- The latest update of coronavirus cases worldwide has caused many people to stop as it shows not only sudden increases, but also many places, across the United States, setting records for single-day highs in the number of cases new.
- And yet, people continue to engage in completely ridiculous behavior in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Case in point: Look at these photographs of beaches in England, where people filled the area this week by the thousands with little regard for social estrangement.
Everyone knew that the next phase of the coronavirus pandemic would be like this, characterized by an increase in cases as cities, states and countries around the world gradually reopen and facilitate blockade measures.
However, the peaks we are seeing right now are quite troubling. According to a NBC News Tally, for example, the United States hit another one-day record for new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, when it recorded 45,557 confirmed infections. The previous high returned on April 26, according to the same follow-up data, when more than 36,000 cases were reported. But not only is the United States dealing with frightening waves. The situation became so dire in England at one point this week that an “important incident” was abruptly declared.
What was the incident, you ask? Well, the British government didn’t call it pure human stupidity, but that’s what it was. Earlier this week, local authorities in Dorset County warned people to stay there on the beaches, despite the fact that temperatures had reached the hottest point for all of 2020 so far. However, as you can see from the images at the top of this post and below, people ignored the advice and preferred to enjoy the warm weather rather than behaving as if we were still in the midst of a pandemic.
How CNN Reportedly, they filled the area’s beaches by the thousands, filling them with cars and people sunbathing, as you can also see here:
In fact, the beaches were so crowded that local officials said they had removed more than 40 tons of waste on Thursday morning from the shoreline.
By CNN, the leader of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, Vikki Slade, said she was “absolutely horrified” and issued the following statement: “The irresponsible behavior and actions of so many people are simply shocking and our services extend to the absolute grip trying to keep everyone safe. Now we have no choice but to declare a major incident and initiate an emergency response. “
This comes before the UK lifts further closure restrictions on July 4. However, as this latest incident shows, the path to get there has not been an easy one for the UK as a whole. On June 13, for example, a couple of illegal raves were held near Manchester in northern England, attracting several thousand people. And just this week, at least 22 policemen were injured after a London street party turned violent.
To get a general idea of whether the country is at the moment, according to the latest numbers from Johns Hopkins University, more than 309,000 coronavirus infections have been reported in the UK to date. And, based on those same numbers, more than 43,000 deaths have been reported in the UK from the virus.
Andy is a reporter in Memphis who also contributes to media like Fast Company and The Guardian. When he’s not writing about technology, he can be found protectively hunched over his burgeoning vinyl collection, plus guarding his whovianism and binging on a variety of television shows he probably won’t like.
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