Sunnypad wrote:XFool
I keep an eye on the data and the law
So at present we have about 0.016% of the country testing positive
That's a major increase in the last couple of weeks.
In my local postcode, we have 7 cases which is a 250% increase on last week.
For myself, I don't keep that close an eye on the data.
Sunnypad wrote:I did hear the vicar say "no one is safe till the whole world is vaccinated" which I thought was unfortunate. There are elderly members if the congregation who won't hug their grandkids now.
Sunnypad
I think everything needs to be interpreted correctly and it helps to understand the context. It seems to me that what the vicar said is reasonable (it has been repeated often enough in the public media), but perhaps some are taking it a bit too literally? To me a remark like that sounds as if it is advocating for the generosity of rich countries towards poorer countries in relation to distributing the vaccines - while pointing out that this is actually in our own interests as well. This interpretation sounds to me like what I would expect from a vicar! Perhaps some of his flock take it too literally and feel he is merely frightening them? Why would he do that?
Sunnypad wrote:I'm in a quandary at the moment because I see the insanity of the conspiracy groups but frankly I see insanity in the acceptable line as well.
I am glad you too see "
the insanity of the conspiracy groups" - I find it frankly stunning, what it reveals about our fellow men (usually more than women). Who knew?
Then there is all the politically motivated comment, opinions and 'thinking' in the media. Don't get me started...
The virus, the pandemic, is a natural phenomenon in the real world. Viruses don't do politics! Political opinions and ideologically driven beliefs are worthless in the face of physical reality. Physical reality doesn't do politics. I am sure you remember, as I do, that tale from our childhood of a wise king from antiquity who reputedly demonstrated to his sycophantic flatterers that even a king could not order the natural world to obey his commands. Still less a mere prime minister.
Sunnypad wrote: And one group will provide practical support (they have already) and one group will not.
I am not sure what you are referring to here.
Sunnypad wrote: There must be some sane "middle way" folk.
There is. Politics aside, I assume the government are trying to follow the best scientific advice available to them and that, IMO, is your "middle way". The media went overboard on "Freedom Day", but it was never a date that could be set by a prime minister. It was always an expectation, an aiming point, that could - if things worked out - be accomplished. But its realisation was always circumscribed by events in the real world, not by what people wanted.
We (and the pandemic) are on a trajectory. All these opinions we hear based on static pictures: "
This date; that date; look at this number now" are pretty meaningless. My take on it is that the whole thing is dynamic, it isn't about what this or that data says now. The science is always trying to look forward to predict where we and the virus are
going to be.
I keep hearing about "lockdown", but we haven't been in a real lockdown for some time now (some would even say "never"!). We are under various recommendations and restrictions, getting ever more relaxed over time (subject to you know what). Right now there continues to be a race between vaccination of the population and the spread of the virus and its mutations.
But we have vaccines and our trajectory is ultimately knowable in outline, if not known definitely and precisely in time.