVID-19. 

16,531 people were in hospital on Thursday 10th, with 1,275 using a ventilator on Friday 11th December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 144 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 64,170 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 75,756 cases and 2,132 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 72,400,912 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,616,081. Already 50,727,498 people have recovered.

After her passionate speech last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made her move. She is not prepared to sit back and watch a potential disaster unfold over Christmas.
From Wednesday Germany is closing all schools, day care and Inessential retail until at least January 10th.
That's one hell of a Christmas holiday for a lot of people who weren't expecting it. 

The massive increase in ships attempting to dock and unload ahead of Christmas, coupled with firms attempting to stockpile ahead of BREXIT, and added disruption because of COVID, has caused bottlenecks and delays at British ports. This is having a knock on effect - even Swindon car manufacturer Honda have had to temporarily shut down because of lack of parts.
Soooooo, that's going well.... 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 11th December 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 11th December 2020.

The UK added 21,672 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,809,455 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 400,646 tests yesterday. 

16,136 people were in hospital on Wednesday 9th, with 1,267 using a ventilator yesterday, 10th December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 424 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 63,506 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 75,507 (+304) cases and 2,120 (+3) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 71,169,730 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,597,073. Already 49,412,394 people have recovered.

From Monday 14th December across the whole UK, the Government are reducing the number of days you need to self-isolate from 14 days back down to 10 days. This includes:

- People quarantining on arrival in the UK

- People who test positive

- People with symptoms

- Contacts of people with COVID

If you started self-isolating already, and are still meant to be isolating on Monday, your isolation can end after you've completed 10 days. 

Self-isolation had already dropped to 10 days in Wales. 

(As luck would have it, I've written up figures on this, see below.) 

The 14 day deadline for 25th December would be today, and if people get told they need to self-isolate, they might try to ignore it. By cutting it to 10 days, it allows for arrivals and notifications over this weekend, and paradoxically a lot more infectious people are likely to actually stay home over the next week or two. 

UK Travel Quarantine Updates: Botswana and Saudi Arabia will be added to the exempt list at 4am 12 December. The Canary Islands will be removed from the list at 4am 12 December.

The number of people with hospital-acquired COVID in the UK has been climbing and is hasn't been as high since the first peak.  

I don't even blame hospitals or staff. COVID is a real bugger to contain. It loves shared accommodation, and with the best will in the world, you can't catch all of the asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic patients. Remember Trump still caught it, even though everyone who comes into contact with him is tested regularly. 

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COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th / 10th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th / 10th December 2020.

The UK added 20,964 cases today (UP from 14,879 the same time last week) and now has reported a total of 1,787,783 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 369,586 tests yesterday. 

15,242 people were in hospital on Tuesday 8th (slightly UP from 15,236 a week earlier), with 1,243 using a ventilator yesterday, Wednesday 9th (DOWN from 1,315 a week earlier). 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 516 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 63,082 officially reported losses of life in all settings. Up until 27th November, 73,125 people had COVID given as a cause of death on their death certificate. 

Country / Cases / Losses of life (by death certificate):
England 1,531,761 / 62,438
Northern Ireland 56,719 / 1.382
Scotland 103,305 / 5,634
Wales 95,998 / 3,671

Rep. Of Ireland 74,900 cases and 2,102 losses of life (not yet reported today). 

There have now been a total of 69,634,913 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,583,351. Already 48,277,159 people have recovered.

Let's start with the bad news, get it out of the way. COVID cases and hospitalisations in the UK are already going back up slightly. Ideally they'd have continued on a downward slope or plateau for another week or so, so this is a bit of a blow, and sadly it's a similar pattern throughout Europe.
When they said COVID would really flourish in Winter, they appear to have been spot on. Buckle up, we can ride this out too. 

Nerf BUNKR Battle Zone System Review (age 8+) Sent by Trends UK for review.

 Anyone who has read the blog for a while knows we are huge fans of Nerf, and they've teamed up with Trends to bring us the BUNKR Battle Zone System - a selection of inflatables to bring a whole new dimension to Nerf play.  We've been sent the Nerf BUNKR Competition Pack and (plus a new Nerf Ultra 2 Motorised Blaster) to take a look at...

