Flower Friday

I thought I’d finally get round to taking a photo of the orchid in my kitchen window as it’s Flower Friday. A bit of shopping and some garden jobs today. 

Day 424 /  Day 33 of Step 2 of Roadmap Easing (for my record only
A fairly sobering briefing today by Boris and Chris Whitty about the India variant B.1.617.2. In a nutshell, the new variant is more transmissible than the dominant Kent variant in the UK at the moment and will ‘overtake and come to dominate’ per the CMO. The impression was given that the extent of the increase in transmissibility will be clearer in 2-3 weeks. The unlocking will continue with the next stage on Monday, but we were put on warning that this variant could ‘cause serious disruption’ and have an impact on being able to move to step 4 in June (if significantly more transmissible then we will have to make ‘tough choices’). I was surprised that Boris didn’t at least roll back on allowing hugging and no masks in secondary schools from Monday. Boris did urge us to take up the vaccine and do our two lateral flow tests a week. Again Boris was very vague in his warning to those in spike areas just saying they should act with caution and use their discretion - why doesn’t he just say don’t hug, don’t mix indoors in peoples houses and don’t stay overnight if you’re in a surge area?!? In Bolton it’s know that the spike is in 0-59 year olds not older, but data over the next few weeks will show if that’s due to vaccines (that’s the current thought) or the usual lag between age groups. The only actions seemed to be bringing forward 2nd doses for over 50s and the clinically vulnerable to 8 weeks; surge testing with the Army handing out tests; and stepping up efforts to improve vaccine take up. A SKY News reporter has tweeted ‘SAGE says there’s a ‘realistic possibility’ India variant is 50% more transmissible than Kent variant, ‘it is likely that progressing with step 3 alone....would lead to a substantial resurgence of hospitalisations (similar to, or larger than, previous peaks)’. 4 people are already known to have died of this variant in the UK. In Scotland, Glasgow and Moray are to remain in Level 3 due to cases linked to the new variant - a more sensible approach. 

England’s R rate has risen to 0.8 to 1.1 with a daily growth rate of -3% to 1%. ONS survey shows in private households to 8th May there were 1 in 1,340 cases in Eng, 1 in 4,230 in Wales, 1 in 1,430 in NI and 1 in 1,250 in Scotland.