Squashing The Sombrero

 Would you choose this man as national leader in an emergency?

 Only if This Man was the alternative.

Although not a fan of Boris, I often admire his penchant for colourful language. Yesterday, Friday 13th he described the UK Government’s plan of action for coping with Covid 19 as Squashing the Sombrero to explain intentions to flatten the curve of the graph of sufferers so that it might delay and spread out the rate of infections over several months to help the NHS cope with the volume of demand. The phrase, ‘herd immunity’ has been bandied about but I think that can only be achieved, normally, when [depending on the illness] between 60% and 95% of the population has been vaccinated. But as there is, as yet, no vaccine available, herd immunity can only be achieved, presumably, by letting the Coronavirus rampage through the population with an attendant frightening numbers of deaths, especially among the frail and elderly. Not sure if this assumption is totally correct but, if it right, then Boris & Co. are wrong, but then, I am grateful that I am not responsible for decision-making at Government level. Boris constantly refers to the medical advice he is following but there are political elements at work here too, although Boris only emphasised, ‘community’; ‘neighbours’ and ‘national togetherness’ and these are new words for Boris.

Prof. Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Adviser.

At Boris’s press conference, along with his medical and scientific advisers, they explained the intention to flatten the curve and gave the following information; schools would be closed as a last resort; major sporting events might be cancelled though this would not greatly affect the spread of the disease but could free up police for other duties; elderly to stay at home, eventually might be for up to 13-14 weeks; quarantine for a sufferer plus his family, for up to two weeks; mild symptoms will no longer be tested; lock-down does not work. By the following day, some of these decisions had been pre-empted by, for instance, the F.A. cancelling some notable events. The Government appeared to be slightly catching up though this was as nothing compared to the confused and chaotic leadership from the White House. America has mishandled

Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser.

Coronavirus testing partly because there is no adequate public health system with free access to testing in times of emergency. partly because there are insufficient testing kits. Undocumented immigrants may also be disinclined to seek tests in case ICE picks them up. But to have a President whose main eye is on the national economic health as it affects his likely re-election plans, and frequently is not shy of issuing false information about any topic, is frightening and confusing.

Belgium has taken the European lock-down route. All restaurants, cafes and bars are closed; non-food shops must be closed all weekends; museums and schools closed; boat rides no longer available; swimming pools closed; hotel kitchens and dining rooms closed; the Belfort closed. This morning, Sunday 15^th March, I called in at both Martin’s Hotels to discover one will be closing to consolidate the scant number of guests, and any group meeting on Hotel premises is banned.

The one bright spark this morning was to see that the Saturday market on ‘t Zand was open which must mean the Wednesday little market will follow. Great. Attendance at the market this morning, though, looked slight.

 Rozenhoedkaai, normally crammed with tourists; empty
when I walked through earlier.

No longer permitted to swim at the Crowne Plaza Hotel this morning I went for a lovely sunny canal-side walk for an hour and observed an almost surreal silence and emptiness at 9.00 a.m. throughout Brugge centre. It was lovely, calm, empty; one had opportunity and space to observe buildings, squares, Flemish gables and statues. It felt abnormal of course and it underlined the implicit message that without tourists, Brugge cannot survive long. Public servants like Town Hall staff, teachers etc will be paid I imagine, but what about the shop assistants, waiters, chefs, guides to the City? Surely there will be a global recession later this year. And nowhere to hide.

Yesterday I went to double-check at the hotel that the pool there is closed; it is closed but only to non-residents. I argued for Honorary Guest status as I have swum there most mornings for five years; denied! But Reception made me what was described as a great offer; one night’s stay with two swims and a breakfast, for 139 euros. I am already a member of the Fitness Club and pay a yearly subscription for that privilege, so 70 euros a swim extra seemed a little excessive! I went immediately to the hotel restaurant for a beer, which turned out to be My Last Beer there for some time; the waiter explained that all kitchen staff and waiters were laid off from Saturday evening. So there will be no breakfast [or other meals] for guests who will, perhaps, simply have to explore the city for a supermarket!! The waiter was despondent but hoping to receive perhaps 60% of his normal pay.

 Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump's Truth-Teller;
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases and Centre for Disease Control.

 Squashing the Sombrero.