On the 5th May 2020, the UK took on the sad crown of 2nd highest deaths from coronavirus in the world. 6th of May we have the 3rd highest spike of new cases in the UK since this started.
Is it strange that the two leaders of the countries with the highest deaths or is it a sad indictment of their complacency and failure to act? With literally more data to hand than most other countries? The evidence was there, all the had to do was prepare for it. Did they? Sadly no not quickly enough, they were severely lacking in their response and even in their belief that COVID-19 was a threat. Comments like "its a hoax" and "I shake hands with everyone" are the evidence of their belief in the threat.
Now some will say, and even Johnson said it today you cant compare countries, well yes I'm going to agree with that. The UK has a population density far higher than most other comparable countries. Which is the reason we needed to move sooner.
I covered population density here
Has Sweden Found The Right Route in a blog about Sweden and its herd immunity route
UK population density per Mi2 = 710
Germany population density per Mi2 = 603
Italy population density per Mi2 = 518
China population density per Mi2 = 377
France population density per Mi2 = 319
Spain population density per Mi2 = 241
USA population density per Mi2 = 87
Brazil population density per Mi2 = 64
Sweden population density per Mi2 = 60
Knowing that we had a much higher population density, there is no question that the Government should have implemented the stay at home policy earlier than others and not waited. Had they done that 2 weeks earlier, we might even be coming out the other side of it now. I guess in their defence people wanted coffins to be convinced but Johnson didn't help that with conflicting information.
I'm still shaking my head at the governments herd immunity path they initially followed and don't forget they had all the figures to hand. Yet they were still going for that scenario, unbelievable.
Herd immunity in Sweden is a possibility and seems to be working but it's understandable with a population density of just 60 per Mi2 and they have got it wrong with many care home deaths. Herd immunity in the UK was never going to be a possibility with a population density of 710 per Mi2. Nearly 12 times that of Sweden.
It seems now that having been late to initiate stay at home, Johnson is now making noises about relaxing measures. In my opinion, this is far too early we've just become 2nd place in the world for deaths.
As if to serve as a warning we've had the 3rd highest spike (6,111) in new cases today the 6th May 2020, since this started. 2nd highest was 6,201 on 1st May 2020 and the biggest spike was 8,681 back on 10 April 2020.
Johnson has proved to be a likeable, bumbling, schoolboy character and people have voted for him.
Unfortunately, that don't cut it, it doesn't cover the incompetence, the incongruent comments in briefings to the country. The lies, the misinformation this government has made and continues to make.
I covered the
Incompetent brothers Johnson and Trump here
The 100,000 test is a good point in question, why lie? Why not say we set an ambitious target and we missed it but we are carrying on improving until we hit it. Why send out thousands of test kits to random people that never asked for them and include them in the 100,000 figure. THEY WERN'T TESTED.
Some will say this is not the time to be holding the Government to account. I say its more imperative that we hold the government to account now because if we let them carry on making the mistakes they are it could have fatal ramifications for some of us and no one knows who.
But it could be you.
Would you really let a driver of a bus, drive over a cliff edge without doing something to stop him?
#nomorelies
#nomoremisinformation
