End of the Weekender of the Week of the End 26

 Checked the local rag online. To see the state of Covid. Local secondary school, the one I went to in another life, has had a student test positive. Immediately I'm thinking: is he in my community or a neighbouring village. This area is already one of the highest rates in the country, though it's small population makes for ambiguous analysis. Still a concern though. They've had to self isolate, along with the rest of their 'bubble'. I don't know what that means; a group of students I think. 

What does this mean though? His family will have to follow suit, and hopefully all will obey this even though I'm sure it will be pretty devastating. Not least of all for the parents if they are working. Can they get tested? Can they get financial support? Do their bosses care? More importantly, how did they get infected? Am I at risk?

I cannot possibly know. All of this is so ambiguous. Schools are proving to be a vector right across the country, as the government warned. Is this the tip of a dangerous iceberg, or a necessary and bearable consequence of opening schools? Are we heading for a second lockdown? I fear that will be meaningless. Though the government will have the means to close businesses - who will have to follow suit, it will be difficult on an individual level to manage. Lots of people simply aren't going to pay attention. It's a lovely late Summer afternoon. Lots of people should be able to enjoy the beer gardens and the outdoors en masse. The problem is that is what they are doing!

This whole thing is a more frightening prospect this time around. There is no excuse, not htat it will matter. We cannot expect any better from our useless government as it deliberately buries head in the sand of illegality. We need better, unfortunately; we've seen how bad it can get. We don't need to attempt to break that record. But everyone is weary and wary; there will be an even weaker appetite for lockdown should a second national move be required. I fear it will, but I also fear it will come to that late, and for that reason I fear.

Even so, it is a beautiful Summer day. I love this time of year, particularly sans virus. Yet that reality butts heads with what I see: sunshine and people seemingly enjoying themselves. Calm before the storm...again?