The COVID Diaries – 243 18th December
It beggars belief that on the day before the end of the school term, the government has announced a testing regime to be introduced in secondary schools from 4th January.
Exhausted school leaders who should be taking a Christmas break are now expected to plan for this, but they don’t know what they are planning for.
Trust between those working in schools and the Department of Education appears to be at rock bottom.
The COVID Diaries – 242 17th December
The government has announced that the return to secondary school in January in England will be staggered, with some pupils starting online rather than in class.
This is to allow schools to make preparations for mass Covid testing – which will offer school staff a test each week and a daily test for seven days for pupils in contact with a positive case.
The National Education Union said making the announcement right at the end of the school term showed “panic”.
The COVID Diaries -241 16th December
With growing concern about the rise in Covid-19infections and less than a week to go before the Christmas relaxation of rules, Boris Johnson has said laws permitting three households to mix will remain in place, but that everyone should exercise extreme caution.
Johnson urged families to severely limit the length and scale of gatherings and consider postponing reunions with elderly relatives until they receive a vaccine.
The COVID Diaries – 240 15th December
The electoral college has voted and, no surprises, the votes match exactly those that represent the outcome of the presidential election: Biden – 306, and Trump – 232.
This has been a turning point for some senior Republicans and their Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has finally recognised that Joe Biden, and his candidate for Vice-President Kamala Harris, won.
Donald Trump, however, continues to refuse to accept his defeat, claiming Joe Biden is “pretending” he won the election, and insisted that he was cheated of his “landslide victory”.
The COVID Diaries – 239 14th December
The toughest Covid restrictions will apply to 60% of England from Wednesday as London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire enter tier three.
Pubs and restaurants will be forced to close before Christmas amid warnings of a new virus strain, all of this less than two weeks after a national lockdown that was intended to supress the virus.
There is also growing concern ahead of the five day easing of restrictions over Christmas, but the government is insisting this will not be reviewed.
The COVID Diaries – 238 13th December
Today was the latest deadline for agreement between the UK and the European Union on a post Brexit trade agreement.
Well, the deadline has come and gone, and it appears they are still talking!
Is it because there might actually be the possibility of reaching an agreement?
Or are both sides trying to avoid beng seen as the one that walked away?
We can only wait and see!
The COVID Diaries – 237 12th December
An attempt by Republican Attorney Generals led by Texas to throw out results from four states won by Joe Biden has been rejected by the Supreme Court, and Donald Trump has reacted with fury.
The court’s decision has almost certainly delivered a fatal blow to Trump’s attempts to undermine the election and have it overturned in his favour, despite his continuing baseless accusations of mass election fraud for which he has provided no evidence.
Almost half of American voters now think Donald Trump will go down as one of the worst American presidents in history, according to a poll by Fox News.
The COVID Diaries – 236 11th December
Reports are indicating that Covid-19 cases are rising in parts of England, including London. Scientists are asking people to rethink Christmas plans and ignore the easing of Covid rules to avoid more areas being placed under tighter restrictions.
Over the Christmas period, three household “bubbles” can come together between 23 and 27 December, but experts are warning that just following the rules may not be enough, leading to a third wave of infections with just weeks to go until mass vaccinations protect society’s most vulnerable.
The COVID Diaries – 235 10th December
According to Boris Johnson there is now a “strong possibility” that there will not be a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU and that the current deal on offer would keep the country “locked in the EU’s regulatory orbit”.
The Government appear to be stepping up their no-deal preparations, while Brussels has unveiled contingency plans intended to help cope with the situation.
The COVID Diaries – 234 9th December
Donald Trump continues with his attempts to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory. At least 17 Republican run states have joined an effort to overturn Trump’s defeat, making a claim that large numbers of genuine votes in swing states should not be counted.
However, it remains unlikely this latest undemocratic attempt to maintain power will be successful — though Trump claimed this was “the big one” that would help on his alleged path to victory.
It comes after the US Supreme Court knocked back an attempt by some Trump allies to reverse the results in Pennsylvania. The nine justices rejected the bid out of hand and refused to even hear it.