OUT IN THE FIELD: People are missing vaccination appointments in Eastbourne

As we enter 2021, albeit in a lockdown and cororavirus is all around us, my memories turn to this time last year before our world became littered with words like furlough, when quarantine was only something for animals coming into the UK, corona was a Mexican beer and tiers belonged to wedding cakes. I remember only too well the Christmas of 2019 when illness spread through Chateau Field and I recalled writing that while I have always had the constitution - and similar build - of a strong ox and rarely get ill, I spent much of the festive period in bed nursing only a Lemsip for company. The day of the Herald Christmas party and I had to be collected at 4pm as opposed to dancing on tables until 4am; a sore throat which felt like I’d swallowed a bag of needles gave way to a full on miserable cold and I struggled to even get out of bed some days. Looking back now I can’t help but wonder if it was the Covid-19 virus that got me – a full three months before it launched itself full throttle on an unsuspecting world. Fast forward 12 months or so and our household has managed to survive Covid-19 in 2020 but it’s only thanks to the strict lockdowns, not going out, wearing face masks, social distancing and copious amounts of hand sanitiser. Basically doing as we are told and playing by the rules. So, you can imagine I have very little sympathy with those who attend mass gatherings, refuse to wear face masks even though there is nothing to prohibit them doing so and carry on as if the rules that we all have to abide by don’t apply to them. And now I am sorry to say my disdain is extending – this time to people who are lucky enough to have been offered the Covid-19 vaccine and then don’t turn up their appointment. News reaches me that there have been several instances of people simply not turning up for the coveted jabs and, because of the very nature of the prized liquid and the fact it has to be stored at Siberian temperatures, it goes to waste. Personally I favour naming and shaming those who have

Some of our supermarkets have been coming in for a bashing this week (see page eight) for not doing enforcing the rules and keeping customers and staff safe during the pandemic. ASDA especially fell short in a survey carried out by the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce over Christmas. But as a regular shopper, it was pleasing to see bosses have taken heed and introduced more marshals to engage with shoppers at the entrance reminding them of the rules. I gather the Crumbles store is now insisting that only one person from each household be allowed in to do their shopping – very similar to the restrictions which were imposed during the very first lockdown in March last year. At a time when all non-essential retailers – many of them small independent traders – have been forced to close completely and are facing a cash crisis and having to make staff redundant, it’s vital all supermarkets protect shoppers and help reduce infection numbers so those smaller shops can re-open as soon as possible to save local businesses, protect local jobs and protect the economy.

Until next week, stay safe.