5th June 2020

The death toll in the UK has surpassed 40,000, with the Department of Health announcing 357 new Covid-19 deaths across hospitals, care homes, and the wider community on Thursday. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Health Ministry reported that confirmed cases in the country have exceeded 600,000, with 1,437 deaths recorded within 24 hours. With its official death toll now surpassing 34,000, the pandemic has claimed more lives in Brazil than in any country except the United States and the United Kingdom.

It was a cold and dry day in Harborough, while Sarah and her family endured heavy rain and thunderstorms in Newbold Verdon. In Rothwell, Charlotte and her family experienced hailstones.

Here, in between taking Mia for walks, I managed to transplant a row of lettuce and a tree. When the postman arrived late in the morning, he delivered the apricot tree I had ordered way back in March, an order I had only cancelled last week out of frustration at the delay! After lunch, I dug a hole where the Victoria plum had mysteriously died and planted the apricot tree in its place. It looks to be in excellent condition, so I have decided to keep it. However, I now have the dilemma of what to do with the replacement I rashly ordered from another nursery, only to learn that it, too, has been delayed!

Today, I completed my clock-making project. I decided to make it a surprise for Sarah and Lee by incorporating Alice’s name into the dial. I plan to give it to them when Mia is picked up on Saturday (tomorrow). I think I’ve done a rather good job, and hopefully, it will last long enough for our little granddaughter to learn to read the time herself.

6th June 2020
The number of people in the UK who have died after testing positive for coronavirus has risen by 204. Across the country, tens of thousands joined ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests, calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality, despite government warnings to stay at home.

I have mixed feelings on the matter. Clearly, Martin Luther King’s dream is still far from being realised in what is currently a dysfunctional USA. However, to ignore the pandemic that continues to ravage humanity, claiming over 400,000 lives worldwide, seems reckless. There are serious medical consequences to protesting in the current situation. This virus does not allow us to ‘live to fight another day’; meeting in large groups threatens to undo the efforts of those who are trying to survive this crisis. It is a dilemma that seems impossible to resolve in the present climate. I fear there will be no winners—except, perhaps, Mr. Covid, unless the protesters exercise both sense and patience.

It was a day of heavy showers and a chilly breeze, perfect for my thirsty potatoes, onions, and fruit bushes, which had been deprived of April showers and had seen no rain at all in May. I could almost hear their voracious underground slurping of this precious, heaven-sent liquid.

Today, we lost Mia. Lee arrived mid-morning to take her home to see Alice. I have a feeling that, between the two of them, Sarah and Lee are going to have their hands full juggling baby feeds and dog walks. Sarah loved the homemade clock.

That evening, we watched a film based on the life of atheist and activist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, who founded American Atheists and was instrumental in the Supreme Court ruling that removed mandatory prayer from public schools. The film explores her rise to prominence, the enemies she made, and the shocking circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Shortly after Lee left, Jamie, Ruth, and Joey dropped by briefly on their way to the Peak District to shake off a bit of lockdown fever. Despite the inclement weather, they seemed to have had an energetic day clambering in and out of the Thor Cave system.

Today, while Sue did some lockdown shopping for Linda and Paddy, then picked up a cross-stitch pattern from Doreen to complete (when she has time), I read an interesting online article: a UK start-up is set to raise £5 million to meet growing demand for its software, which turns video cameras into COVID-19 health monitors. Oxehealth’s programme detects pulse and breathing rates from a distance, helping to keep care home and mental health trust staff safer.

Like a growing number of households, we have cameras around the home for security and communication. I imagine that the Google Nest Hub Max in the lounge would be an ideal candidate for such a task, though I’m not sure I’d welcome the intrusion. While the idea of constant health monitoring has its advantages, it also makes me uneasy, particularly as it could become a cheap and popular alternative to a visit from the doctor. Is this the future?

 

7th June 2020

The UK death toll from coronavirus has risen by 77 to 40,542, the lowest daily increase since lockdown began on 23 March. Global cases neared 7 million on Saturday, with numbers surging in Brazil and India. The Brazilian government has stopped releasing its total numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, wiping an official site clean of data. The move, ordered by far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, was met with widespread outrage in Brazil, where deaths have now surpassed Italy’s, and cases exceed those of Russia and the UK. I’m surprised Donald Trump hasn’t tried the same tactic to downplay the pandemic; they seem to have a lot in common, particularly their mistrust of science.

It’s been a miserable day in Harborough, cloudy, damp, and chilly. The highlight of my day was watching the 1966 World Cup Final on Channel 4. At the time, Sue was 12 years old, on an athletics trip, and listened to the match on the coach’s radio. I was 13 and on holiday with my parents in Bridlington, where I caught glimpses of the game on a TV in the window of an electrical retailer. Today was the first time I had seen this remarkable, and sadly unique, match in its entirety. It was wonderful; I managed to lose myself in the drama of the occasion. It’s almost on a level with England winning the Rugby World Cup in 2003, nearly.

Suraj took a photo from the bedroom window last night. He spotted a green light in the field, just visible in the centre of the image. Evidence of an alien visitation? Or perhaps a stray piece of the Dragon capsule landing in Rothwell? Maybe a case for Mulder and Scully? In reality, it’s probably something quite mundane, but it made for some entertaining speculation on Family Messenger.