Weekender 24: This, The New Normal

 For several weeks now we've been around 1000-1500 new cases a day. More to the lower end of that range, I think. It seems stubborn, but I think this is the settled status from here on out. Of course that could easily change, which is why continued good practice is necessary: wearing masks, etc. Now what constitutes good practice may change as our understanding evolves, but I think this is the best general advice we're going to get. The next stop on the Corona Express is going to be vaccine-town, and that could well be a very long journey. We all hope otherwise.

So here we are. It's the end of Summer. The bank holiday weekend. I see people about. The local pubs are busy, the local sports teams likewise. People are congregating to the max, within, hopefully effective, parameters. This isn't going to change. If the genie has to go back into the bottle, and it may well prove necessary, it's going to prove exceptionally difficult to achieve. Though of course as the weather changes with the seasons there will be less outdoors activity (I assume).

Schools re open this week. That will be the last great opening. We all hope it proves successful because it is a vital service for many reasons. But again health must take priority. I think, on the whole, it is inevitable spikes will appear as a result. Some schools may have to shut down again. But I suspect that the case rate will remain as it is.

I see no evidence that is going to improve. It certainly could worsen. What intervention can take place, other than a lockdown (or a cure!) to do that. We are here now; the virus has not excused itself. It's in the house and, like a bad smell, it's going to persist, percolating. It wants to spread because that's what viruses do. Whether we let it is down to whether our government will ever stop being inspired by capitalist self interest. That isn't going to happen.

So there we are. With Christmas on the horizon (a very distant horizon to be sure :D) I don't see any reason to get hopeful for a seasonal respite. No doubt the government will, in the midst of (or possibly as a distraction from) Brexit, try to gee up the plebs. Boris will utter some trite three-word slogan "cure for Christmas" - which plenty will buy into. But it can't change things. Normally the city centre is rammed over the festive period: the presence of Christmas markets (often selling European imports, like continental foods) takes up available space and people are forced to squeeze around. Shops are, needless to say, super buys. 

That can't happen. Nothing is going to change to make that possible. The government are not going to miraculously wake up, nor can they undo the nothing they've done for six months. Nothing, except handing contracts to their mates in the private sector without oversight. window shopping corruption. Don't forget this is all being used to further the demise of the NHS as well. We'll be lucky to get out of this with the shirts on our backs.