Ice Life

Another icy morning and as I'm following the instruction to 'Stay Home', it had to be another ice photo. This is the ice on my car bonnet, I love the intricate patterns created. More pottering today, plus a lovely catch up over the phone with G.

Day 304 / Day 9 of Lockdown 3 (for my record only)
UK deaths up 1,564 (a new record but includes some old data) to 84,767 (revised basis), with 47,525 new cases,  36,489 patients in hospital (a new record), 3,496 on ventilation and 4,253 new admissions. 2.6m have now received their first dose. More have now died in the 2nd wave than in the 1st. Deaths in Italy pass 80,000. Just awful research results published today with 45% of ICU staff polled in June/July meeting the threshold for at least one of: PTSD; severe anxiety or depression; and problem drinking, with 1 in 8 saying they had experienced frequent thoughts of' 'being better off dead' or hurting themselves within the last two weeks. Another concerning new variant has been identified by Japan's Health Ministry in four travellers arriving on Jan 2nd from Brazil's Amazonas state. The PM says the UK is taking steps to keep this variant out of the country. He also said 24/7 vaccination centres would be rolled out as soon as we can (current limitation is supply), that the current restrictions are 'starting to show signs of some effect' and has said some free school meal parcels supplied are disgraceful and has committed to correcting the issue. AZ says it expects to release two million doses a week by mid-Feb, and that manufacture is a biological process that can't be accelerated. SKY News is reporting that care homes are being asked to take Covid patients straight from hospital without a recent test, within 90 days of a positive Covid test or the onset of symptoms. In Scotland new measures are being introduced: limiting click-and-collect services to essential shopping only; serving takeaways through a hatch/doorway only; all that worked from home the first time should do so again; working within homes ltd to essential upkeep, maintenance or functioning of the home; Scots to leave home only for essential purposes and not stay out afterwards.  Some users of android phones are reporting that the NHS Covid-19 app has stopped working.