The coronavirus is still hogging the headlines in one way or another. I flip from being totally frightened to being totally hopeful. I wear a mask when I’m out, not walking along the Lough shore but certainly in company and in shops. It’s a bit of nuisance at times in a restaurant – off to eat, on to converse! But it’s very little annoyance when it comes to safety and I wish more people would use them to protect me and others, after all, I’m doing it to protect them. The heart break and the fear is still as widespread as ever but sadly I think we have relaxed into complacency at times, do you wash your hands every half hour for twenty seconds?
Then on Friday came the awful news that a number of swab kits from the Co. Antrim firm, Randox Laboratories were not sterile and the Home Secretary Matt Hancock announced to the House of Commons that, as a precautionary step, care homes and testing centres which have stocked up on Randox tests, have been told to discard them and they will be sent replacements. He added that there was ‘no evidence’ that the swabs can cause harm and the thousands who have already taken a Randox test should not worry because it does not affect their results.
A devastating blow for the company that will no doubt be putting things right and be back in the market place as soon as possible.
Katie Bramall-Stainer is an NHS GP who is credited with a blistering take on the governments handling of the coronavirus epidemic. Amongst other failures she points out the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), when they got a supply its expiry date was July 2016. (Nothing to do with Randox). As Katie represents the medical profession across the East of England and last year was rated the UKs ninth most influential GP in Pulse magazine, hers is a voice to be reckoned with. In a lengthy piece on Facebook she is critical of the way the pandemic has been handled. This is part of her posting:
“But it was ok because Boris Johnson clapped for us every Thursday. He doesn’t take the knee because he ‘doesn’t believe in gestures’ but he would happily clap for carers in front of cameras whilst scrapping those nurse bursaries which later had to be embarrassingly reinstated. And the public have generously donated over £130 million to a charity that will only give your little area of the NHS money if you pay their £1000 a year membership fee. Which might be ok for those big hospitals and trusts but no use to your local surgery, GP or independent community pharmacy. Anyway, at least we are led by a government following its own orders….
The Cummins affair made a mockery of the public health messages and were a grave misjudgement by a man who allegedly prides himself on being able to take the temperature of the nation. I hope the nation returns the sleight at the ballot box. But we get what we vote for and Britain voted in December for a craven cabinet of sycophants who were prized only for their ability to nod their heads in unison to the leader’s latest ‘oven ready’ glib strapline.
In identifying where the government have gone wrong, it’s a struggle to understand where they have gone right?”
Well, I’ve given up on my tomato crop for 2020. First planting died overnight, second replacement planting died overnight. I’ve discovered why, something in the water butt I used for watering – it was under overhanging greenery and I can only assume something fell into it that was poisonous. I tipped the lot out over a terrace and every weed died – overnight. I should have kept some of the water to have it analysed I could have made a fortune in weed killer! Anyway there’s always next year’s tomatoes planting – hopefully successful. I miss my Alisa Craigs.
PROMISES PROMISES
Despite the pledge of £33 million for the arts in Northern Ireland there’s speculation about how much will filter through to smaller arts companies, theatres and actors, musicians and writers, back stage and front of house. It will be interesting to see how the Executive aportion amounts and it’s important the arts world keep the pressure up. During the awful time of lock down thousands have been furloughed, thousands more have lost their jobs and for one sector of society they have lost their stages and their audiences and so their livelihood. The entertainment fraternity have suffered and are going to suffer into the future with theatres having to close their doors. Musicians too will find it difficult to find venues. But such is their determination to bring entertainment to the public that all those involved are using their ingenuity and their imagination and have succeeded in making short films, performing and singing on-line or making past productions available to watch on iPads and laptops.
CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY
One particular group of actors even went as far as producing a pantomime to be viewed in your front room. Yesterday Jack and the Beanstalk was produced by Cre:8 Theatre, one of Northern Irelands young fresh exciting companies and they are known for pushing the envelope so it was no surprise to hear their plans to present this live ‘zoom’ family pantomime.
Last week I talked to Princess Jill known in every day life as Belfast actor Holly Greig and she explained that the show would be in full costume, makeup and props including a virtual beanstalk! “We’ll be performing in our living rooms, some of us in Belfast, others in England and Scotland, all on our lap tops – mine on the ironing board in my living room. With five in the cast and a running time of 55 minutes the technicalities are delicate to say the least.” Jack and the Beanstalk was the company’s Christmas pantomime in Ballymena last December and it was a hit , now they have a potential audience of millions for future zoom shows as these will be available around the world. No matter how many crowded into the room, ticket price was £15 plus £1.26 booking fee. I can imagine the scene, chairs in a row, a bag of sweets, sparkly shoes – and that’s only the audience. Well done to Cre:8, they have used their young brains to create something that, as they say in show biz, has legs and can travel, even if no one actually moves from their ironing boards or their front room!
PRINCE CHARMING
It was good to see Prince Phillip attending his nieces wedding. I had the treasonable thought that he had died during the last three months and his ashes were in a golden casket awaiting burial when the times comes. He’s looking well from a distance although as a conspiracy theorist I’m thinking, is that a stunt double. Off with my head and good health wishes go him.
REPORTER ON A MISSION
More power to Stephen Watson for keeping kidney dialysis in the news. Stephen has had two kidney transplants so knows what he’s talking about. This time it’s about people from Northern Ireland with Irish passports who will be eligible for free life saving dialysis in the EU post Brexit if they have a European Health Insurance Card.
I remember interviewing Stephen 25 years ago in Ulster Television when we were both working there. He was brave enough to talk about the kidney he received from his father and it was moving to hear. Since then he’s gone through it a second time and I had a note from him during the week to say: “I have been shielding too and looking after my new kidney which is working brilliantly.” That’s the best news from a special young man who is so highly respected not only in the world of sport but amongst his many friends.
TEMPUS FUGIT
So another week flies by and you begin to wonder, what’s next. Hopefully constantly improving news on this pesky virus – my goodness how the NHS and the scientists have worked to overcome coronavirus and give us a hopeful future. Not there yet but the work that is going into discovering a vaccine is powerful and I hope we can all support these people by doing the right thing, doing what they recommend and not relaxing into complacency.
