Life here at the Manor has all but ground to a standstill.

The gubmint are currently discussing more panic measures that will doubtless bring life to a standstiller.

Panic is in the air. You can see it on the grim faces of our Great Leaders and medical mob when they appear on television. Infection rates are growing at a greater rate than at any previous time BUT they neglect to mention the fact that death rates are still very low. Death rates are still within the low to middle single figure range compared to being in the dozens before. But we don’t want the public to become complacent, do we? We need to shut down the country even further because The Computer says so.

There is an excellent article in the Irish Times today. Basically it states the obvious – that we should all just sit back and let the Virus spread. Protect the vulnerable all right, but the rest should just go about their daily lives. People will get ill but then people are always getting ill. The Virus has done its worst and the sooner we get used to it the better.

Their reaction to date is as if there were a bad smell in the air – they tell everyone to hold their breath until the smell passes without the consideration that many will suffocate in the process and ignoring the fact that the smell won’t just go away.

In the meantime I just sit here staring at the dog and she stares back. Occasionally I tend to Herself’s needs but I’m steering clear of her room at the moment as she is listening to the radio again – more prophecies of doom and gloom with a constant undercurrent of misery.

But on the bright side, the central heating has been working perfectly since I battered it last week.

And Penny’s cough seems to be easing.