Hey all. I hope you’re all enjoying the snow this week if you have any where you are in the UK, specfically those living in the East or South-East of England have got quite a degree of snow. I have took my dog out in it several times already and he really likes it. Also saw a few stuck cars.
It is fairly rare that we get snowfall over here that settles this deep, for me it has been at least two years since we had any snow that has settled properly.
I do know for many though this kind of weather really sucks, especially if you’re an essential worker or a person who struggles with the cold due to having health problems or being elderly, I hope you can stay safe and are well looked out for!
For myself the last time we had snow in 2018 was a really tough time as we still had to travel all the way many miles to the hospital to see my mum who was asleep due to having had an anuerysm. On the way there we were rear-ended by a car on the roundabout and my uncle also slid off the road, although we were all ok luckily. So yes, under such circumstances, especially with coronavirus, these things can be hard. I hope vaccines won’t get too impacted by this.
When Might England Lockdown End?
- Boris Johnson hopes for a phased and gradual relaxing of coronavirus restrictions to begin from early March, including with the opening of schools from 8th March
- Some senior Conservative MPs are calling for all restrictions to be ended once vulnerable groups have received their first dose of vaccine.
- Jeremy Hunt, former Health Secretary, has suggested restrictions should remain until daily infections fall below 1,000. (Current daily figures are just under 20k, a large decrease since the lockdown first begun).
- Some government scientific advisors say it could yet be months before restrictions are gone, with a number of various factors playing a role into decision-making, such as to do with case numbers, NHS strains, new coronavirus variants, vaccine uptake and efficacy, the UK R number (which determines how fast coronavirus spread is) and so on.
My views
Just like anyone I want lockdown to end but it needs to be done in a smart fashion. Simply just tearing down all restrictions when some set goal is reached is very much unwise and would probably lead to a quick increase in case once again, even if all those vulnerable were vaccinated.
The smart way is a phased reduction across the whole of England that is more easily controlled and can be more easily evaluated on the effects of each phase of restrictions removed over time. I also agree that bringing back local restrictions rather than sticking to a nationwide approach will probably be a mistake.
A number of factors should be met rather than just any singular factor/goal, and such would then determine the next steps to reduce restrictions nationally and so on. In my eyes this is the only realistic way, and at times even then restrictions may need to be slightly increased again at points to prevent a full blown outbreak while the rest of the populace gets vaccinated.
Eventually I believe we will reach a point where restrictions will no longer be needed but I personally don’t see that happening this year, but given time and smart handling of restrictions, and modifications to vaccines and a continued well planned vaccine program, we will come out the other end of this in time.
NHS Overhaul Leaked
- UK Government documents to do with a possible planned overhaul of how the NHS is run have been leaked.
- Such reforms include reversal of controversial changes made under the 2012 Cameron Lib-Con coalition government, such as slimming down role of private providers in the NHS.
- Plans include increased integration between care providers, with substantially more power given to the UK Government.
- This includes the Health Secretary being responsible for setting NHS priorities and handling powers to do with putting flouride in water supplies and change labelling on fatty foods.
- Local councils and health providers would be obliged to work together, providing care under a network of integrated systems. This would serve to reduce competition and use of private companies.
- Majority of functions carried out by clinical commissioning groups would transfer to integrated care systems.
- Reforms aim to reduce bureaucracy and make care more easily delievered to individuals via range of services.
My view
I always have an inkling that these “leaks” are performed by the government themselves so they can get a gauge of the public and medias views on such plans before officially announcing them – if they ever decide to. So if it is badly received they can simply say “oh well, it was just leaked plans, nothing official”. and basically be done with it. I don’t know, I’m sure genuine leaks also do happen, there are a lot of people in government with access to such information, but I do have a belief that from time to time the government themselves probably orchestrates leaks to see what people think.
Anyway I am always a fan at the reduction of bureacracy, as it has caused me and I’m sure pretty much everyone, so many headaches and annoyances. I don’t think anyone in their right mind is friendly with bureacracy. Of course it is impossible to totally eliminate it, but there are things that can be done to reduce complexities and aggravations within such systems. So I hope if these plans do go into action, that it is what will happen, that the system becomes smoother.
I certainly think competition and the existence of private companies vying within the NHS should not be a thing, as it is a public healthcare system that is meant to be free for all – which it is – but it also should not be competition based in such systems. Healthcare should be solely for the people, for lives, not solely for a focus on competition and profit – it sort of makes peoples health and lives look like a game.
Honestly though, unless such plans are implemented we won’t truly know how they will work out, but nothing sounds inherently bad about these plans to me. But we should certainly wait until the coronavirus pandemic is much less of a forebearing problem before implementing any overhauls.
Larne Port Threats Disputed
- Three top trade unions distance from council claims of alledged threats against Larne Port workers conducting BREXIT checks.
- It was originally claimed via the mayor to Mid & East Antrim borough council, that unions raised concerns of suspicious activity at the port.
- The council initially withdrew workers after a police threat assessment but this was later overturned.
- Nipsa, GMB and Unite said they made no such claims (apart from that about graffiti in an email to the Council from Unite) and wrote to the council to ask for disputed claims to be withdrawn.
- Police Service of Northern Ireland says that there’s nothing to indicate loyalist paramilitary involvement or that registrations had been taken.
My view
This is something that is probably going to be looked into. It’s quite odd that the council or some elements within the council or elsewhere would decide to exaggerate claims on targeting and suspicious activity at the Larne Port. The graffiti was still disturbing but that alone can mean very little. So it does appear that after all this isn’t much of anything.
I do hope that the purpose of this was not some kind of ploy to further some kind of political ambition. We shall just have to see if anything more comes from this. But it is at least good news that trensions are not as bad as they originally seemed in Northern Ireland related to BREXIT outcomes. Let’s hope it remains that way.
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