Inside the box are 4 inflatable urban themed obstacles, 4 vinyl repair patches, a set of Nerf BUNKR Cards. I blew one of the inflatables up using my breath, and it wasn't any worse than a small kids paddling pool. It's got a great 3 way valve so that the air doesn't come out unless you want it to - but we did get the airbed pump out for the other 3. 

The inflatables are excellent quality, I can't fault them. They have several different valves and plugholes for easily attachment of suitable pumps, and very rapid deflation once you're finished. Seams are well welded and the designs are great. Also - they're massive! Each is 48cm / 19" tall. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th / 8th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th / 8th December 2020.

The UK added 12,282 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,750,241 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 215,981 tests yesterday. 

14,807 people were in hospital on Sunday 6th (down from 15,438 a week earlier), with 1,271 using a ventilator yesterday, 7th December (down from 1,415 a week earlier). . 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 616 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 62,033 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 27th November, the ONS had recorded that 73,125 people had COVID written on their death certificate. 

Rep. Of Ireland 74,682 (+214) cases and 2,099 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 68,266,536 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,556,925. Already 47,256,030 people have recovered.

Less than a year since the first case was reported to WHO, the first person in the world to get the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine as part of mass immunisation was immunised this morning at 6.30am in England. She was Grandmother Margaret Keenan - Maggie - who is 91 next week. The second was a William Shakespeare from Warwickshire (if that's not poetic, nothing is). Comments have been a joy. "Taming Of The Flu" is definitely pun of the day. I also like the straight up quote: "My long sickness of health and living now begins to mend."

Nicola Sturgeon has announced the new levels for Scottish restrictions which will apply from 6pm on Friday 11th December. Very roughly most areas will drop down a level. 

In areas which are currently Level 4, inessential shops can reopen from 6am Friday morning. 

(Ad|Review) Christmas Gifts For Uni Students...

Uni Students might also want sensible gifts for their studies, but Christmas is about being frivolous, and I like to treat my 4 grown up uni student offspring to things that'll make them smile and maybe also have a practical side. I have previously been sent some of the following items for review - but I wouldn't also include them in this post if I didn't like them! 

Miss You Loads. 

Is anyone ever too old for a soft toy? Uni students this year especially have to cope by themselves far more than in the past. They haven't been able to nip home, and physical contact might be a bit lacking. 

I recently did a review for Moonpig, and sent my 21 year old Uni student this Sloth which warms in the microwave for a very fair £10. Other creatures are available. It's the closest thing to a hug - and it really doesn't have to be pink or fluffy. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 5th / 6th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 5th / 6th December 2020.

The UK added 17,272 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,723,242 positive cases of COVID-19. 

14,556 people were in hospital on Thursday 3rd, with 1,274 using a ventilator on Friday, 4th December.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 231 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 61,245 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 74,246 (+298) cases and 2,099 losses of life. 

There have now been a total of 67,192,860 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,539,553. Already 46,470,892 people have recovered.

Russia have delivered their Sputnik V vaccine to clinics, and on Saturday morning started mass immunisation. They say they've got 2m doses in this first batch. First on their list are doctors and medical workers, teachers, and social workers - the people deemed to have highest risk of catching COVID. (The UK are prioritising risk of death.)

Rumours are that the Navy are also being immunised before they leave port. 

This vaccine has not yet completed Phase 3 trials - although so far everything seems okay. They're getting a lot of side eye and tutting from regulatory bodies around the world. 

Latest ONS data shows we have a lot of new cases of COVID among the age group 11-17 (high school). While I can see this is true myself (4 of my 12 year old's friends have tested positive in the last fortnight), remember we just had a lockdown. Most people didn't go out - but schoolchildren did. 

SAGE advisory member Professor Robert West of University College London has said that we should carefully consider taking high school pupils out of school early,  to protect vulnerable family members over Christmas. 

I have to agree. The mental health aspect of infecting your own relatives, and at best feeling like you've "ruined Christmas" is massive. Spending the rest of your life feeling responsible for the demise of a family member far more so. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 4th December 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 4th December 2020.

The UK added 16,298 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,690,432 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 389,476 tests yesterday. 

14,917 people were in hospital on Wednesday 2nd, with 1,261 using a ventilator yesterday, 3rd December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 504 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 60,617 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 73,228 cases and 2,080 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 65,944,911 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,519,156. Already 45,652,023 people have been reported as recovered.

