One Year On

It's exactly a year since Boris spoke to the Nation re Covid-19 and said everyone should avoid non-essential travel and contact with others with immediate effect, work from home and that people in at risk groups should self isolate for 12 weeks. One year on and we've had 3 lockdowns, 2 of which have kept us under a Stay at Home order for a total of 120 days, so a third of the year! I wanted to keep my own record via blip, but never thought there'd be so much news to record for a year and counting. I never thought I'd spend so much time on my own, not see my family for a year or my friends living outside the area, or that so many would die. I never thought my mask in the photo would be an essential item like keys whenever I leave the house. I also never thought the Govt would spend so much money to protect people and jobs, that there'd be so many volunteers doing such good work, that we'd be sooooo grateful to NHS and key workers, or that we'd have a number of vaccines ready and rolling out so quickly. What a year, one I hope never to see the likes of again. 

Day 365 / Day 70 of Lockdown 3 / Day 9 of Step 1 of Roadmap out of Lockdown (for my record only)
UK deaths up 110 to 125,690 (revised basis), with 5,294 new cases, 7,281 patients in hospital, 1,016 on ventilation and 464 new admissions. 24.8m have now received their first dose of the vaccine and 1.7m have had their second dose. The EMA says there is 'no indication' so far that vaccination has cause blood clotting incidents, a full report will be issued on Thurs and other vaccines (than AZ) are also being looked at. Surge testing is now being undertaken in Sandwell and Harringey. Two cases of another new variant have been found in the UK, which was first reported by the Philippines and includes the 'Eek' mutation. Scotland is to lift its Stay at Home order on 2nd April, changing it to a 'stay local message, and NI will follow on 12th April.