It has just been 4 days since I wrote my first Lockdown Diary report from Spain and the figures are exploding over here, despite the whole country being in lockdown for 9 days so far.
Four days ago, Spain had surpassed 1000 coronavirus deaths in total, now we have had more than that in the last two days (738 dead yesterday) and our total is now well over 3400 in total. That means the death-rate is doubling every two days.
The UK reported around 100 deaths yesterday, which is where Spain was just ten days ago. If you explode at the same rate as Spain, you will have our figures in a very short time, and it may even be quicker considering that Johnson has only now decided to start restricting movement (or advising you to, at least). You will be surprised how quickly you are over-run and people will start dropping like flies…
I am pretty certain that we personally are not infected with COVID-19 after spending the last 9 days with just the company of my lovely partner, with minimal contact with anyone else, but today I had to take my first run into the local town for urgent top ups of dog food and cigarettes (necessary goods over here!).
The town, which usually has a population of over 10,000, was completely deserted with hardly anyone in the streets. At the dog supplies, the owner did not even come out of his office, but let me load the car myself and just leave the cash on the counter. The Tobacco shop was barricaded at the door and the owner gave me a pair of rubber gloves and exhorted me to put them on every time I left the house.
We stayed the statutory 2 metres apart but my partner still made me scrub my hands when I got home, because the coronavirus could be on the cigarette cartons, while she wiped the cartons down before opening. The life here feels very eerie, with no noises to be heard from our villa outside town, until 8 at night, when all the English ex-pats in the area all play the same chosen song, and bang tins and drums in solidarity. This is our only communication with our neighbours every day.
If you are still thinking that Boris has got it right with his freedom strategy, let me show you how quickly the death-rate is going up in Spain, despite the lockdown strategy…
It may be noted that we all went into total lockdown on the 15th March, but it has not arrested the increase in mortality rates in the slightest so far…..
So the UK has only just gone into lockdown, so perhaps this graph of UK deaths is going to start jumping like Spain did 10 days ago….
(All graphs taken from Worldometers.info)
So, everyone in the UK can fully expect to be where Spain are in the next week to ten days, and come to terms with keeping out of contact with anyone at all except in urgent situations. The news that a healthy 21 year old girl in Buckinghamshire died today of coronavirus should be a wake-up call, so please don’t think that because you are young and healthy you have nothing to worry about. The facts say otherwise…
Stay safe, and most of all, STAY IN!
Admin Pat
PAT, REALLY GOOD LUCK AND I DO HOPE YOU MANAGE SOMEHOW TO GET HOME SOON.
Most folk I believe, think it a given that we are on the same increase road as Spain and possibly Italy, though I do not personally think we will equal Italys deaths. I agree Boris acted too late but we are where we are and though within a few weeks the death rate will stabilise before falling, I see no hope of normal life until and unless we get a vaccine ready and widely, massively used . That will not happen anytime soon, as even though there are currently human trials , they will need to wait for ages after to see if there are any huge side effects. I see no real likelihood of ANY Prem games being played in 2020. Pray I am wrong, obviously!
Think you’re right Jon, can’t see any more games this year and expect the The Premier League to announce the suspension of the league to be upgraded to being declared null and void. Liverpool will no doubt be upset by any such declaration but what else can be done. Pay back maybe for the 5 year ban of European football imposed by EUFA on English clubs during the 80’s
Jon
I’m with you on your assessment
The awfulness of what happened in Italy altered the government’s stance. And hopefully not too late if the recent measures work and don’t overwhelm the NHS
Getting back to normal will take a long time. Listening to the Secretary General of the UN on the box tonight he is concerned that unless the less developed nations get assistance quickly to knock back the virus then it will give the virus time to mutate and reappear throughout the world again
Football and world sports will have a long wait, as we all will
There were 3 urchins in my local park yesterday sitting on a bench playing music, drinking beer and smoking weed. Police also had to break up a BBQ in Coventry of 20+ people. Tube trains were still packed. That was just the 1st day of lockdown.
Unfortunately people just aren’t getting the message. I can see the death rate going into 1000’s per day very soon.
All we can do is look after the one’s that want to stay safe and dig in for the long run.
