In 2020 there was an outbreak of 'flu. It started in China, and by March 2020 the WHO labelled it a pandemic.
The UK government's response was to restrict people's activities in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. These policies meant many people, myself included, were unable to go to work.
I decided I should spend some of my spare time writing this journal. There will be no theme to individual entries; just whatever I feel like writing. The images are (with a few obvious exceptions) taken within a half mile radius of our house.
- Details
We are ready to resume activities. Lock-down will be lifted at 12:01am on Wednesday 2 December. The date was quietly brought forward a day as some point which has caused confusion for some.
Sussex, like nearly half of Britain, is in "Tier 2". That means the pubs can not open (unless they are serving a substantial meal). Gyms, hairdressers and such can open. This is opposite to the situation in July when pubs could open but gyms had to remain closed.
The government's idea of a "substantial meal" is vague. It seems to include take-away and scotched eggs. Some bars have linked to the local McDonalds in order to stay open.
The government announced many rules can be ignored over the Christmas period. We do not feel that is sensible. We plan to spend Christmas at home on our own. We have put some Christmas decorations up; there are gutter lights, tree lights and our outdoor shelter has its own tree and lights.
- Details
One of the coaches in the gym has contracted the disease. That means there are 5 coaches and several gymnasts in isolation, waiting to see if they too have somehow managed to get it. So far, all of the others have negative tests. This has made me more determined to keep in my little bubble within the gym. I can be confident I have have not been near another coach and very few gymnasts.
The Leisure Centre is still relatively quiet. The car-park is rarely more than a third full.
Some pubs complain the rules are not fair. I have to say, I do not see why a restaurant can open, but a pub (not serving a proper meal) can not.
The UK has begin to administer a vaccine. I don't know how long it will take to get enough people vaccinated to allow us to relax the rules, but it will be a few months.
We placed a Christmas tree in our outdoor shelter. The red lights serve to make us feel warmer.
- Details
Things are getting worse. A more infectious strain of the virus has appeared in Britain, particularly in the South-east.
On Thursday the government announced parts of London and the Home Counties were to be elevated to Tier 3 from Saturday. On Saturday there was another announcement; London and many of the surrounding counties were placed in the newly created "tier 4". The restrictions in these areas are similar to the previous lockdown, non-essential services and shops must close. For the moment, Sussex is in Tier 2, but we are all but surrounded by areas in Tier 4.
The government reduced the relaxation on restrictions for Christmas, along with advice that we shouldn't relax at all. These relaxations were always a stupid idea anyway, we will stay away from our family for a while.
Many countries have banned people from entering from U.K. That has meant some Europeans currently in UK here can not get home.
They have begun to distribute the vaccine. We still don't know how long it will take to vaccinate enough of the population to make it effective.
Christmas is coming. There are a few areas with mass Christmas decorations put out to raise money for Food Banks. The number of people without enough food to eat is rising. We must not forget how lucky we are.
We went to the beach to watch the solstice sunrise this morning. It was predictably wet and overcast; no chance of seeing the sun. The date reminds me that restrictions started near the Spring equinox. We have been dealing with this for over 9 months.