Monday 13 July
Day 119
Beauticians, nail salons, tattoo parlours can open from today.
Had a quick chat with the schoolies. Chris had been out for a meal, Janice spent an overnight in a hotel, several had their hair done - we're starting to slowly venture out!
Made Monday club tea - on Monday! Chicken pie, meatballs and for dessert a DIY s'mores kit.
Luca wasn't sure about marshmallows - and Luisa wasn't sure how to make s'mores 🤣
Ema and co managed better.
Dropped off the meal at Luisa's and Luca once again looked right past me, spotted Mike and yelped his appreciation for 'gandahhh'. Same when we left, not bothered about me going but ready to leg it after Mike. Very funny! 🤣
Looks like masks will be mandatory here in shops after all - as in Scotland, but not Wales yet. Seems like masks can help with air spread droplets.
Care home workers will not be eligible for the new work visa as they are not on the list! So foreign staff who are poorly paid, will not be able to work in the UK as they are not 'skilled' enough. Government looking to recruit home grown workers.
Deaths today 21. Total 44,819.
Big rise in cv cases in Blackburn and partial lockdown imposed for the next month
Tuesday 14 July
Day 120
A second wave of cv may mean 120,000 deaths if R rate rises to 1.5.
UK 138 deaths.
Trip to Gordon Riggs and a ride to Hebden Bridge - and first pint for Mike outside a pub in light drizzle 🤣 Short walk along the canal.
Masks compulsory in shops from 24 July.
Wednesday 15 July
Day 121
£4bn cut in VAT across hospitality sector announced but not all of it will be passed to customers.
Blackburn and Darwen need to limit visitors to 2 per house, not shake hands and wear masks to get their R rate down.
Pendle infection rate is also up and measures to control it will be announced.
85 deaths. 45,053 total but the rolling average continues to fall.
Thursday 16 July
Day 122
Russia tried to hack into research info on the Oxford vaccine.
Tarmac finished on the back lane entrance and road levelled at our end.
66 deaths in UK. Total 45,119.
Average 74 deaths each day last week.
Ready next week to relax some of the restrictions imposed on Leicester.
Nearly 650,000 lost jobs between March and June.
Friday 17 July
Day 123
Government will update new guidelines on 1 August
118 deaths.
Trial of saliva testing in Southampton.
Saturday 18 July
Day 124
Over to Retford for a surprise visit for Julie's 60th birthday. Lovely to have all the sisters together for the first time since 5 February.
Boris said he hoped normality would be restored by the end of the year. Health experts say it cannot be restored until a vaccine is found.
Power devolved to local areas to control any spikes in cv.
Covid statistics may have been skewed and misreported.
Great quiz. Theme was obviously party hats!
Sunday 19 July
Day 125
Booked an early afternoon meal at Holcombe Tap and Luisa came with Luca. Used our Christmas voucher. Lovely tapas!
Then Luisa, Luca, Ema and JP came round for tea and cake. Luca was good as gold and thrilled to see his toys again.
Age related cv risk.
Monday 20 July
Day 126
No schoolie chat this week.
Blackburn now has a higher cv rate than Leicester. Given one week to control it before a lockdown. Clusters too in France.
Monday club tea provided by Luisa - Spanish theme. Yum.
Told that the Oxford vaccine looks promising with good results from trials.
Now making masks for the family but no elastic to be had in the shops!
11 UK deaths. Total of 45,312.
Tuesday 21 July
Day 127
Report of Russian interference was not taken seriously by the government.
Pay rise for public sector but not nurses who are in a three year pay cycle.
110 UK deaths.
Saw a deer run past us on the Lines today.
Quiet day - bit of gardening.
Wednesday 22 July
Day 128
Day out with Sue at Tatton Park - met halfway between us. Lovely to see her - did more talking than walking 🤣
79 deaths. 45,501 total.
Thursday 23 July
Day 129
Still waiting for the promised good weather. Not happening!
Went for a damp walk along the Lines.
Scotland has taken a slower approach to coming out of lockdown and this has proved more popular than the Boris model.
Test and trace falling short with under 4 out of 5 being traced. Needs to be over 80% to be effective - paying the price now for the initial stop/start approach.
Blackburn and Darwen now designated as an area of intervention. Now highest rate of infection - going in wrong direction.
Hyndburn, Rochdale and Oldham numbers still rising.
Risk of no trade deal with Brexit. Deadlock over fishing and competition rules.
53 deaths.
Neowise closest to earth today but cloudy skies here once again. Tried to see it several times but no luck.
Friday 24 July
Day 130
Masks to be worn in shops - though several of the larger supermarkets said that they wouldn't enforce or ask to see medical reasons if they weren't worn. Rather defeats the object 🙄 Usual half hearted instruction with no proper follow through by the government.
Masks needed if buying takeaway - though not if you are eating it inside.
Police say that they don't have the time to be 'mask monitors'.
Went to Yorkshire Sculpture Park for a walk and a picnic as this was the one day of good weather - only to find it was still closed!
