It may surprise some that with the easing of the lockdown restrictions in England, I have of my own volition gone into self-imposed shielding. Besides attending church on Sunday in a properly socially distanced seating arrangement, I was out in our neighbourly courtyard for half a glass of wine the same evening and since then sequestered at home.
Obviously, I met a
stranger, the Uber driver who brought over my catering order after a seemingly
histrionic falling out with the Nigerian catering whose impeccable African
timing was as infuriating as it left me seething, that I told her, we would do
no more business together if she could not sort her customer service out. She
might have been saved by the tastiness of the food also attested to by my Irish
friend and the friend who recommended her.
It’s still dangerous
out there
My Irish friend paid
a visit to partake of the bountiful largesse that I feared I might not have
enough space to put away. Even that visit left me partly terrified as he has
been socially active in parks and at home, that my main extended contact with
anyone has been him at my home. I cannot say I have been wise about this
situation.
The more we learnt
about the Coronavirus, the more one is certain that you don’t want it and the
vaunted immune response after you survive it is no guarantee of the return to
status quo ante of health or wellbeing. [GAVI:
The Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19]
Are you still listening?
Then after the
parliamentary committee appearance of the Chief Scientific Officer, Sir Patrick
Vallance yesterday with the clear indication that the government was following
anything but the science, wisdom and knowledge are a defence in these uncertain
times where governmental hubris far exceeds the ability to appreciate how
COVID-19 unnecessarily and avoidably cut a swathe through our populations. A
lockdown a week earlier could have saved a considerable number of lives. [City
A.M.: Sir Patrick Vallance: UK coronavirus response has not achieved a good
outcome]
Instead, at the Prime
Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Boris Johnson was in the full loss of his
humanity, empathy, compassion, and awareness, with a tasteless joke on Calvin Klein briefs
in what could only have been peak sociopathy. Proving the point, I have never
deviated from that his life-threatening encounter with the Coronavirus has done
nothing to mollify character or personality. He never had the capacity, a change of
heart would hardly come with a heart or full organ transplant too. [Independent:
Boris Johnson accused of lacking compassion for coronavirus victims after
making 'Calvin Klein briefs' joke]
My lion games are
tame
Today, he announced an
extended timetable of easing lockdown restrictions and I have not bothered to
check on the detail. I last watched television news over a month ago. Twitter
and radio seep the news into my purview. My most pertinent question is, “Who in
the UK is still listening to Boris Johnson for pandemic guidance or advice?” [BBC News: Coronavirus: Boris Johnson
statement fact-checked]
You are a braver
person than when it crossed my mind that I could tickle the tonsils of a wild
lion with my head and come to no harm. Those scratching their itching noses
with the gaping fangs of a recently killed black mamba are fidget spinning and in
no danger. I scoff.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are accepted if in context are polite and hopefully without expletives and should show a name, anonymous, would not do. Thanks.