Ian Kenway @iankenway@social.cleverlibre.org

Former councillor banned after Facebook posts called for killing of three politicians. https://nation.cymru/news/former-councillor-banned-after-facebook-posts-called-for-killing-of-three-politicians/

#MEPs vote to add #ChannelIslands and #BritishVirginIslands to #TaxHaven #blacklist | Tax havens | The Guardian

Not before time.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/22/meps-vote-to-add-channel-and-british-virgin-islands-to-tax-haven-blacklist

#EU

Millionaire flew private plane into Welsh airfield to 'see the beach' during lockdown - Wales Online https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/anglesey-plane-coronavirus-court-raf-19666260?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=group_walescourt

Today's #Covid19Cymru headlines:
Cases at their lowest since the end of November; I'm a little suspicious of today's figure. Deaths high - looks like a "catch-up".

Cases - 801 reported today - are in fact so low that it reminds me of last Saturday, when I was suspicious of the figures. Not so low as to be impossible, but I think improbable. Fridays also tend to see the highest, or one of the highest numbers of new cases; likely because people tend to present less for tests over the weekend,
1/5

In short, all of today's figures feel suspect to me. Deaths is most probably a catch-up; the true number (at least, of those qualifying for reporting) is almost certainly lower. And the cases should probably be higher. I am not certain about this though!
Obviously yesterday's prediction of 1237 cases was way out. The prediction for tomorrow is now 1078. Higher than, or about that, and I was right in my suspicion. Significantly lower and I was probably wrong.
5/5

Quarter of known #bee #species have not been recorded since #1990 | #Bees | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/22/quarter-of-known-bee-species-have-not-been-recorded-since-1990

#Ecology #Science #Biology #Entomology #Wildlife #Pollinators #Insects

Joe Biden sends a clear message to the watching world – America’s back https://theconversation.com/joe-biden-sends-a-clear-message-to-the-watching-world-americas-back-153698?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%201841917926&utm_content=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%201841917926+CID_abbbdcf645e2eeb0e6396a695ab2b828&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=all%20starts%20on%20the%20home%20front

‘Look into my eyes’: #UK #government launches hard-hitting ‘stay at home’ #advert – #video | Society | The Guardian

If only those in power hadn’t completely mishandled the situation, we might not be top of the list when it comes to number of deaths per capita per day. Workers on the front line are left to pick up the pieces and face the trauma.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2021/jan/22/look-into-my-eyes-uk-government-launches-hard-hitting-stay-at-home-advert-video

#Pandemic #Covid-19

Today's #Covid19Cymru headlines:
Cases still trending down, positivity still low, deaths down.
Ceredigion records just 2 cases.

Yesterday, I predicted 1078 cases for today. There were 1079. This confirms that yesterday's 801 was an under-reporting. Trends still go in the right direction, despite that; however the fall is lower because of it. Prediction for tomorrow: 1076
7-day average: 1132 - DOWN 7
1/4

R (estimate): 0.82 - UP 0.02
Edging up after yesterday's low figure is expected. The good news is that the rise was small. If R is settling around 0.8, as it appears to be, then we're going to continue to see a good downward trend in cases.

Positivity (the percentage of tests which are positive) was also low today, at 13.6%; not quite as low as yesterday (which was suspect), but otherwise the lowest since 1st December. This is further evidence that the decline in cases is real.
2/4

There were 27 deaths recorded today, following yesterday's unexpected high of 67 (which was not a record, despite claims in other sources). This brings the 7-day average down to its lowest since the new year weekend.
7-day average: 37.14 - DOWN 4.0
3/4

#Ceredigion has just 2 new cases. This is remarkably low. But given that the national figures appear reliable today, there is no reason to doubt it. When dealing with low numbers (compared to the national figures), large variations are more likely.
And maybe it is a sign that the problem we had in Ceredigion was due to just a few clusters, which have fizzled out.
7-day average: 12.86 - DOWN 1.43

Cases for other local authorities here, in screenshot of PHW web page.
4/4

News in brief: Census to take place in March despite Covid concerns. https://nation.cymru/news/news-in-brief-census-to-take-place-in-march-despite-covid-concerns/

Double Down News
How did we get here
https://fb.watch/38gBMCGBm1/

Conservative MPs have ripped out an amendment to the government's trade bill to prevent the NHS being sold off or undermined by the government's trade deals with other countries.

Tory MPs rip out NHS protections from trade bill | The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nhs-trade-deal-protections-sell-off-b1789867.html?fbclid=IwAR0aXmQdqAN5mPefHQO-6v0WCOHVL4j4DGJpyybnYd3hm9_K8PGtRdRT2oA

“Airports are not devolved. The UK govt. refused to do it. They have given money to airports in England but not in Wales. Bristol gets £8m, Cardiff gets nothing. Not a word from the @WelshConserv.”

‘Welsh democracy not safe in the hands of the Tories, warns former First Minister - Nation.Cymru https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-democracy-not-safe-in-the-hands-of-the-tories-warns-former-first-minister/