An extract from 'Coronavirus 2020 Vision - The Road To Freedom Day - The complete diary and events of the Covid 19 Pandemic.' By Keith Wright.
21st March 2020.
This is an unadulterated take written in real time, on a daily basis. It avoids any hindsight and illustrates how things unfolded throughout the pandemic untainted by the bias of time.
SAT 21ST MARCH 2020
Wales has 89 new cases and Scotland 551.
There are now 4,145 cases in total in the UK, with deaths at 233.
We see on the news how Italy continues to spiral out of control with the crisis. Just short of 800 people died in Italy in the last 24 hours, making a total of 4,825 deaths in total so far. 53,578 have so far contracted the disease. It is currently worse in Italy than anywhere else on the planet, and the overstretched and desperate doctors keep warning the UK that this horror is coming to us. It will happen. This is a frightening prospect and is surely unprecedented.
Italy has today banned people from even going outside to the parks, despite social distancing. This makes all towns like ghost towns. We saw on Sky News; a Mrs Fogo interviewed from Lambadi who spoke about how quiet it was now outside. She said, ‘All I hear through the window is the Church Bells and the sound of ambulances.’
4 pm Briefing. - George Eustace, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
He re-iterated the call to only buy what you need. There is enough food, but there are some problems with deliveries and the people to do them. Some stores will limit specific lines to so many per person. The supermarkets have been struggling with people stocking up. Their algorithms and the use of loyalty cards enable their computers to anticipate the required stock levels per day per store. Once people overbuy in bulk, of course, it necessarily follows that there is a shortfall of produce on the shelves.
So far, a billion pounds more food is currently in people’s cupboards than there was three weeks ago because of people stocking up. It is a herd mentality and almost a hysterical reaction when you see people buying lots of stuff and the shelves empty, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and everyone follows suit. It feels like an ‘every man for himself’ doctrine.
The NHS (National Health Service) has done a deal with independent hospitals who are providing 8,000 beds and 20,000 care workers. Plus, thousands of ventilators. This is excellent news and a huge relief as the monster approaches.
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has said that doctors should allocate critical care beds to those patients who have the most chance of surviving. This is a terrible choice for doctors to make and does not bode well if I get the virus, particularly if young people keep flouting the lockdown and taking beds from those more likely to die.
John Lewis is closing all their stores. These large retailers keep clinging on with their fingertips, which I get, but it encourages customers to group together and risks harm to them and the staff working in them. Jackie’s employers Next continue to trade, exposing her and me to risk of catching the virus.
Personal:
I went out to Morrisons at Victoria Retail Park at 6.40 am ready for it opening at 7 am as we need some bread and milk and other perishable goods, notably fruit, which were unavailable last night. When I arrived at 6.45 am, there were already around 80 people outside. It was grim waiting in the cold. A man behind me started coughing without covering his mouth, and I quickly turned away. Then there was an argument. A man called out a woman in pyjamas for pushing in. She didn’t move. There is always one. I’m glad he challenged her, though. I would have if I’d seen it. Anyway, I did not get everything I wanted, but I got bananas and a bit of milk and bread. Several shelves were wiped clean.
Callum is still unwell with a temperature, sore throat, and cough. Of course, we don’t know if it is Coronavirus, but he has to make the assumption it is. Let’s hope it isn’t.
Quote of the day:
‘Thanks for giving me a place to sleep last night, and for the extra blanket. Vi. – Violet’s note to Lincoln.’ – Jessica Shirvington.
Light relief:
21st March 2053: John opened the last packet of toilet paper bought by his parents in 2020.