So we went to the Marsden Estate nearby and had a great picnic and wander. Really lovely area with loads to see - and only 30 miles from home.
Lessons to be learned after cv says Boris. Things could have been handled differently, response was too slow and lockdown was perhaps too late. No shit Sherlock 😫
Flu jabs to be offered to more people this year in order to protect more in case of a second spike. 30m in total. Ambitious plan.
Big shift towards online shopping has resulted in many shop closures. These are predicted to be permanent changes.
Ban on junk food adverts after 9pm from next week as Boris says obesity is a factor in cv.
UK has second fattest population in Europe.
Tokyo Olympics should have started today. Postponed until next year.
Day 131
74 deaths. 46,193 total.
Luisa bought Monday club tea round - early this week! Chicken two ways. Delicious! Her helper was asleep.
21 deaths. Total 46,526
Aunt Margaret home. Further treatment soon.
Gyms reopened.
The whole of Cataluña closed leisure facilities in the evenings as well as other strict measures during the day after a huge cv spike. The region had half the country's new cv cases.
Spoke to Maria Isabel - tía now bedridden, incontinent and dementia getting worse. So sad - my strong, feisty Spanish auntie of over 40 years.
Miguel back from Spain - just before 14 day quarantine was introduced again when coming back to the UK. Out for breakfast. Luca loves his mask!
Finished masks for sisters.
Family quiz. James Bond theme.
62 deaths. 45,738 total.
Covid references in Corrie now.
Sunday 26 July
Day 132
Made carrot cake, coffee and walnut cake, scones and black pudding sausage rolls.
Girls round for a socially distanced chat in the yard. Had to decamp into the conservatory when it started to rain. Lovely to see them all.
Flights already being cancelled to Spain.
Already confusion and disruption with flights and holidays as 14 day quarantine was imposed from midnight. An awkward situation for those already out in holiday who will need to quarantine on their return.
Decision defended by the government saying it had to act though several MPs said it was shambolic.
Monday 27 July
Day 133
Huge backlash from Spain and travellers over UK quarantine. All expected to self police their isolation so noone checking on it anyway and no SSP for them. Relying on employers to be understanding!
Went to Burnley for fabric. Had to queue outside at the shop in wind and rain but not for long - and good procedures inside even though it has narrow walk ways.
Monday club tea made by Lola. Delicious tacos!
7 UK deaths. Total 45,759.
64 average deaths daily.
Only essential travel to Spain now advised by the Foreign Office.
Tuesday 28 July
Day 134
Boris still defending his quarantine decision - says parts of Europe are already showing signs of a second wave.
Oldham now 3rd highest in country for cv cases. Restrictions put in place.
119 deaths.
Lots of face masks made today.
New cycling strategy to combat obesity. More cycle lanes, bike vouchers.
Wednesday 29 July
Day 135
Day out to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Fabulous exhibitions by Joana Casconcelos and Damien Hirst.
Pressure from Spain to allow travel to the islands.
83 deaths. Infection rate down in UK.
Thursday 30 July
Day 136
UK self isolation period to go up from 7 to 10 days for those testing positive.
Afternoon tea at the Aurora centre for cancer support - with sisters. Lovely.
ONS study said England had the highest level of excess mortality in Europe 24 February to 14 June.
Jet2 told travellers to Spain that they would need to curtail their holidays and get flights back with them before 3 August or make their own arrangements.
Local lockdown imposed in Greater Manchester - no families allowed to meet up.
Friday 31 July
Day 137
Hottest day of the year. Temperatures up to 39 degrees. Third hottest day on record.
Hair cut. Yay!
Pretty accurate until today 🤣
Relaxation measures planned for tomorrow now cancelled. Bowling alleys, beauty salons (involving the face) etc now cannot open.
Masks to be worn in cinemas, galleries, museums, churches.
Cv restrictions in Manchester etc put in place as confirmed cases are rising again. Muslims not happy that this has happened at the start of Eid. People are happy with the rulings but not how they are being/have been introduced.
120 deaths.
Saturday 1 August
Day 138
Mexico now has the third highest cv death rate in the world and Belgium has the highest mortality rate in Europe. Spain has 10 times the rate of cases that it had in June.
End of shielding.
Luca out for a bike ride with Miguel - he loves his new seat!
The 6 month MOT exemption finished and from today employers have to pay contributions towards furlough monies.
Cakes made for Luisa to deliver for the drop in regulars.
Retford has third highest rate of cv in Bassetlaw.
Pubs and restaurants may have to close when schools reopen - in order to avoid another spike in cv.
Luca loved his bike seat and his trip to Sea World. But what he loved most was the escalator.. 🤣
Family zoom quiz - set by Luisa with a holiday theme.
Sunday 2 August
Day 139
State of disaster declared in the state of Victoria in Australia because of huge increase in infections. Strict social distancing measured announced.
In Greater Manchester...
On Sunday, a major incident was declared, giving authorities the power to close public parks, pubs and specific places of work if there is deemed to be a ‘serious and imminent threat to public health’ from Covid-19.
Luisa went on a bike ride.
Plants rescued from the front garden after the hedge was removed and it was readied for a new railing.
