COVID – update and thoughts as we look towards autumn and winter

As we move towards September and out of the summer holidays, we want to start looking forward and thinking about the implications of what comes next in terms of COVID.  The other day I mentioned that the UK figures were being confused a little by what we are seeing in England and what we are… Continue reading COVID – update and thoughts as we look towards autumn and winter

Updated data and thoughts for church COVID risk assessments

As promised here’s an update on where I think we are in terms of COVID-19 and its impact on our return to in person church gatherings. First of all, here’s an update on the data. The first important graph is the one showing case growth. As you can see, we saw a return to positive… Continue reading Updated data and thoughts for church COVID risk assessments

Was the reported fall in COVID cases real? And why does this matter for churches and church leaders?

You may remember that I wrote this article last week following some suggestions that we could not rely on the COVID-19 data being shared from the official website. The argument was that whilst Lateral Flow and PCR tests results were showing a drop in the number of cases, that couldn’t possibly be true. This linked… Continue reading Was the reported fall in COVID cases real? And why does this matter for churches and church leaders?

“I’ll wait for Survation”

Survation famously got their 2017 General Election prediction pretty near right when all the other pollsters floundered. So in 2019, when nearly every pollster was calling it for the Conservatives as a clear win, a frequent refrain from those rooting for Jeremy Corbyn was “I’ll wait for Survation”. The hope and belief was that once… Continue reading “I’ll wait for Survation”

COVID trends update for church risk management

Over the past couple of days we’ve seen the first fall in the daily figures for new COVID cases by reported date for a long time. Now, we need to approach the data with some caution recognising that The reported date is not the same as the actual specimen date when the test was taken.… Continue reading COVID trends update for church risk management

What is our responsibility at this stage of the pandemic?

What’s your opinion about the 19th July re-opening? Strong opinions have been expressed from all sides and Christians and church leaders are not immune to holding such strong views. If you’ve followed this blog carefully over the past few weeks, you’ll have picked up that I’m cautiously positive about the decision to fully re-open. I’m… Continue reading What is our responsibility at this stage of the pandemic?

COVID forecasting – Rear view mirrors and uncertainty

What kind of COVID numbers can we expect to be seeing over the next few weeks?  Knowing what we might expect to see is crucial for those involved in making the big decisions because  case numbers impact on hospital admissions and that in turn has an impact on mortality figures.  Those involved in leading churches… Continue reading COVID forecasting – Rear view mirrors and uncertainty

Keep the Nightclubs closed

Where is the biggest risk going to be over the next few weeks as we move out of the final stages of restrictions? I suspect it won’t be in churches as we move back to normal worship, it is clear that churches are seeking to do this responsibly. It won’t be in your local supermarket.… Continue reading Keep the Nightclubs closed

The Government, COVID and a tricky call about reopening

So, how do you feel about the decision to end COVID-19 regulations on the 19th July? Some of you are no doubt excited and relieved to see those measures coming to an end, others perhaps frustrated that the end didn’t come sooner and many feeling extremely anxious, concerned that this has come too soon and… Continue reading The Government, COVID and a tricky call about reopening