What the papers said: Week ending 4 December 2020
In the world of Covid 19, progress is being made in production of three vaccines. Much discussion now about who is to receive the vaccine first, and how to encourage people to trust that it is safe
The ethical argument for not cutting aid to other countries because of the financial situation, is bolstered by economic and political reasoning Cutting UK overseas aid in the name of Covid fiscal prudence is pure nonsense | Business | The Guardian
Prejudice and discrimination against black people is revealed in tales of enforced expulsion form this country, with reference among complainants to the unresolved Windrush scandal
- Jamaicans who came to UK as children will be left off deportation flight | Home Office | The Guardian
- Blatant racism in the immigration system | Windrush scandal | The Guardian
- Windrush victims accuse Priti Patel of ‘deeply insulting’ behaviour | Priti Patel | The Guardian
In these weeks before vaccines can be made available to them, the support of people in care homes and their relatives is a focus for feelings, especially as we near Christmas and there have been so many weeks when contact has been denied. The prospect of breaking through this with a rapid result test has promise, but authorities differ in their reading of its accuracy.
- COVID-19: Sheffield City Council warns care home providers not to use government’s rapid tests over doubts about accuracy | UK News | Sky News
- Hugging to resume in England’s care homes with rapid Covid tests | World news | The Guardian
- Care Home residents will not be the first to receive the vaccine because it requires special conditions such as are most easily made available in hospitals UK care home residents to miss out on first round of Covid vaccinations | Society | The Guardian
- Beyond the statistics, there is grief at personal losses ‘A huge loss’: tributes to victims of the UK’s Covid second wave | Coronavirus | The Guardian
And among the surviving population, there have been changes to incomes which will stay for a long time. A study by the Legatum Institute finds that 700,000 individuals have been forced into poverty. The greatest effect has been on younger workers. Older people and pensioners have remained more secure
- Almost 700,000 driven into poverty by Covid crisis in UK, study finds | Society | The Guardian
- Legatum-Institute-briefing-on-poverty-during-the-Covid-crisis.pdf
Tidying up:
Truly disturbing analysis of the effects of extreme methods of restraint used sometimes in mental health units, led to a report and intention to change the law two years ago – This is yet to be implemented: Ministers urged to end delay on law curbing restraint on mental health patients | Mental health | The Guardian
Only 8% of our countryside is open for ordinary citizens to explore (3% of rivers). In realisation of the benefits of exercise and the spiritual well-being derived from contact with nature, the case is being made for more open access: Johnson urged to extend public’s right to roam over English countryside | Walking | The Guardian
Wildflower meadows are the fashion of the times, gracing public parks and other civic spaces.
- New road will be supplied with seeding as a requirement: Wildflower meadows to line England’s new roads in boost for biodiversity | Wildlife | The Guardian
- Some are not so keen on the prospect of even more roads: Wildflower meadows and the right to roam | Environment | The Guardian
For those who still prefer to communicate on paper, the price of a First Class stamp will rise in the New Year. Second class stamps will also cost more, but not so much more and the post does get through. Price of first class stamps to rise 9p to 85p – BBC News
Some older female actors (actress still in my Chambers Dictionary – 2014) are philosophical about reduced work opportunities for older women. I wonder if the same does not apply to older male actors Lack of work for older female actors ‘fair enough’, says Maureen Lipman | Maureen Lipman | The Guardian
Dispute within the hierarchy of Eton has strayed into consideration of the school being encouraged to admit female students: Eton College head denies stifling debate after teacher’s dismissal | Schools | The Guardian
There is concern that mankind is wearing out and using up the good soil which lines the planet. A return to procedures which generate soil renewal requires a long-term view and investment. Perhaps the Covid Crisis has taught us that short-term gains often lead to long term problems: Global soils underpin life but future looks ‘bleak’, warns UN report | Environment | The Guardian
Short-terminism is also threatening our library stocks UK’s public libraries record another year of cuts, with yet more on the way | Libraries | The Guardian
But Science holds out hope of a sort:
- By counting deposit rings in otoliths, it is possible to age dead fish – and we discover that some have lived into their eighties Scientists discover world’s oldest tropical reef fish – CBBC Newsround
The use of Artificial Intelligence is making complex calculations possible which are unravelling the mysteries of how the essential molecules of life can be manipulated: Deep Minds ‘It will change everything’: DeepMind’s AI makes gigantic leap in solving protein structures (nature.com)
- And chicken cells, grown in culture and nourished by plant extracts, are now being seen capable of producing something which can be called meat. Some people see this as environmentally desirable No-kill, lab-grown meat to go on sale for first time | Meat industry | The Guardian
In the world of words, it is good to read that a phonetic alphabet introduced by Nazi leaders to replace an original system which was deemed ‘too Jewish’ is being replace itself after a gap of 50 years. Too long, but not too late Zacharias not Zeppelin: Germany to scrap Nazi-era phonetic table | Germany | The Guardian
David Jolley
