103,602

 

Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths

The COVID-19 pandemic passed another milestone, with over one-hundred-thousand deaths in the UK where it's cited on the death certificate (103,602 as I write this). The figure is higher if you account for complications. We're now squabbling over vaccines when we should be working together. The vaccine programme is being spun, so the first dose is counted as 'being vaccinated' when in reality it's 'partly vaccinated'. Meanwhile, people continue to die, often cut off from loved ones, and whole sectors of the economy are suffering from lockdown and the Brexit deal.

Source: Facebook, unknown

We have the highest death rate per capita in the world and have been consistently behind the curve. The whole 'save Christmas' and then 'get the schools back' (for a day so they can infect each other) just made things worth. Boris Johnson is rightly getting the blame on this, but it's his government, formed from his party's MPs, most of whom support him and follow him. That's 364 individuals. 285 deaths for each one of them.

I have little faith that we will be out of this until the latter part of this year. I fear we will end the lockdown early in March 2021 to avoid headlines like 'a year in lockdown' rather than look at the risks. I have no confidence that there is a viable plan going forward; last time one was shown, a hole was blown through it with the Christmas relaxation. Time to dig in some more, and hope the toll doesn't become too high.

30 January 2021