INFECTION RATE SLOWING

All the available data suggests that despite Labour's lockdown demands the spread of the virus is slowing across mainland Britain.  Even the doom-mongers of SAGE estimate that the 'r' rate has dropped slightly in the past week.  This is the first time it has fallen in four weeks.  The curve is still upward, but it's clearly not as steep as it was when cases began to rise sharply at the beginning of October.

Source: Public Health England

The most recent heat map from Public Health England (see below) shows why the UK government has imposed restrictions on local authority areas as opposed to the nationwide lockdown proposed by Keir Starmer.  Clearly there are major issues in the north-west of England and South Yorkshire.  It also shows the logic behind Nicola Sturgeon's restrictions across the central belt of Scotland and why she hasn't locked down everything north of the border.

What the map also clearly demonstrates is the absolute lunacy of Mark Drakeford's Wales-wide lockdown, where asides from some dark spots in south Wales is grossly unfair on the rest of the country where infections are relatively low. It's a massive own goal.

Here are the UK figures from the past week for new cases and deaths (bear in mind that Vallance and Whitty were warning we would be at 50,000 cases per day by now if 'no action was taken').

25/10/20

Total cases: 873,800 (+19,790)
Total deaths: 44,896 (+151)

24/10/20

Total cases: 854,010 (+23,012)
Total deaths: 44,745 (+174)

23/10/20

Total cases: 830,998 (+20,530)
Total deaths: 44,571 (+224)

22/10/20

Total cases: 810,468 (+21,241)
Total deaths: 44,347 (+189)

21/10/20

Total cases: 789,227 (+26,684)
Total deaths: 44,158 (+191)

20/10/20

Total cases: 762,542 (+21,331)
Total deaths: 43,967 (+241)

19/10/20

Total cases: 741,211 (+18,803)
Total deaths: 43,726 (+80)