Department of Health and Social Care’s excuses can’t hide fact that 7-day average is rocketing just as fast
The daily number of coronavirus cases has almost doubled for the second day in a row, reaching levels far beyond anything seen during the first wave of the pandemic.
From 6,968 cases on Friday – itself almost a record in the crisis so far – the number of new infections almost doubled on Saturday to 12, 872 on Saturday and then did the same today to 22,961. The biggest number during the first phase of the pandemic was 6,201.
The Department of Health and Care (DHSC) has attempted to minimise the scandal by claiming that Public Health England ‘missed’ 15,481 cases ‘in recent days’, inflating this weekend’s numbers.
But the 7-day average, which is meant to smooth out such omissions and catch-ups, is showing just as steep a rate of increase – and was doing so well before this weekend:
As usual, the government’s official page doesn’t allow visitors to view the most up to date 7-day average, either in the data or in the charts. But in the figures up to 1 October – before the latest spike and before the ‘missed’ numbers were included, the average can clearly be seen to be rising exponentially.
The Tories’ measures – and their decision to apply them only in working-class, Labour-voting areas in spite of higher infection rates in many Tory constituencies – are clearly ineffective. Tiptoeing around the edge of the already-massive second wave is not enough.
The Tories are determined to avoid a new nationwide lockdown and protect the profits of their backers, but it looks increasingly like the only option that will actually work and it must be accompanied by a renewed – and full – furlough scheme to protect the economy across the country, not just in Tory-friendly areas.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your help. The site is provided free of charge but depends on the support of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here to set up a monthly donation via GoCardless (SKWAWKBOX will contact you to confirm the GoCardless amount). Thanks for your solidarity so SKWAWKBOX can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to republish this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.