As Ian Dury and the Blockheads sang: Reasons to be Cheerful
It’s turning into one of the better days since we were engulfed in this deeply unpleasant health crisis.
Earlier today we reported news that China – the country where this all started of course – is looking for a return to football action either this month or next.
In itself nobody is going to get excited about the Chinese League but given that the players were suspended from all action on February 22 and are now returning to training with a start to the real action later this month or early next, there must be hopes that we, being about a month to six weeks, could be looking to June or July should the same pattern unfold.
And these are the reasons why the Premier League chairman are holding on – in most countries the problems are beginning to clear flatten out within the 12 weeks which we believed would be the case at the outset.
And the news in Britain today – despite a sad climb in the number of deaths – is also encouraging because as far as new infections are concerned the figure has dived from 4,500 yesterday to 3,700 today.
The deaths are horrible and our sympathies go to all but new infections probably tell the story of whether this thing is being kept under control or not and at a time when we are heading into what many NHS people believe is our critical two weeks, that appears to be the case.
The figures for new infections in the week held steady between 4,200 to 4,500, so today’s figure is looking particularly significant.
On top of that, Sky and BT is being reported as being ready to do a deal with the Premier League which would involve them in getting more games next season rather than looking for £750 million back for any misses from this one which may not be required anyway if things go well.
And finally the warmer weather is arriving which may – and it’s a very tentative may – annoy the virus into some submission, as a number of health officials believe.
Ok, there will be some blips along the way but for now – in this 24 hours – as a certain Ian Dury and his Blockheads once sung – there are reasons to be cheerful.
Of course the news today is very encouraging. But for the lives this might save and nothing to do with football in general and the PL in particular. Over recent weeks the PL has shown itself to be a greedy and uncaring organisation and I for one are ashamed of them. I hope and pray the Government gives a clear No to the restarting of football behind closed doors. It should only start when restrictions on other businesses are relaxed.
China wil be playing in front of crowds and the point is we are going the same way as them seemingly Kenny
Overly optimistic. Our population profile is older and some have real doubts about our hygiene standards. At the London Stadium how many people wash their hands after going to toilets? And, how many footballers spit on the pitch? Even managers and players on the touch line spit for no reason at all. Have you seen anyone spit at a tennis match? We have filthy millionaires playing for us watched by people with unhygienic behaviours.
How does that affect a fallen infection rate of 700?
If the numbers are supposed to be going down why are there new hospitals being opened in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol and other places in Scotland and Wales? https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/04/nhs-to-build-more-nightingale-hospitals-as-london-set-for-opening/
They are nt supposed to – they are – Go to http://www.gov.uk and check. Because there are no certainties and quite rightly they prepare for the worst. Cjheck it yourself. I do every day. Cheers
one swallow does not make a spring. I truly hope that you are right but there are a lot of factors that come into play. Pressing down a peak is not the end of the problem. You end up with smaller peaks over a longer period. Managing smaller peaks allows NHS to cope with the capacity of people falling ill but it does not take the danger away…. it spreads the workload in the NHS over a longer time period. I’ve not seen a swallow yet.
I know how it works and down is better than up. However, keep looking. Cheers
This illness started. With one person , then became 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 16 and exponentially rose to it’s present level . To my mind it would be sheer folly to restart the season untill the number of infections has dropped to near zero ( or normal common cold levels )
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see a scenario where the number of infections rise again because of rushing things . Football is a contact sport .