As predicted the new variant is now the prominent variant in the country and soon the world. Two vaccinations do not prevent it from spreading although the booster probably has an 85% chance of resisting serious illness. We now have over 70, 000 cases per day making it the highest rate since the pandemic started. In Kent cases are rising fast and we are above the national average. Maidstone has about 650 cases per 100,000 and it is growing.
The Government have upped the anti to get everyone booster jabbed. Special walk in clinics are opening up and some are opening on Christmas Day. Our own Blackthorn clinic is working over much of the holiday and I have been juggling the rota system to make sure we have enough marshalls.
Tomorrow will be one year since we started vaccinating at Blackthorn. I had my first jab on that day, the 18th Dec. Since then we have always managed to have a team of volunteers for every session. However, with the Christmas pressure on us I decided that we could’t help on the 27th Dec. Fortunately, the 15min post jab rule has now been lifted so very soon we can work with just two volunteers per shift. That will be a great help going into the new year.
Boris and the Tories had a wake up call in the South Shropshire by election when the the Lib Dems ousted the Tories who had been in power there for 200 years! I am sure it will be reversed in due course but it has highlighted the incompetence of our current Prime Minister.
Barty House now have two positive cases of Covid, we don’t know if they are Omicron but the home has been closed to visitors except for one nominated person. In our case that is me so I am next there on Monday. the wearing of PPE will be highly regulated so no trips out for Mum. I hope she understands the reasoning she was looking forward to seeing grandchildren at Xmas. Video calls will have to do.