Progress at Rafah

A big storm is brewing to the west, but so far gusty winds and occasional bouts of rain is all we're seeing over Cardiff's coastal plain. Overnight rain clouds blew away early on bringing sunshine, and then more clouds and rain. 

Today's news reports that the Rafah border crossing into Egypt is to be open to let foreign passport holders leave Gaza, and to let seriously ill Palestinian patients leave so they can be treated in a field hospital being set up by the International Red Crescent/Cross inside Egypt. An increased number of aid trucks are supposed to be on the move as well. Meanwhile the Israeli army continue their assault and the number of civilian deaths continue to rise after a second day of air strikes at the Jabalia refugee camp. By the end of the day four hundred people are side to have crossed the border, the majority of the Jordanian citizens.

I had to use my brolly on the walk to St Catherine's to celebrate the Eucharist. After the usual post service coffee and chat I collected the weekly veggie bag from Chapter on my way home to cook lunch. Iona sent me a message yesterday asking if I could take some interior photos of St Luke's which could be used for a Christmas card design, so after we'd eaten I went up to the church with my Sony Alpha and took a dozen and a half photos to share with her. Then I did the weekly grocery shop at the Co-op, and it almost dark by the time I'd finished.

After supper, I read several more chapters of Diana's novel, then watched this week's episode of 'Payback' and the news. The big storm front is moving up the English Channel, but so far its impact on Cardiff has been limited to light rain, and there's more to come tomorrow. The enquiry into the government's handling of the covid pandemic continues with daily testimonies to the dysfunctionality of the team surrounding the Prime Minister, and his inability to exercise competent leadership.  He was described as not having a skill set that equipped him to respond to a pandemic, affecting the timeliness of response to a major public health emergency. As if we didn't know! 

I was in Ibiza when Spain went into full lock-down on 11th March 2020, but it was 26th March before it started in the UK. Yet, both countries were in possession of similar information about the spread. In effect, two weeks of response time was squandered due to Boris Johnson's indecisiveness. How fortunate Britain's research scientists were not in denial about the grave danger posed by covid, developing new kinds of vaccine so rapidly, manufacturing and delivering them to a large proportion of the population within the year. Which reminds me. I'm due to have my sixth covid jab next Monday. And grateful too, side effects notwithstanding.