The Tiers of a Clown

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(Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay)

It looks like I wasn't so far off the mark yesterday when I forecast a grey day and the imposition of further draconian measures under the tier system. With Tier 3 areas to the North and South of us, however, we are probably lucky to be escaping with Tier 2 restrictions even if they are harsher than the Lower Tier provisions we were obeying 3 weeks ago. As a consequence of the current national lockdown, local case numbers, below the average for the country anyway, do appear to have dropped further but we have been stepped up a tier. Never mind, we are in good company, when it seems that only if you are living on a small island or at the very tip of the South West  have you been bestowed a pass to Tier 1.

That said, as the biggest English county by land area, it does seem a little silly to be tying us down because of transmissions in a seaside resort 50 miles or more away. However, I probably don't want to be putting forward that argument too strongly as the county boundary is only 5 miles to the North. I'm very conscious that on our side of the river we are going to be permitted to meet up in gardens once again and eat out in pubs and restaurants. On the other side and all the way to the Scottish Border, everything, except effectively shops and takeaways, must remain closed. Sadly, that could make our local market towns with  their hospitality sectors and indoor venues able to open subject to strict guidelines, a magnet for some on the wrong side of the boundary.

It's easy warning us not to stray across and into Tier 3 (what would be the attraction?) but I can well envisage those already struggling to comply with what's requested of them viewing the crossing into a Tier 2 area as a lot more alluring. What are the chances that two weeks from now our statistics show a race to meet theirs? The virus can't swim across the river, but people can and besides there's been a bridge there for hundreds of years.

One big advantage of living in a county designated as Tier 2 is that apparently we can travel, including abroad and regardless of whether the trip is essential or not. You'd seriously struggle to make these things up. I am being discouraged from travelling across my local river but if I fancy a flight to a tropical location I can go for it!

Don't worry, I'm not scouring holiday destinations just yet. Instead I've taken delivery of wool, fabric and organic soap compound with art materials expected later and am planning to hunker down with some craft projects.

If you didn't laugh, you would surely weep.

 

 


Comments

Treaders said…
I find this whole "3 Tier" business very confusing and I'm wondering if it doesn't make matters worse. We've just learned that after a very strict 4 week lockdown France's R number is 0.6 now so it worked! Of course that doesn't mean it won't come back but certainly these lockdowns are having a positive effect (on the virus at least)!
27 November 2020 at 14:46
Caree Risover said…
You are totally right about the confusion, especially when the rules change regularly, there is a reluctance to enforce them and the guidance and legislation are often at variance. At least this time around they appear to be national tiers with the same rules rather than the area specific higher tiers that they had tried. Of course, the objective of the Government and the restrictions is to try to keep the economy going whilst protecting the NHS rather than individuals (although it would help if it would level with us on that), and hopefully this time around it can keep hospitals functioning for all the non-urgent procedures, vital screening and outpatients' appointments that just ceased during the first wave.
27 November 2020 at 15:12
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