Current Affairs

[Stephen]

Boris and Co Covid speech.

Typical BBC. Block all the bl**dy information at the bottom of the screen with their logo bar and news we've already heard a dozen times or more.

[barney]

Can anyone advise me on why we spent millions on Nightingale hospitals that haven’t been used.
Not a single patient in Exeter ever, while claiming that the hospital is near capacity.
They are taking us for mugs.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Signing off now. Got to get my coat on and pop out to stock up on bog rolls and tinned tomatoes.

[towny44]

In the current situation no one knows whether they are right or wrong, but everyone is entitled to express their opinions without having them belittled.
As regards covid I have tried not to ridicule anyone else's views, and certainly not Gill with whom I have had plenty of run ins over Brexit, but I do expect the same courtesy from everyone else.

This post has been edited to tidy up

[Ray Scully]

Well John as far as being right or wrong, the view that the vulnerable and older members of the population, most are or can take their own shielding choices quite successfully, doesn't fit with the PM's opinion which he espoused this evening.
Like a view put forward regarding University students being a major cause of the spread. Students at University, generally socialise and live within their own cohort. Undoubtedly they are infecting one another, however I would expect this to be very much within the University population given the strict controls administered by the Universities. Juxtaposition the lives of their peers of a similar age not attending university, they will again be socialising but still living at home. Many will catch Covid but be asymptomatic, and subsequently and unwittingly infect other family members. Where does the greater danger lie?

[towny44]

Well John as far as being right or wrong, the view that the vulnerable and older members of the population, most are or can take their own shielding choices quite successfully, doesn't fit with the PM's opinion which he espoused this evening.
The elderley who live in their own homes, like us have the choice not to mix and mingle with family, friends or anyone else, and I believe they will form the majority.

Like a view put forward regarding University students being a major cause of the spread. Students at University, generally socialise and live within their own cohort. Undoubtedly they are infecting one another, however I would expect this to be very much within the University population given the strict controls administered by the Universities. Juxtaposition the lives of their peers of a similar age not attending university, they will again be socialising but still living at home. Many will catch Covid but be asymptomatic, and subsequently and unwittingly infect other family members. Where does the greater danger lie?

I agree with you about uni students, and that young adults still living at home present a much greater danger of spreading the disease to the vulnerable. But will there be a bigger difference in infection spread between the tier system and the new lockdown? If the live at home young have the same attitude to social distancing under both regimes, then I fear there will be no improvement.

[Kendhni]

*shakes head in despair*

I think Einstein put it best when he said "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe".
That has certainly been proven this year, the best ally that COVID has in this war is human stupidity.

[Gill W]

10 million people over 50 are in the workforce, many in roles that are considered key in the current situation. Not to mention younger people who are clinically vulnerable.

These people can’t shield. They need to earn a living.

Post edited

[towny44]

10 million people over 50 are in the workforce, many in roles that are considered key in the current situation. Not to mention younger people who are clinically vulnerable.

These people can’t shield. They need to earn a living.

Gill, if you followed the thread you would know that I support the current regional and tiered approach, which in places appears to be starting to work, and certainly this last week the number of daily cases does appear to have stalled in the low 20,000s. Yet again I am disappointed that Boris, seems to have been bullied into these tighter restrictions, before he has allowed the current measures enough time to truly determine their effectiveness.

Post edited

[david63]

So does this mean that everyone will be out in the streets on Wednesday night having a party?

[Onelife]

Don't be so b***dy sarcastic and condescending.
Why do you assume that you are always right and everyone who dares to disagree with you is not only wrong.but stupid as well.

It wasn’t sarcasm or condescension.

Just a genuine reaction.

You seemed to be saying that it was ok for the virus to be allowed to continue to spread unabated

10 million people over 50 are in the workforce, many in roles that are considered key in the current situation. Not to mention younger people who are clinically vulnerable.

These people can’t shield. They need to earn a living.

Gill, if you followed the thread you would know that I support the current regional and tiered approach, which in places appears to be starting to work, and certainly this last week the number of daily cases does appear to have stalled in the low 20,000s. Yet again I am disappointed that Boris, seems to have been bullied into these tighter restrictions, before he has allowed the current measures enough time to truly determine their effectiveness.

*shakes head in despair*

[screwy]

Not me. But then it’s been a long time since I partied..

[Gill W]

Gill, if you followed the thread you would know that I support the current regional and tiered approach, which in places appears to be starting to work, and certainly this last week the number of daily cases does appear to have stalled in the low 20,000s. Yet again I am disappointed that Boris, seems to have been bullied into these tighter restrictions, before he has allowed the current measures enough time to truly determine their effectiveness.

We haven’t got the luxury of time.

[Kendhni]

So does this mean that everyone will be out in the streets on Wednesday night having a party?

