An assessment was done by the Scottish government to assess whether to introduce stricter lockdown measures. At the moment we are masking wearing and social distancing with hygiene measures in place in public places, schools, offices etc. So the long and short of it is that no further measures will be added i.e. no passport necessary for pubs and restaurants, but other concerts, discos etc will require evidence of vaccination.
We had a concert locally last week with masks being worn, a shorter programme with a short interval, social distancing, restricted ticket sales. It was all fine. People (most retired) were comfortable with that.
In December our local lad, Ryan and his teacher, Gjordje are going to play. Interest is good and ticket sales are healthy.
* * * * * * * * * * MIGRANT CRISIS * * * * * * * * *
Mid week tragedy happened in The Channel as 27 migrants drown when their inflatable boat deflated. Women and children among the bodies washed up on the beaches.
An ever increasing problem is finding a solution to the survivors who made it. Working with French border controls and political pressures on both sides, have been causing a lot of hurdles. Meanwhile Calais has ever increasing make-shift camps with people in tents in winter weather, and in the UK admission centres receiving migrants are facing the job of where to put the shear numbers of human cargo used by criminal gangs making a lucrative trade across the globe.
Further worries: South African, which appears to have excellent lab facilities for 'genome sequencing' i.e. analysis that identifies a virus's genetic make-up, allowing new variants or mutations in existing variants to be detected. There has been an announcement by them of a new variant which has a very much increased transmissibility. Pathogenicity, of course, is still unknown. There are always variants emerging; the problem is flagging up ones 'of concern' [WHO terminology]. It was 2 weeks from first identify it that the announcement was made (i.e. they realised there was something worrying here. It just takes that long.)
South Africa has lots of experience due to the prevalence of the HIV virus. It's a pity, however, that once the alarm was raised (very socially responsible of them), it has been a case of 'shoot the messenger', i.e. all travel to South Africa stopped with no prior warning. Lots of stories of people being stuck there or, if they come back, they will have to pay for hotel to be isolated for 2 weeks. Methinks the virus has already been circulating; it just hasn't been classified.
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