22nd June 2020

A further 324 people have died of Covid-19 in the UK, bringing the total death toll to 39,369. According to a Public Health England report, people from Black and Asian ethnic groups are up to twice as likely to die from the virus as those from a White British background.

On Tuesday, as the country begins a new phase of easing lockdown measures, France reported a rise in deaths of 107, the first increase in 13 days. Meanwhile, New Zealand is expected to lift its remaining restrictions next week. If the country, which appears close to eliminating the virus domestically, moves to Alert Level One, social distancing measures and limits on gatherings will no longer apply, the prime minister announced on Tuesday.

I do wonder whether asymptomatic cases within the population, when given greater freedom, will unwittingly give the virus another opportunity, allowing Sauron’s necromancers to claim a few more souls.

Today is expected to be the last of this lengthy spell of fine weather. Making the most of the ideal conditions, Alice Thelma Price made her entrance into a rather unsettled world at 1:38 a.m. After undergoing a series of tests, both mum and baby were discharged late in the day, allowing Alice to spend her first night at home. I wonder how much sleep she will grant her parents?

Given how sensitive Mia’s ears are to the slightest unusual sound and how explosive her bark can be in the sleepy early hours, I think Lee and Sarah made a wise decision in sending her to the grandparents for a while.

Although the country is beginning to ease out of lockdown, I imagine the new parents will be understandably cautious about introducing Alice to friends and family for some time yet. For now, photographs and videos will have to suffice until the world feels a little more certain.

After a morning filled with phone calls to share the happy news, it was a routine day at Willow Bank, watering the garden and walking Mia. Sue picked up a newspaper as a keepsake to mark Alice’s arrival, while I spent a little more time working on the outdoor clock I’m making for Sarah.

03/06/20

The UK death toll from coronavirus has risen by 359 in the past 24 hours, to 39,728. Foreign travellers who disobey forthcoming UK quarantine rules coming into force on June 8 could be deported, according to new restrictions laid out by ministers. The plans will see people told to isolate for 14 days to prevent new cases being introduced from overseas. To my mind, a sensible move for those not already tested negative for coronavirus prior to entry and until the NHS Test and Trace programme is fully operational and proven to work.  I think it should be mandatory for all arrivals to show that they have the Covid-19 Tracker App activated for their stay in the UK. I would also expect that their temperature would have been checked prior to entering any airport terminal, and this would be stamped and dated onto their Coronavirus certificate. Of course, it would be an inconvenience, but if Sue and I check which vaccinations (if any) we need prior to visiting a foreign country and arrange to be inoculated before travelling, we do the same for any visas required and fill in the obligatory immigration card on the aircraft, indicating where we are staying. If you want to visit the UK during a pandemic, get a certificate from your GP that you have tested negative within 3 days of travelling and download the COVID-19 App. If you can’t do that, don’t come, we already have enough idiots of our own and the 2nd highest death rate in the world!

The promised change in the weather arrived. Ten degrees cooler and a day of constant light drizzle. The sort of rain that annoys, just ‘spits and spats’, making it mildly unpleasant to be outside and not enough to be useful to gardeners or farmers. I did manage to sow a short row of beetroot into the dust of the raised vegetable plot, in the hope that the rain would spur them into germination.

Having to towel-dry Mia after each “poo” walk quickly loses its novelty. After her late afternoon “long” walk through damp fields, she was treated to a full-blown bath, complete with body shampoo and a rub-down, a treatment that would cost a fortune at any five-star health spa. She did smell lovely afterwards, but I resisted the urge to do her nails or put ringlets in her tail.

Sue and I spent some time tackling a U3A quiz she’d been sent for amusement, managing all but one question before telephone calls and tea interrupted our thoughts.

As expected, Sarah and Lee had a restless first night with Alice. It’s only natural, new parents suddenly develop razor-sharp hearing, picking up on every tiny movement, breath, or cry with barely suppressed panic. They made a very sensible decision by sending Mia to the grandparents for a while; her beagle lookalike snores a lot!

In the afternoon, the midwife made her first visit. No doubt she was impressed by Alice’s nursery, which Sarah unveiled to the rest of the family on Messenger for the first time today. The next check-up will be at the clinic in Hinckley; no more home visits under lockdown.

4th June 2020

The UK’s coronavirus death toll has risen by 176 to 39,904. At last, Transport Secretary Grant

Shapps has confirmed that those using public transport will be compelled to wear a face mask as a condition of travel. Those without face coverings could be stopped from boarding trains and buses. Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 88 on Thursday, against 71 the day before.

No rain today, but it was chilly. For Mia’s third walk of the day, Sue joined us on a ‘long march’ to Braybrooke and back.

It was also Sarah, Lee, and Alice’s first outing. Sarah’s car needed an MOT, so a trip to the garage was necessary, not much of an adventure, but a milestone for Alice nonetheless.

Jamie had an appointment in Leicester to see the specialist about his knee and undergo an MRI scan. Now, it’s a waiting game for the results, though with the backlog of cases caused by the pandemic, it could be quite some time before he hears anything.