Covid - the bigger picture

 At time of posting (21 March 2021), a new wave of coronavirus is sweeping across Europe. Vaccinations have been going rather slowly, with only 10% of the population having received their injections. 

I am quite frankly appalled at the complete lack of international collaboration and cooperation. Each little nation sparring for itself, without due regard for the bigger picture. After all, this is a pandemic, and virtually all countries in the world are affected. 

The same happened in the UK, at the start of the pandemic, where the three devolved administrations all did their own thing regarding tackling the emergency. In my opinion, hey ho, devolution should have been suspended and a government of national unity installed to fight this war. For war it is, although it is not being fought with bombs and bullets. Nonetheless, here in the UK, 125,000 people have already died. 

The EU is squabbling with the UK over the supply of vaccines. Each EU memberstate does its own thing, particularly in terms of vaccinations. There is also talk of a cheaper version for developing countries, where the pandemic is also occurring. However, richer nations are deciding not to support that. 

Where are the people that see the bigger picture? This is not about one country against another.This is about the whole world. Where is the United Nations?

Interview

Prince Harry and his wife Megan Markle gave an interview to American host Oprah Winfrey.

Meghan is [word blanked out]. She knew in advance what club she'd be joining. When you join a club, you agree to abide by the rules. If she'd done her homework, she'd have known that it would be oppressively stifling to join the royal family.

Why on earth did she do so then? Colossal ego-trip, for one. She also saw Harry's vulnerabilities and played on them to manipulate him to her side - away from his family. Don't know what to think about that.

Whatever you think of the royals, they are Harry's family. He lost his mother when he was 13, and we all know what happened. Harry needs his family's support to cope - and she has sought to alienate him from that. Yes, they are stuffy and old-fashioned. You'll never change that. To enquire about expected skin colour of an unborn baby is a ghastly question to ask of a mother. However, on balance, I am anything but impressed.

Covid and death

This afternoon, I had to wait at the roundabout by Engebretsen for traffic to clear. One vehicle attracted my attention. A hearse, with a coffin. As it rounded the roundabout, I took off my hat and briefly bowed my head at the hearse. The driver acknowledged my mark of respect in likewise fashion before proceeding to the final resting place of the deceased.

In these days of Covid, people are only allowed to attend the interment in a graveyard by invitation. The general public are permitted to line the road near the person's last residence as the cortège moves off, but no such time or place was mentioned in this instance. Judging by the information in the funeral notice, I suspect that the gentleman in question had returned home (that is local parlance for coming back to the island) after his death, to be laid to rest in his native soil. I would be profoundly sad if it was the case that only a chance passer-by at a traffic roundabout and the undertakers were able to pay their final respects on the way. I did not know Mr Kenneth M. Macleod, who had lived in Carishader, Stornoway and Leith. May he rest in peace.