National Emergency

The Prime Minister essentially put the country in lock down yesterday referring, at the end of his 8.30pm message, to a moment of national emergency. We are allowed to go out for essentials such as food as infrequently as possible, for exercise once a day, for medical needs and travelling to work if this is essential and can't be done at home. There are to be no public gatherings of more than two people excluding those that we live with, and all social events including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies - excluding funerals - are all banned.

It's a pretty strange state of affairs that's for sure. Yesterday afternoon there were 6,650 known cases of Covid-19 of which 335 people had died, today's figures had gone up to 8,077 cases with 422 deaths. Understandably the news about it is everywhere, TV, online, press and social media are awash with messages and stories and opinion, the Government even sent a text message to everyone today, it's quite overwhelming at times.

I find watching the news stressful and then, like this morning, every little cough or tickle of the throat, I think is the beginning of the virus. And of course because we went out on Friday night, and Chris went out on Sunday, we're still within the incubation period. I have to rationalise as best I can by saying that the risk is still relatively low and if I do get it, for most people, it's a mild illness. But those figures are sobering, especially when you look at the rate of change day by day.

Mary, our elderly neighbour, seems not to have any awareness of the situation. She's been out to the shops twice today as far as I have seen. I've asked Chris to send a text message to her sons who seem to be absent.

We're planning an online get together with the six of us that were due to go to the Lake District this weekend which should be fun. These online video link services are proving incredibly valuable already.