“The decisions we make right now can change the course of the next six months. The steps that we take now mean life or death for us and mean life or death for our families. As we enter into this critical holiday period right now, really consider what you do over this period, and who you interact with. If you can modify your contact patterns, you can modify the virus's ability to spread."

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organisation. 

"The fight against climate change is a truly global challenge, and it's one we're only going to win if every country on every continent does its bit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So I'm very happy to say that we in the UK are going to lead by example, going further and faster than ever before, with a new target to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030. 

That's considerably more ambitious than the targets set by other major economies, and it will set us on course to hit net zero by 2050."

Boris Johnson, UK PM. This is the reduction from 1990 to 2030, so we're 3/4 of the way there already, and it's impressive stuff. Nice one. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 2nd/3rd December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 2nd/3rd December 2020.

The UK added 14,879 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,674,134 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 352,990 tests yesterday. 

15,236 people were in hospital on Tuesday 1st, with 1,315 using a ventilator yesterday, 2nd December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 414 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 60,113 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 73,228 (+162) cases and 2,080 (+6) losses of life. 

There have now been a total of 65,225,729 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,506,493. Already 45,187,474 people have recovered.

Some harsh milestones today - the UK official total losses of life has surpassed 60,000 people (ONS report almost 70,000). The number of losses of life worldwide has surpassed 1.5 million. The USA has exceeded 100,000 people currently in hospital with COVID (this has doubled since early November).

This week's English surveillance report shows cases are DEFINITELY going down and the lockdown has had a good effect. The graph has a nice 'n' shape. It looks to me as if losses of life has also turned. Good stuff. 

COVID UK Data Briefing and vaccine news 2nd December 2020

 COVID UK Data Briefing and vaccine news 2nd December 2020

 

There's sooooo much COVID news today that tomorrow's report would be the size of a cow, so I've done an extra today covering the vaccine news...

The huge news today is that the UK MHRA have approved the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for use in the UK. We are the first Western country to approve a vaccine, and deliveries are expected next week. 

"The UK was the first country to sign a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech - now we will be the first to deploy their vaccine.

To everyone involved in this breakthrough: thank you.

In years to come, we will remember this moment as the day the UK led humanity’s charge against this disease."

Alok Sharma, UK Business Secretary. 

Don't let the irony pass you by. We are on the very brink of leaving the EU, and our urgent emergency vaccine supplies have been developed in the USA /Germany by a Turkish-led company and manufactured in Belgium. We actually won't even be able to complete this sort of transaction as swiftly in 4 weeks time. 

And then take a moment to consider that Trump attempted to force the hand of manufacturers and regulators in order that a vaccine was ready before the US election a whole month ago, and yet miraculously his urgency has now gone, and the UK have approved it before the USA... 

There was a UK Coronavirus data briefing this morning with Dr June Raine of the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed from the Commission on Human Medicine Expert Working Group, and Prof Wei Shen Lim, from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 30th November / 1st December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 30th November / 1st December 2020.

The UK added 13,430 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,643,086 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 214,835 tests yesterday. 

15,438 people were in hospital on Sunday 29th (down from 16,158 a week earlier), with 1,415 using a ventilator.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 603 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 59,051 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 20th November, 69,752 people had COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate. 

Rep. Of Ireland 72,544 cases and 2,053 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 63,903,886 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,480,308. Already 44,229,797 people have recovered.

It is one year since the first known patient showed symptoms of COVID-19 in the Chinese Hubei provincial capital, Wuhan. 

I don't know exactly why that little news story caught my attention, but it did, and I kept my eye on it... 

"Last week saw the first decline in newly-reported COVID19 cases globally since September, due to a decrease in cases in Europe, thanks to the effectiveness of difficult but necessary measures put in place in recent weeks.

This is welcome news, but it must be interpreted with extreme caution. Gains can easily be lost, and there was still an increase in COVID19 cases in most other regions of the world, and an increase in death.

This is no time for complacency, especially with the holiday season approaching in many cultures & countries. We all want to be together with the people we love during festive periods. But being with family & friends is not worth putting them or yourself at risk.

We all need to consider whose life we might be gambling with in the decisions we make.

The COVID19 pandemic will change the way we celebrate, but it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate."

Dr Tedros, Head of the World Health Organisation. 

The UK's Imperial College REACT study results are looking good. As hoped, the infection rate has dropped by 30% so far because of the lockdown.  (I mentioned this more in the England briefing post yesterday.)