Third day of record numbers of over 50,000 daily cases in India.
Teacher's Unions called for clarity over school reopenings and government said all lockdowns will be regional.
8 deaths in UK. 46,201 total.
Richard taken to hospital for kidney stones.
Monday 3 August
Day 140
Made McGags for Monday club tea.
Luca managed to eat a couple of chicken nuggets before Callum got them. And he enjoyed his milkshake.
Richard back out of hospital. Kidney stone.
Met up with Luisa and Faith (though we shouldn't have!) to sort out the logistics for the old school afternoon tea which obviously has to be takeaway this year.
9 UK deaths. 46,210 total. Number of cases still on the increase.
Covid cases have increased in 7 out of 10 boroughs in Manchester.
Tuesday 4 August
Day 141
Railings put on the front wall after the hedge was taken out and the central border replaced at the weekend.
Went to the Chinese restaurant in Totty to 'Eat out to Help out'. £38 meal was half price. Quite busy so lots of people doing the same thing.
Pizza Express and Currys PC World closing branches with more job losses.
Huge explosion of 2750 tonnes of badly stored ammonium nitrate in Beirut.
Wednesday 5 August
Day 142
Aberdeen in lockdown after spike in cv cases
Walked to Ramsbottom to Tre Ciccio for 'Eat out to Help out' meal.
65 UK deaths. 46,364 total.
New legislation out today to enforce guidelines for Greater Manchester.
Thursday 6 August
Day 143
The four-week summary in Bury:
Week ending 1 August: infection rate 20.0 (38 cases)
Week ending 25 July: infection rate 11.5 (22 cases)
Week ending 18 July: infection rate 9.9 (19 cases)
Week ending 11 July: infection rate 3.6 (7 cases)
Neighbourhood breakdown in Bury (week ending 1 Aug):
North: infection rate 9.3 (4 cases)
East: infection rate 41.1 (15 cases)
West: infection rate 13.2 (6 cases)
Whitefield: infection rate 26.6 (8 cases)
Prestwich: infection rate 14.2 (5 cases)
49 UK deaths. 46,413 total.
Walk up Holcombe Hill - hot and humid but very overcast.
Made rhubarb and vanilla jam.
Friday 7 August
Day 144
Walked into Bury. Was going to stop for brunch but not too happy about everyone wandering about as though things were back to normal so we more or less turned straight round and came home. Another hot, humid and overcast day so we were shattered by the time we got back.
Cv restrictions applied in Preston as rates rose.
Saturday 8 August
Day 145
Protests in Beirut against the politicians after 160 deaths on Tuesday. PM has acknowledged the anger but taken no responsibility.
Went to Liverpool to see the Linda McCartney retrospective.
Then a walk along the dock side in the sunshine.
55 deaths. 46,566 total.
Masks now mandatory in cinemas, museums etc. But not at the exhibition we went to today! Not being policed at all - bit of a 'What can I do?' attitude when we asked as we went in. About 50% wearing them in the exhibition.
Had to walk through a shopping centre to exit the parking in Liverpool. Only about 10% wearing masks there!
Family quiz in the evening. Theme was masks and I set the questions. Mostly picture questions and Thomas and Christie won. Total reversal of positions this week!
Sunday 9 August
Day 146
Aunt Margaret back in hospital after more gall bladder pain. Ok now.
Bike ride.
Tomatoes doing really well - huge bush from one little £1.50 plant. They just need to ripen now.
Boris is told by scientists that he will need weekly testing for teachers and students if they go back to school. He says there is a 'moral duty' to get them back.
Our first three holidays once lockdown has ended.. Uzbekistan, Australia, Japan. Too many dreams and too many holiday programmes 😂
8 UK deaths. 46,574 total.
Back to over 1,000 cases today - first time at this level since June.
Over 100,000 deaths in Mexico now.
Monday 10 August
Day 147
Another (socially distanced) 'Eat out to Help out' lunch - at the Vic with Luisa, Miguel and Luca. Very hot and humid. Luca made a new friend 😂
Warm evening - waiting for the thunderstorms to cool things down. Bought a couple of outside chairs.
Tuesday 11 August
Day 148
Huge lightening storm overnight and a little rain but no thunder. Missed it all.
Went to have breakfast out but both places we walked to were shut. Went to Holcombe Tap for an evening meal instead after Al Bosco was full.
Baking for the Afternoon Tea deliveries tomorrow. Heart scones tasted great but looked messy so did them again - and gave a load to the bin men who just happened to be emptying the bins at the time. They were very happy! 🤣
Cup cakes were fine but difficult to ice in the paper cases.
Luca cooling off 😁
Russian president has approved (and injected!) an untrialled cv vaccine 🙄
Wednesday 12 August
Day 149
Met at the old school (socially distanced but against Greater Manchester guidelines - but couldn't do it any other way!) to assemble the afternoon tea boxes from the various components.
77 deaths.
England changed the way it recorded cv deaths to bring it in line with the rest of the UK. Moving to the 28 day measure means that numbers have 'fallen'.
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