There is no accounting for human stupidity

[Kendhni]

It wasn’t sarcasm or condescension.

Just a genuine reaction.

You seemed to be saying that it was ok for the virus to be allowed to continue to spread unabated

10 million people over 50 are in the workforce, many in roles that are considered key in the current situation. Not to mention younger people who are clinically vulnerable.

These people can’t shield. They need to earn a living.

Gill, if you followed the thread you would know that I support the current regional and tiered approach, which in places appears to be starting to work, and certainly this last week the number of daily cases does appear to have stalled in the low 20,000s. Yet again I am disappointed that Boris, seems to have been bullied into these tighter restrictions, before he has allowed the current measures enough time to truly determine their effectiveness.

*shakes head in despair*

Got to agree, I think some people get their news from the Beano or a drunk down the pub. SAGE was suggesting a lockdown back in September, so Johnson has had about 6 weeks to see the impact that has had and determine how ineffective his crass incompetent handling of this situation has been (from the start) - based on a virus that has a 7-14 day incubation. He should know (although I am not sure he listens to those paid to advise him) that we are on the same trajectory as other countries who have gone into lockdown so he has always had several weeks of warning - he has, so far, failed at every step.

We have had hospitals reporting problems now for a month; hospitals turning seriously ill people away because they have no room; nightingale hospitals being reopened; critical healthcare being shelved; now hospitals are reporting that they do not have enough supplies of oxygen requiring staff to make 'who-lives-who-dies' determinations; they are low on supplies of other vital drugs and equipment as well.


Having said that, I think the last thing any government wants is a lockdown that hurts the economy. The fact that governments have been using this as their primary tool makes me think that this disease, and its propensity to infect and mutate, could be worse than what we are being told. I also hope that this action will be enough to save Christmas, although I think the stupidity of many will undermine this action.

[Stephen]

So does this mean that everyone will be out in the streets on Wednesday night having a party?

Count me in David....not. My party days are long gone

Personally I think the whole lock down is a waste of time while schools and universities are still allowed to function as normal spreading the virus as they go. The lock down is for four weeks not four months, so apart from essential places being open such as food shops the whole country should have been locked down.

Sorry Boris, a missed opportunity that will come back to bite you.

[Gill W]

So does this mean that everyone will be out in the streets on Wednesday night having a party?

Count me in David....not. My party days are long gone

Personally I think the whole lock down is a waste of time while schools and universities are still allowed to function as normal spreading the virus as they go. The lock down is for four weeks not four months, so apart from essential places being open such as food shops the whole country should have been locked down.

Sorry Boris, a missed opportunity that will come back to bite you.

When you consider that it took 3 months of a more extensive lockdown (although it wasn’t as harsh as other countries) and there was more goodwill from the population to keep to the rules, to get to the position we were in the summer - this new lockdown is a sticking plaster.

I hope it’ll work in so far as it stops the NHS getting completely overwhelmed. But not sure that the spread of the virus will be reduced significantly, what with the schools still being open, the Covid deniers and anti maskers refusing to comply and the general erosion of good will towards lockdowns.

[Meg 50]

and the ones not partying will be packing the garden centres etc - which I assume will be shut from Thursday onwards

[screwy]

It was suggested yesterday on LBC that a four week lockdown would cost the country about 72 billion..

Standby for tax rises..

[screwy]

Changing the subject completely.

Well done England, six nations champions,suppose we have something to thank the French for.

[towny44]

Gill, if you followed the thread you would know that I support the current regional and tiered approach, which in places appears to be starting to work, and certainly this last week the number of daily cases does appear to have stalled in the low 20,000s. Yet again I am disappointed that Boris, seems to have been bullied into these tighter restrictions, before he has allowed the current measures enough time to truly determine their effectiveness.

We haven’t got the luxury of time.

Gill, last time it took nearly 3 months from lockdown to bring infections down to a level where a limited easing could be started. What evidence do you have that this time it can be done in 4 weeks, especially when public opinion among the young is totally against a lockdown, which can only mean that observance of the rules this time will not be as good as in March and April.
This is why I much prefer the tiered approach which, even though it still does not have the full support of the young, it is probably far more acceptable to them than a full lockdown, and hopefully will continue to slow the infection rate, albeit not as fast a fully observed lockdown will. I am a pragmatist and try to take on board the wider views, and I think this 4 week lockdown is doomed to failure,

[Manoverboard]

The young have a bias towards heavy eating and drinking so why ask for their views ... we already know them.

[screwy]

But Moby, the young are the future.!

[Midlandslass]

Average age of those who have died from Covid, 82.4 years.

[Onelife]

Being all heart, I felt a little sorry for Boris at yesterdays shambles of a briefing…. he looked a broken man in need of some anti-depressants…I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s announced that he’s taken to his bed having been found to be suffering from Long Covid/pressure of responsibility.