COVID

Here we are, the last day of the mask mandate in England and the rest of Britain, and infections topped 102,000 in the last 24 hours, and there were 346 deaths.

These are huge numbers, and six months ago would have warranted a tightening of restrictions, not the opposite. And yet here we are.

The Government has long since give up the pretence of following any real science, and is now gambling with the nation's health.

And it is in schools where the biggest gamble is taken.

Between 20 and 25% of children are off at any one time, either with infections or isolating. Some children have been infected twice in the last four weeks, and this will only get worse, as the mask madate was removed last Thursday in schools.

We are going out more. We went to a gig last night, going out for two meals next week, but will continue to wear masks and be careful.

Let's hope other will be as careful too.

And one final word on those deaths: some will say they had underlying issues, but that was the whole point of masks and social distancing, to protect those who had low immune systems. Every one of those deaths is someone's personal greed in demanding to be unmasked against someone else's right to life.

he former should not trump the latter, but under this Government, it has.