In order to justify its civil liberties and economy wrecking lockdown, social distancing and mask policies, the Government needed to say there might be a “second wave”. And lo and behold if you believe Matt Hancock or the other half of this GroupThink madness, that is to say the BBC, ITV and the deadwood press, now we have it. Except that we do not.
The news media dutifully reported a rising number of cases with headlines almost always using the word record. And indeed on Monday, 7,143 new cases were reported which is a record. Previous highs back in April and May were more than 6,000 so at a superficial level, the GroupThink folks are right.
However, on the day back in April when the first 6,000+ new record was set, that came as a result of just 16,000 tests. In other words, almost 40% of those tested were positive. At that point, we were only testing those with pronounced symptoms plus, when they were not recording dance videos, NHS personnel who, as we now know, are on an age & ethnicity adjusted basis are far less likely to catch Covid than, say, bus drivers and security guards. But ignore that; it is pay rises and OBEs all round for the Shipmans – most of whom have spent the summer sitting around doing nothing on non Covid wards.
In May, the next new 6,000+ high, 80,000 folks were tested so many more asymptomatics but nothing like the 198,402 tests done to generate Monday’s number. So given the huge number of asymptomatics who are out there, especially among younger folk, is it really any surprise that as we do more and more testing we will get more and more cases without, of course, any sign that this will translate into enough deaths to get Covid anywhere near the top 5 causes of death again?
With Boris promising to double testing capacity, the deadwood press and the BBC will be able to talk of more and more records being broken and that will be used to justify an increasingly irrational policy response. Once again it seems that we are being urged to save the NHS which means beds are being emptied and routine appointments postponed. So far, more than a million women have had a breast cancer scan postponed since the start of lockdown. As they start to die early and needlessly next year, will Matt Hancock still insist that it was all worth it to save the NHS?
Where I live, near Wrexham, we go into special lockdown on Thursday night. Or is it tonight? I do not really care as I have no intention whatsoever of abiding by rules that are so obviously pointless and so obviously based on bogus data. Over the past few weeks, just three people have died in Wales from Covid. More folks in this rain sodden economic backwater have died from kinky sex games with sheep that went badly wrong than from the Coronavirus. Yet as of later this week, the Fuzz will be ordered to intervene if I try to leave the district or if I invite anyone into my home.
Bugger that. I shall continue to escape over the border to England to shop at a place which does not enforce face nappy wearing and I shall continue to visit my father. A tyranny based on lies must be opposed.