Current Affairs

[towny44]

The mood music still seems to be that all restrictions will be lifted on 19th July, so it looks like we’ll have to get used to all this when we start ‘living with it’.

infections will be astronomical, with all the consequences.

But surely that's the point Gill. The consequences of high infection rates on an almost fully vaccinated adult population is proving to be far less serious than winter flu epidemics.

[david63]

infections will be astronomical, with all the consequences.

I keep saying this - nobody knows how many "infections" there are, or will be.

There is no doubting that when most restrictions are lifted that there will be a rise in positive tests with a small increase in hospitalisations but to suggest that the consequences will be "astronomical" is going a bit over the top. The whole point about being able to lift restrictions is the success of the vaccine rollout which has already proved that hospitalisations, and deaths, are dramatically reduced.

I doubt for one minute that all restrictions will be lifted on 19th July - my guess is that

• There will still be restrictions on international travel
• The wearing of face coverings will still be required on public transport - at least until September when all second jabs should have been given
• Test and Trace will still be running - again until September
• Hospitals, and possibly other venues, will still have their own restrictions

[Kendhni]

Something I haven't heard mentioned for a while (or only as an aside) ... when the vaccines were rolled out it was thought that they would only be effective for 6-9 months requiring boosters. While there is a booster programme in the pipeline, those who had the vaccine early (e.g. Dec, Jan) are now starting to hit the window whereby they may (or may not) become susceptible to the virus once again.

[Manoverboard]

I was thinking about that aspect this very morning, we had our first jabs mid January

[Kendhni]

[*]The wearing of face coverings will still be required on public transport - at least until September when all second jabs should have been given
[*]Test and Trace will still be running - again until September
[*]Hospitals, and possibly other venues, will still have their own restrictions[/list]

I am seeing more and more people discarding the face masks or, especially older people, wearing it below the nose (maybe the government needs to re-educate some people on how to wear a mask). I have also seen used masks and gloves being thrown out of car windows and discarded carelessly.

My wife had to attend A&E yesterday and I was surprised when she told me that many people were not wearing masks; or wearing them around their chin; people had family members with them (while notices explicitly stated this was not allowed) and a total lack of social distancing ... and this was in a hospital. I asked her to take a few pictures which I have just emailed to a local radio station. She also told me that during her consultation (the doctor had stepped out) and a nurse told her she had to leave the room because another doctor needed it - she stood in the corridor and another patient was moved into the room without any cleaning whatsoever (suffice to say the nurse was put in her place when the doctor came back).

[Gill W]

But surely that's the point Gill. The consequences of high infection rates on an almost fully vaccinated adult population is proving to be far less serious than winter flu epidemics.

Last Wednesday, 16000 positive tests. Yesterday 28000. Therefore it’s not unreasonable to think that by the end of next week we’ll be looking at 40000 a day. Exponential growth means that the growth gets bigger and bigger. I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess where we’ll be in 2 weeks time. All the crowds at sporting events aren’t going to help either. The trouble is with uncontrolled virus spread leading to hundreds of thousands of infections means that even small numbers become big. Hospitalisations and deaths will increase. There are other consequences, as I’ve said. New variants, countries will not permit us to travel. Not to mention long COVID. People will be chronically ill, for months, years even. We are a long way from a fully vaccinated population and even 2 jabs doesn’t stop you catching it.

Just wait and see.

[barney]

There is no appetite for any more lockdowns.
Life must go on as normally as possible with caution.
Anyone who has concerns can exercise their right to stay in as much as they want, but don’t expect others to blindly follow.

[screwy]

Being so cheerful keeps some people going.

Best just leave me with my tablets and a bottle of Rum.

[Ranchi]

On a lighter note, from today’s press ( following a recent series of letters regarding titles)

Rank disbelief
SIR – Some years ago, as a retirement present to ourselves on leaving the Army after 38 years of service, my wife and I took a P&O cruise.
One evening we were invited to pre-dinner drinks with the captain. As we waited in line to be announced, my wife noted that some of those in front of us were giving their military rank (Letters, July 1), and suggested that it would probably be the last occasion on which I would be able to use mine.
When it came to our turn, I told the person introducing us that we were Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs Morgan. He looked me up and down and, in disbelief, said: “Yeah, right!”
Needless to say, apart from attending military functions, I have not used it since.
Steve Morgan
Whitney-on-Wye, Herefordshire

[oldbluefox]

There is no appetite for any more lockdowns.
Life must go on as normally as possible with caution.
Anyone who has concerns can exercise their right to stay in as much as they want, but don’t expect others to blindly follow.

I drink to that. Boris seems to be in favour of easing some restrictions but keeping some in place.

Being so cheerful keeps some people going.

Heard it all before on a different subject. Time will tell but it helps if everybody takes their own precautions instead of wanting to be led by the hand and looking for excuses and someone to blame. I'm in the camp of personal responsibility.

