Times Insight

The Times leader’s blinding insight this morning is that, post Covid-19, “many business model(s) will not work in an age of social distancing” and that many businesses will not survive the lockdown. Many businesses do not survive change despite efforts to adapt – sometimes this process could be seen as progress. Meantime, the Treasury’s, “hastily assembled response,” faint praise indeed, has been to provide assistance so that enterprises are able to survive until the crisis is over. Admonishing the Government for failing to be upfront about the heavy risks of business failure, the Times withholds its magic wand for making things cosily right again. Whilst a Times version of recovery would probably try to patch up the status quo ante, freedom from the dead regulating hand of the EU will present a glorious opportunity for repair, renewal and innovation.  When we have finished first aid to the casualties I look forward to the Government being “upfront” about the opportunities and challenges ahead outside the EU and this will involve some of us, “getting on our bikes.”

Fatties Could Escape Isolation Before Fitties

Apparently I am likely to face months, even a year or more, of isolation from my children and grandchildren because I am over 70. I am 75 and take no medication. My blood pressure is 117/68, heart rate 62 and BMI 23.  I walk about 5 miles every day, can run short distance, tend my garden and often finish the times cryptic crossword by 0930. I have never had an influenza jab and cannot remember ever having been incapacitated by that virus. On the other hand, a 69 year old couch-bound sloth, being the other side of an arbitrary line, may be permitted to come and go as he pleases. Here is surely a role for technology? I should be very happy to surrender all my personal electronic data, particularly my Google Fit records, if that sacrifice permitted a more flexible isolation regime for me and many others who consider it a fundamental social responsibility to keep themselves in shape. Give us an electronic health passport on our mobile phones or, better still, a biometric ID Card then those who are neither a danger to themselves or those with whom they interact may resume some semblance of normal family life for the remaining years of their lives. In the greater scheme of things the data security issues are trivial.

Commercial Risk in Healthcare

“The owner of a home care business wept yesterday” as she “accused the Government of overlooking carers,” according to The Times, 21 April 2020. Alice Ushamba said she had lost a third of her “clients” and half of her “carers” within a month.

Hants Healthcare Limited, in Hythe Southampton is a Private Limited Company incorporated in August 2016.  Alice Ushamba is not the “owner” of the business neither is she listed a person with “significant control.”  There is, however, a Mr Moses Ushanba, a Zimbabwean national, who has significant influence or control by owning for than 25% but not more than 50% of the shares in Hants Healthcare Limited.  Mr Ushamba resigned as a Director of the Company on 31 January this year.  The last, unaudited, accounts were submitted in August 2018.

Hants Healthcare Limited carries out “social work activities without accommodation for the elderly and disabled,” under their own commercial arrangements.  Whilst one is deeply concerned for the care of those who are affected, the inventory management of a private concern would not seem to be the direct responsibility of the “Government,” as the tearful Alice Ushamba claimed to the BBC World at One yesterday.

Zoom Wedding - James & Saya - First in NY?

On Saturday 18 April 2020, the New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order to reopen marriage bureaus across the state and give clerks the authority to perform marriage ceremonies via video conferences.  The state previously required an in-person visit to obtain the license.  During a briefing Governor Cuomo joked, “there is now no excuse when the question comes up for marriage. No excuse, you can do it by Zoom."

Earlier that day we had enjoyed our daily family Zoom conference at which son James in New York announced that he was leaving the apartment in Manhattan for a trip upstate to marry his fiancé that afternoon.  James had already planned the wedding to take place in Colombia County in June this year and we had all booked our flight for the occasion.  However, with those proceedings impossible because of the Covoid-19 problems, the two of them just decided to get on with it.  We suggested he broadcast the proceedings on Zoom so that we could all share.  In fact, there was no need to leave the isolation of the apartment and the whole deal was conducted on Zoom.  I set up our usual family conference link an passed it to friends and relatives to join in at 1500 Eastern Daylight Time yesterday.  James’ long-term friend Scott, newly qualified to preside, conducted the remote ceremony whilst about 40 of us looked on.  It was a huge success but - top tip for hosts - be brutal with the mute button to counter unwelcome contributions!

