Day 337 – Reflections on Lockdown

posted in: Stories | 1

Wow!  What a windy day it has been today!!!

Discovery has been rocking back and forth quite a lot, by this afternoon I was feeling a bit sea sick!

The bow door has been rattling quite a lot with gusts of winds and the front door has burst open a few times too (I keep it on the “snip” when I am on the boat).

The water on the canal has been really choppy!

My friend Hannah said she nearly got hit by an airborne sledge in Leith today!

In fact, I saw this news item saying that a roof was blown off a tenement in Leith earlier today – not far from my flat!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56155430

There’s also been lots of heavy rain, which I’ve been hearing on the roof of Discovery!

Despite, all that it has been quite warm today 😉

Before all that, on our morning walk, the canal was really still (blog cover photo).

Although on our afternoon walk, one and half trees had been blown over on Bruntsfield Links.

I felt quite wary walking in The Meadows with all the trees, so we kept to the open areas 🙂

 

 

I then decided to go to the Coffee Hut, which usually has massive queues, but as it was raining heavily and super windy, I concluded there would be less of a queue.  I was right and only queued for about 10 minutes 🙂

They had mats laid out to mark two metre distance queuing.

I had a delicious vegan hot chocolate with marshmallows 🙂

 



Lockdown Restrictions Corner

Today Nicola laid out her plans to ease lockdown restrictions in Scotland.

I attempted to make sense of the Scottish Government website, but it’s too many words!  Here is how far I go…

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-strategic-framework-update-february-2021/pages/summary

 

The main focus is to suppress the virus to the lowest possible level and keep it there, while striving to return to a more normal life for as many people as possible!”.

There are 6 tools to achieve that –

  • Vaccine programme.
  • Effective Test and Trace.
  • Rules and measures to suppress the transmission of Covid.
  • Manage risk of importation of Covid.
  • Supporting individuals, business and organisations to follow protective measures.
  • Provide care and support to reduce the damage of the crisis.

 

Planned Easing of Restrictions

 

This is as far as I got with the government document, so I have turned to the BBC News website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56170916

These are all provisional dates in relation to the R number dropping.

 

22nd February (yesterday) (Day 336)

  • Early Learning & Primary Years 1-3 – return.
  • Care Home Residents – allowed 2 visitors a week.

 

15th March (Day 357)

  • School Years 4-7 – return.
  • Blended Learning – for some Secondary school pupils.
  • Phased return for Universities and Colleges.
  • Non-Contact Sport ages 12-17 – allowed
  • 4 people from 2 households can meet outdoors (4/2 Rule).

 

5th April (Day 378)

  • “Stay at Home” restrictions lifted.
  • Schools – full reopen.
  • Some communal worship – open.
  • Click & Click – resumes.
  • Six people from 2 households can meet outdoors (6/2 Rule)

 

26th April (Day 399)

  • Level 3 – aim to move all of Scotland to Level 3.
  • Non-essential Businesses – non-essential retail, pubs and restaurants – open (including hairdressers).
  • Leisure – Gyms, swimming pools and other leisure activities – resume / open.


As I come to the end of this blog, although being a very stormy day, with extreme gusts of windy, I am feeling good 🙂

An email was sent today from Scottish Canals asking for dogs not to go into the Facilities Block, I am guessing that was directed to me and Honey the Dog.  She always just stands in the corridor, whilst I am in the toilet, however, from this afternoon, she now stands outside the Facilities Block, which today was in the rain.  I will have to change my routines a little, so she’s not waiting outside too long and leave her on the boat more often.

Been a day of work today and a Zoom meeting this evening – but actually really good.  It’s nice to have a bit of focus with work to do 🙂

It will be interesting to see how lockdown easing restrictions go across the UK.  I will need to spend more time reading and writing a summary of the Scottish Government document, it is too long to get my head round this evening!  I notice that in Scotland by 26th April it is hoped all of Scotland will be in Level 3, but that still means no one can meet indoors in each others households.  I am guessing that is going to take a lot longer?!

Hope you’ve had a Tremendous Tuesday 🙂

Jim x

  1. John Meikle

    Hi Jim, had a similar complaint about dogs when I worked there, simple solution is to mop up her paw prints on the way out.

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