[barney]

We’ve spent thousands on the winter collections that we have to purchase about nine months in advance.
For those who are calling for winter lockdown, please advise what we are supposed to do with it.
Maybe we can send the invoice to the government for them to pay?
Even with the grants during the original lockdown, it still cost thousands in lost revenue.
Irrespective of any instructions, Torrington has decided that they will not go into another lockdown.

[Quizzical Bob]

But surely that's the point Gill. The consequences of high infection rates on an almost fully vaccinated adult population is proving to be far less serious than winter flu epidemics.

Last Wednesday, 16000 positive tests. Yesterday 28000. Therefore it’s not unreasonable to think that by the end of next week we’ll be looking at 40000 a day. Exponential growth means that the growth gets bigger and bigger. I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess where we’ll be in 2 weeks time. All the crowds at sporting events aren’t going to help either. The trouble is with uncontrolled virus spread leading to hundreds of thousands of infections means that even small numbers become big. Hospitalisations and deaths will increase. There are other consequences, as I’ve said. New variants, countries will not permit us to travel. Not to mention long COVID. People will be chronically ill, for months, years even. We are a long way from a fully vaccinated population and even 2 jabs doesn’t stop you catching it.

Just wait and see.

There is also such a thing as exponential decay. Exponential change just means that the rate of change is proportional to the amount. A Ponzi scheme also has exponential growth to begin with but eventually it must run out of victims. All pandemics eventually fade away. Mass vaccination hastens that decay.

[oldbluefox]

I don't see what the problem is for small shops to open, if the usual precautions are observed. I have had my hair cut and I have visited the opticians and in both cases the usual routines were in place. We cannot continue having lockdown after lockdown especially since the vaccination programme is having an effect on hospitalisations and ultimately deaths. The country cannot afford it and neither can some businesses. Coronavirus is something we are going to have to live with in the long term. In the short term we will do what we have been doing over the past 12 months or more.

[towny44]

I get the impression that some people want the economy to fail, just so they can take delight in saying I told you so.
Let's hope that Boris ignores these doomsayers and goes ahead with the maximum removal of lockdown measures on July 19th.

[david63]

My wife had to attend A&E yesterday and I was surprised when she told me that many people were not wearing masks; or wearing them around their chin; people had family members with them (while notices explicitly stated this was not allowed) and a total lack of social distancing ... and this was in a hospital.

I am surprised about that and I would say that it is more down to a lack of enforcement by the Trust than a general behaviour. Maybe your Trust does not have the manpower, or the will, to enforce their own rules. I know from my own experience of hospital appointments over the last few months that our local Trust does enforce their rules.

I hope it was nothing too serious with Julie

[Kendhni]

I don't see what the problem is for small shops to open, if the usual precautions are observed. I have had my hair cut and I have visited the opticians and in both cases the usual routines were in place. We cannot continue having lockdown after lockdown especially since the vaccination programme is having an effect on hospitalisations and ultimately deaths. The country cannot afford it and neither can some businesses. Coronavirus is something we are going to have to live with in the long term. In the short term we will do what we have been doing over the past 12 months or more.

As long as people and businesses follow the guidelines and rules as laid out by the government there should be no cause to complain. It is the obnoxious few that think they can make up their own rules that should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

[Kendhni]

I hope it was nothing too serious with Julie

Thanks. Let's just say it wasn't the news we had hoped for (not life threatening, but possibly life changing - depends on what happens over the next couple of months)

[Kendhni]

I never was a fan of statue toppling
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/canada-reside ... 00549.html
To me it is an attempt to rewrite history rather than learn from it.

[oldbluefox]

Moving on is about recognising the mistakes of the past and doing something about it but you cannot erase history and nor should you even try.

[oldbluefox]

Man charged with common assault on Chris Whitty. I hope it costs him a lot of money.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57695301

[david63]

Man charged with common assault on Chris Whitty. I hope it costs him a lot of money.

He's already lost his job - serves him right

[Stephen]

Man charged with common assault on Chris Whitty. I hope it costs him a lot of money.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57695301

Good.
A good hefty fine and community service should top it off nicely.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I saw another story of a pop up vaccination clinic that had to close because of disruption by an anti vax demo. That is totally unacceptable. I accept the right of individuals to refuse vaccination themselves, providing they are happy to take responsibility for the impact health and otherwise (eg they might not tio be able to go on a cruise). But they do not have the right to stop others making the choice to have a vaccination and it should be a criminal.offence if they try to do so.

[barney]

My Mrs had an anti vaxxer in the shop yesterday, telling her she should go and get it flushed out.
Mrs B said she just laughed at her, which didn’t help the situation
It takes all sorts I suppose.

[Manoverboard]

This morning we nearly ran over a scruffy old bag armed with placards waddling about in the curb proclaiming to the World that Covid was a fake ... she on the other hand was entirely kosher