#Coronavirus: A collared UK Government dumps satire

Progress of a sort

To suggest a sense of reason had finally prevailed on the UK Government’s handling of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic would be wishful at best, but it is still progress.

One could be deluded into thinking some quality of humanity however minuscule might have arrived in the corporeal embodiment of the anthropomorphic representative we identify as Boris Johnson, but would be reaching and clutching at straws for he has no capacity for principle or responsibility, even though he occupies high office.

However, the crazy ‘herd immunity’ aim that had been shot to smithereens over the weekend with one epidemiologist even thinking what he heard from the UK was satire rather than reality had changed to the health secretary insisting until he was red and blue in the face, that “The over-riding objective is to protect life.” [Telegraph]

Blog - Thought Picnic: The vulnerable to be martyred to the Coronavirus in the UK

Listen and act immediately

Whilst my government might well have been suitably chastised to suddenly be sounding the alarm to now begin self-isolation, social distancing, the avoidance of crowds, the creeping restriction of our liberties. The need to test has not gained enough importance and priority, especially for frontline staff that we have to sign petitions on why we cannot afford to leave medical staff in harm's way during a rampaging pandemic. Schools remain open too.

Change.org- Test frontline NHS staff for COVID-19 as a priority – Please sign.

The WHO Director-General is screaming from the mountain top, his compelling message if the audio-sensory organs of Downing Street can respond to the stimulus of sound, “You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected. We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test.” [WHO]

Just do more

Yet, the bombastic, blusterer characterising buffoonery to full comedic effect avers, “I have been comparing notes and talking to leaders around the world and I can tell you that the UK is now leading a growing global campaign amongst all our friends and allies.” I would have hurt myself as I fell out of bed with choking and derisive laughter. [GOV.UK]

We all know the UK Government is still not doing enough compared to our European partners, France announced strict measures whilst providing deep reaching economic support to many facets of the economy. Whilst we 'spaff' money up the wall on the folly of a Brexit of our own making amid a more critically difficult ravaging pandemic.

#COVID19france Leadership by #Macron👏🏾
☑️Total #lockdown/ #SocialDistancing
☑️Rents/Utility bills suspended
☑️No business at risk of bankruptcy
☑️No French Citizen will be without resources
☑️Tax/Social contribution postponed
☑️Solidarity fund by State for Unemployed#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/OH04hQ36UU

— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) March 16, 2020

I am probably not particularly comforted by the fact that I am also in the middle of job search whilst this is going on, the concerns about income and bills becoming a distraction. Still, this is an acknowledgement of the vulnerable with tough times ahead. As for Prof Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer of England, I wonder if the stress of looking for a way forward through this pandemic has had the effect of thinning his neck, his shirt collar seems to belong to a bigger friend. [BBC]

Thought Picnic: The vulnerable to be martyred to the Coronavirus in the UK

What is our government doing?

If anything, I do not want to be preoccupied with the rolling commentary about the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic which sometimes looks like we are have been informed of a distant earthquake whilst at the beach and before our eyes the tide ebbs away presaging the advent of a tsunami with no hills in sight to run to.

Therefore, if anything, I have been concerned about what the UK government is doing to ensure that the populace is neither overcome nor overwhelmed by the virus pandemic. For that reason, I switched my television to the news to listen to what the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson had in mind for us.

Blog - Opinion: Where they'll rather wash hands than show hands

This is as callous as it comes

Only yesterday, in the blog referenced above, I expressed my alarm of what the Prime Minister said, and I quote again, highlighting the salient points. “That’s where a lot of the debate has been and one of the theories is, that perhaps you could take it on the chin, take it all in one go and allow the disease, as it were, to move through the population, without taking as many draconian measures.”

Today, again, flanked by scientists, the words from the mouth of Boris Johnson were, “I must level with you, level with the British public, more families, and many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.”

The statements taken together informs a mindset, my government has decided they are ready to sacrifice a slice of the population to the onslaught of the Coronavirus for expediency sake without having to take draconian measures to arrest the spread of this pandemic as compared to the actions of other countries.

I take no comfort from this

The scientists presented charts and tried to explain away the thinking and wisdom behind the stance the government has taken, yet, it is important that we avoid being bewitched by fanciful and colourful charts to the point that we are inured to the reality that there are lives and people that make up the simple numbers of their projections.

I am no scientist, but as an individual and many of us in similar circumstances, if we are to be martyred to a cause of political expediency, we would at least what to be fully persuaded that all other ideas and options are exhausted before we are laid on the altar of the public good.

To make that case more pertinently, I fall into a vulnerable group as an immuno-suppressed cancer survivor, though just in my 50s. I am not comforted with hearing the Prime Minister suggest we first take a ravaging pandemic on the chin chancing on a survival wherein we might miraculously gain immunity whilst making a pre-emptive statement of comfort to our families and friends that the prospect our likely demise pertains if, by happenstance, we contract the Coronavirus.

We must demand more aggressive action

This soulless and heartless approach to the survival of the fittest with very little concern for the vulnerable except with weasel words and the surfeit of science to suggest effective action to save the many with the judicial murder of the few cannot be allowed to pass as the best the UK government can do.

For the majority, they might all be fine, but if in our comfort for being catered for, we are indifferent to those who need just as much or more succour, our broader cause called to the unity of purpose against this pandemic, would have lost the essence of its humanity. What the UK government is doing is not satisfactory, we need more to be done to protect the vulnerable too. There is no reason why anyone should die before their time just because the government mishandled the Coronavirus pandemic.