Coronavirus: the view from Holdingham Sleaford

Local Picture (as at 12 May 2020)

Walking along Holdingham Lane and round the pathway was pleasant in the Spring Sunshine today (6 May). We met several couples and we all observed the distance recommendations. Our regulatory daily outing if we have understood the rules (a bit vague). Very quiet in Holdingham on 7 May but traffic on the Lincoln Road was brisk around midday and some speeding apparent. 

View towards McDonalds (closed)

Farm Bridge towards Leadingham (quiet)

Holdingham Lane

Farm Bridge towards Roundabout

The Lincolnshire Live still shows concerns about Police interpretation of the rules. Our Care Homes as sources of transmission still occur.
 https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/

Broader Picture

There are several issues that keep appearing and involving: Local, National  and International Politics.
These are shown below:

Local Government Meetings (off-line) 
Latest Political Statements: 
Pandemic: where did it start?

Summary 12 May 2020
The wider picture is still blurred and a promise of a new blueprint from the PM starting Monday 11 May 2020.  Nationally the UK death rates seems to be topping the WHO (World Health Organisation) league tables for Europe but whether or not the comparisons are a fair reflection is hard to determine.

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Local Council Meetings Using ZOOM software. 

Adaptating to the Coronavirus and the need for distant (off-line meetings) has led to the Local Council adopting  such - using ZOOM software. There are pitfalls: here is a summary of what has to happen if Councils want to go ahead. Councils if they wish can also not meet until they have the facilities.  

The government has issued supplementary regulations that allow for meetings to be held online and also provides for postponement of annual meetings and such like. They are found at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/392/contents/made

By and large, the old rules can still apply. That is to say meetings according to an agreed schedule go ahead as planned, with the clerk issuing the agenda and supporting documents. 

Clearly these will need to include details of how to join the online meetings. As others have mentioned, there is also the power for the chairman or two councillors to call an extraordinary meeting.

It should be feasible for all councillors to attend an online meeting, and to open it to the press and public. While it may be that not everyone will be able to set up a computer, smartphone or tablet to join a meeting, most systems also provide for participation entirely by telephone. There must be very few people who cannot gain access to either a telephone or a digital device. It is then up to the chairman to find ways to ensure that every council member is able to participate in the meeting and to vote.

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Latest Ministerial and Political Statements

The Prime-Ministers  Statement of 10 May 2020 is here: PM Statement
The Leader of the Opposition response 11 May is here: Keir Starmer

Pandemic: when and where did it start?

The reasons for the Pandemic taking hold are also up for grabs. When did it start, and how,  are being hotly debated. So there is the official timeline from WHO and the other (amongst many) suggest an earlier start then the WHO one. 

Did it start and spread from a Wuhan Wet Market or in the Laboratory (also nearby)? Or both - if that is possible! Whichever it seems that it leaked out (most likely by Humans) and to the rest of the World. Hopefully, a Vaccine can be found and quickly. 

Here is a view (amended preview)  from a study published in Private-Eye which suggests an earlier start than WHO. 

Extract and precis Private-Eye): The first case occurred in Wuhan on 17 November 2019. China took until December 8th to confirm it officially. (Note: Wuhan is a very busy National and International Travel Hub: trains, planes, lorries, cars, and Shipping). China did not (as far as we can tell) accept human to human transmission until 21 January 2020).  On 23rd January Wuhan was put on public lockdown. Followed by Hubai (State which contains Wuhan). 

Already by then however 17 Passenger Flights had left Wuhan to the UK: and 614 flights from the whole of China. No one was checked on arrival.  

On 19 February there were 2 deaths in Iran and one in Italy, Many flights were coming in from and leaving the UK from both Countries unchecked and thousands were travelling from the UK for holidays and Skiing in Italy. |The Northern Italian outbreak suddenly mushroomed. The UK Government "threw in the towel" on virus suppression. The German reacted earlier and closed down widely. (However, they are now able to start reopening (Schools and Businesses). 

The UK is stuck with herd immunity. (Herd Immunity =  Herd immunity happens when so many people in a community become immune to an infectious disease that it stops the disease from spreading.

Comparison with the Official WHO site can be seen from this WHO address giving daily figures (Country by Country).

Hopefully, Vaccine will be developed but news blows hot and cold on the likelihood. At the moment optimism seems to apply. Daily Mail report.