In the last three weeks, the number of critical beds capacity has increased dramatically with several satellite 'hospitals' cropping up across the UK courtesy of the extraordinary efforts of the army. Prevent the NHS becoming over-burdened at all costs is the goal. These actions are costing the UK a billion a day. The politicians did not want there to be instances of people with C-19 arriving at hospitals, waiting in ambulances, or dying while waiting in holding bays. More accurately, they did not want the media to hear of these instances, because those kind of horror stories create high status politician job losses.
If it is correct to consider that the truly 'vulnerable' in society with this virus are the elderly, then it would be logical to make extra provisions for monitoring this age group in care homes. But they didn't. The Government didn't even want to include those that die in care homes in their daily mortality statistics, let alone throw any resources in that direction.
This continual drip feeding of fear mongering will come at a cost. It comes down to perceived risk and we appear to be more than happy to erode our civil liberties for the reduction of risk. But as we know as driving instructors, that is a delicate balancing act. It is so easy and convenient to reduce the learning potential in the name of 'managing risk'. Contrary to WHO advice on the wearing of masks, we are still persisting with this idea that they are a necessity. Unless we all go around in space suits with individual oxygen supply, there is going to be risk involved in going shopping but you just manage it don't you? The shopping trips I'm doing now are bordering on the insane. With the passing of two weeks, we are all now queuing to get in to stores, so as to avoid crowding. Then we are 'invited' (at the moment anyway), to clean our trolley handles. We are all then walking around arrowed aisles avoiding each other like the plague (I notice men generally don't play this game with such enthusiasm as women). Some cashiers use PPE that looks like they are about to perform open heart surgery; others, wear nothing, not even gloves. I dare say give it a few days, and the wearing of masks by customers to just enter the store will become compulsory. At some point the government will be needing to reduce this heightened anxiety that they have been so keen to create. It does make me wonder about the levels of public compliance once the red mist begins to fade, and the true 'science' starts to emerge.
Tracking of our movements via phone apps, heightened ppe requirements. It's all coming our way. Have you seen images of the poor primary school kids in Wuhan? Isolated with plastic barriers around their desk, face masks on - but of course, it's all in the name of saving lives, so basically, don't anyone dare have an opinion contrary to 'the science'.
We have millions of able bodied people, cooped up indoors, slowly going mad, all so that we don't overload our incredible NHS. How Hancock sleeps at night after making political gain from the likes of 99 year old Captain Tom is beyond me. But Hancock knows full well that anything NHS related is gold dust. I had to stop watching his daily updates because of his insistence of associating himself (and his self-worth) with the genuine martyrs at times of conflict - namely the front line.
Continue with reasonable guidelines to assist the elderly, especially in locations where they reside, but can we please get our workers working again? Prevent over-crowding in trains and tubes by all means, continue the restriction of gatherings involving tens of thousands of people but get the shops, schools, roads open. Allow the country to get back on it's feet. In times of national crisis, there is a need to show some balls, but all I'm seeing from our politicians is the covering of arses.
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