Wishing you and everyone else the best of luck in getting through this safely.
Dan, we should shame them and give ’em name, SPREADERS sounds appropriate enough for me. Should put it out all across the nation. Come on Boris and the Police, get all the SPREADERS off the streets
I can think of more names that would be more appropriate lol.
I done the same yesterday. went out for my monthly prescription and shopping, covered from head to feet. Done the same as you, wiped down all the packaging, kept my distance and wore my mask. There’s not much else we can do. I’ve got enough food now for about month then I suppose I’ll have to go through it all again. As you know I have a Thai partner who’s now stuck in Thailand looking after her Mother who’s sadly dying of cancer. She’s now a British Citizen, has been for many years, so she now has the added problem of having to keep renewing her visa. In a way it makes it easier for me with the self isolating and believe it or not the situation in Thailand is better than here especially where she is in a remote area. Everybody wears masks in Thailand which I think could be the only reason their figures are better than ours especially when you consider some of the Government Hospitals and the fact it borders China, so everybody out there take note, these so called experts who continually tell us the masks make no difference are just guessing, just like the majority of them are doing all the time. Everybody should look after themselves and not necessarily believe what everybody tells them
Wow scary stuff, although shaming people for being outside is not on, as some are mentioning.
If you’re in a low risk group, and take the relevant precautions, its absolutely fine to go out outside for a walk or to the park. People still have to out to work and buy food anyway. I have to admit, I wouldn’t be taking the tube though!
In the examples I gave (not the tube travellers) those people were not taking any precautions. They were not going out for a walk, they were not exercising. They were having mini parties!! They were purposely defying orders and putting everyone they come into contact with of danger.
It’s the I’m alright jack so f**k everyone else attitude that is spreading the virus.
What is it about that people that so hard to understand?
Hi
I shocked that your partner has to keep getting a new visa even though she is a British citizen. Maybe it’s because you’re not married. My eldest son had to go through hell and high water with visas for his Mexican wife. 7 years of marriage with 2 kids, and only a few months ago after taking the ‘British test’ has she been given indefinite leave to remain
My partner Sue but it’s a Thai visa I’m talking about, even though she holds two passports she uses her British passport to travel so when in Thailand and even though she’s Thai, she’s under the same restrictions as any British tourist
I’m amazed at the amount of people that flocked to the beaches!!! How stupid.
I only go to work, walk the dog (not very far and luckily hardly see a soul) shop when needed, that’s it.
I’m sorry if I offend anyone (Pat & I did at work earlier too!) when I say this, but I can’t get my head round the fact that cigarettes are a necessity!!
I hope everyone on here stays safe and well…. got a long, long way to go…
I spoke to my ex boss who lives in Spain last night and he said the police followed him for 3 miles to make sure his trip was out of necessity and when he parked outside the tabac, they waited till he went in then drove off!
It baffles me, GB, it really does…..
I hope you and the fam are ok Sue 😊 stay safe 🙏
Hello Kevin… all ok so far, thank you! And the same to you and yours. How’s your daughter doing? And you? Are you still working?
Hi Sue I’m glad to hear that 🙏 thank you and yeah Sue we’re both good thankfully and I hope it stays that way 🙏 my mum’s in a high risk category as she’s over 60 and has health problems other than that though, I can’t complain too much. No Sue I’m not working now pretty much just at home most of the day, are you still working?
Look after your Mum, Kev 😊
Yes, still working, been hectic, some staff have been advised not to work, due to health issues/age.. so we’re short. I’ve just signed up for more shifts, may as well sleep there 😄
No fishing (avid angling 😉) then Kev… how will you cope??!
It’s really awkward Sue because if I have contracted anything I could pass it on to her, I told her I can pick essentials up for her and leave it at her door that’s pretty much all I can do 😊 well that’s understandable Sue but God yous must be seriously understaffed and overworked 😮 haha yeah might as well pack the old airbed 😂 haha yeah this avid angler is not so avid these days 😂🎣 no football, no fishing, no gym… I’m living like a monk 😂 been playing who wants to be a millionaire on my phone and got to the million pound question and it was a football question and I got it wrong 🙈
Living like a monk 🤣 Oh you didn’t get it wrong!!! I don’t believe it!!