In his opening remarks Scott pointed out that this wedding might be the first, or among the first, to be conducted in the State of New York.  From our point of view, it was certainly the most memorable. Was this, even, a possible entry for the Guiness Book of Records?

Wayfinding

I am reading "Wayfinding" by Michael Bond, a fascinating account of "the art and science of how we find and lose our way."  In discussing how the brain deals with spatial challenges in restrictive environments, Bond includes a quote by Lisa Guenther:

"There are many ways to destroy a person but one of the simplest and most devastating is through prolonged solitary confinement."

I am not suggesting, for one minute that we are suffering the sort of privations of prison but it looks as though there will be no imminent relaxation of the lock down for my age group soon. Whilst, day to day, life is quite bearable and through local deliveries, we lack for little the thought of extended social isolation, perhaps for several months more, is beginning to take hold. Allison Pearson, in her diary piece in the Spectator today writes, plaintively, about the possibility of never seeing her 84-year-old mother again. At home here, despite a daily Zoom connection, we fret about when we shall ever be able to physically interact with our grandson again. Even if he resumes nursery school and we old folks are allowed to travel for recreation, would it be sensible to play with him and give him a cuddle? The sporting future looks bleak and the possibility of enjoying any cricket at Headingley and Scarborough this season looks remote, oddly because a Specsavers County Championship cricket fixture, these days, is the ideal environment to observe extreme social distancing.  More imminently, the possibility of completing the current football season before July 1^st when a lot of players contracts expire, seems to be receding. Talk of completing matches behind closed doors appears wishful thinking, at least until there is a surplus of national virus testing capability. Nevertheless, I read that footballers in Germany may be allowed to resume training in the next couple of weeks and that some live sporting entertainment could be available on TV before very long. Despite two attempts to suspend my tv sports subscription, my provider apologises for the error and carries on billing – I hope they know something.

The lock down will have to end sometime and the Government will have to juggle risks of further outbreaks of infection, the capacity to deal with it, and the social and economic impacts of whatever course is chosen.  Unenviable political choices and I wish the Prime Minister, hopefully fully restored to the bridge, well in navigating us out of this crisis.  Even so, for us older folks, the path to normality looks distant and uncertain.  As the younger elements of society get our economy moving again what will be the benefit of allowing the elderly to mingle – we would be a danger both to ourselves and the rest of the community, not least the NHS, for quite some time to come.

As for next football season, the prospects look grim.  In any case, even if allowed out, I am not sure I relish a crowded train journey to Newcastle for the football, lunch in a busy restaurant, the proximity to 52,000 potential carriers of Covid-19 and the usual disappointment of the Newcastle United performance.  Notwithstanding that there is 25% of this season already paid for and St Fraser of Ashley, whose business practices, incidentally, appear positively angelic compared to the human rights record of the consortium, it is rumoured, to whom he is about to sell the club, has already debited my account for next season, I’ll probably give it a miss until we are all vaccinated.

One thing that could help and seems painfully slow in getting off the ground, is the social distancing app for our smartphones.  Bluetooth data sharing permitting warnings of proximity to potential carriers seems eminently sensible. Of course it all depends on us carrying our smartphones but it would be better than nothing and psychologically rather comforting, perhaps?  Fears of data breaches should of course be acknowledged but the risks should be considered in the context of the amount of data we freely give away all the time (ever wonder why Facebook is free to use)?

Meantime, the lock down is a good time for IT housekeeping and I am grateful for a bunch of tips from LastPass which arrived by email this morning.  My IT health seemed pretty good but I did take their advice to clear all the cookies and junk from my browser.  In Chrome, tap “history,” “clear browsing data,” the select “all time” from the drop down followed by ticking the three boxes below.  Then hit “clear data” – you may have to sign in again to a few sites but it makes sense to clear your device of all that potentially harmful and intrusive junk that you have accumulated over the years?