So now in the Tesco Express near me, only 3 people are allowed in the shop at one time, security on the door…
You’d think the way our lives have changed in such a short amount of time, people would take the hint, wouldn’t you?! But no, not all of this applies to everyone! 🙄
Oh I did lol it was a 1994 world cup question about Bulgaria and strangely I remember that world cup well 😂 oh I know Sue I was out earlier and it was like something out of -behind enemy lines 😩 last week was in Sainsbury’s and some girl coughing her lungs up not even 3 feet away and I said do you mind love and she goes what ? You couldn’t make it up the ignorance is unbelievable! Yesterday I saw at least 5 teenagers standing outside a shop not a care in the world it’s comforting known the youth are taking this pandemic seriously 🙄
Agree with you Sue, went to the park at the weekend just for half hours exercise. I was shocked to find it packed. Spreaders everywhere. Ended up walking through the streets that were empty.
Unbelievable, Kenny… some people are oblivious!!
NYC is in a bad way too….
Well I the government as do the construction workers over we av to carry on working but the the company or shutting down I will get nothing from the government so thanks for the help Bojo 33 years in work not claimed a penny thanks for nothing
Will you not get 80% of your wages?
Thomaskelly, I think you’ll find your eligible for several benefit payments, Universal Credit, Job Seekers Allowance, Pension Credit if your over the age plus the Government handouts. What ever it is, good luck mate, you deserve it
Now living in south Leicestershire I have to say our local market town is pretty quiet and when we are out with the dog we all pass each other at a respectful distance and generally shop sensibly.
Those who flout the rules are gormless, thoughtless & it won’t affect me type idiots
Boris &co I believe misguidedly thought that the great British public would heed the much repeated warnings. He might have thought that the idiots who swarmed over Snowdonia and Skeggie had seen the utterly distressing reports coming out of Italy and Spain and would observe social distancing
By being the total idiots that they are- crowding onto trains and holding bloody BBQ’s for 20 + mates we will end up in a complete lockdown and the poor sods who fall desperately ill may force NHS workers to choose between saving an old person or a younger person
Not a pleasant thought
A woman on the radio said she’s had her life, she’s quite happy to die for a day at the beach! Can you believe it???
One born every day Sue…. Anyway how are you Sue? You care for the elderly and are a part of our wonderful NHS, hope you’re keeping safe, you’re in the firing line
I’m all good thanks, Kenny. Sad about your mother in law, and being away from your partner…. hopefully you’ll be reunited soon.
Yes, keeping safe, all we can do hey?!.
So, how are you filling your time?
Not with the repeats you spoke about earlier. LOL. I could do this isolation quite easily Sue if there was some Sport to watch, but nothing. If you get Netflix, “The English Game” is worth watching but to be honest with social media. Facebook that I’ve recently subscribed to keeps me busy, something I thought I’d never do, but have so many friends on it it’s now become addictive, frightening
Yes I have Netflix, will have a butchers at The English Game.
Good old social media, hey Kenny!! Facebook – where 3 hours on it can seem like 10 minutes haha!! Great way of keeping in touch with people from your past though! And it is addictive, bit like JA 😁
Stay safe wherever you folks are.
The pictures from Florida during March Break were shocking – the complete disregard for risk and for other people is really sad. I get that a lot of the people are young and even with infection, they will be fine. But they have parents and grandparents, know people with weak immune systems (a person I know has cystic fibrosis and is absolutely terrified) .
It isn’t perfect in Canada, but the awareness and urgency are certainly up a notch or two from our British and especially American cousins.
Stay safe and I look forward to discussing/arguing/disagreeing on Football sooner than later.
Stewart
I’m shocked to think that POTUS thinks it will be great in the US in time for Easter
NYC is in a worrying way
It’s a terrible invisible enemy
I don’t know how big your cities are but outside of that you have a lot of space
Some years ago hubby and I found ourselves on Miami Beach during spring break. It was packed with kids enjoying themselves. The young definitely think that whatever it is that is bad will never to them. Blinkered