Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[elbows]

It's quite notable that comparing to Italy, Spain and France, with whom we'd previously been sharing vaguely similar trajectories, we've now gone in a quite different direction. UK was doing a bit better in the early stages of the second wave, then two or three weeks ago we lost control. So did Ireland but their numbers not yet as bad.

Control is possible, and possible to lose, at an earlier stage than deaths. Control was lost in late November and early December in regions to the south and east that have driven our deaths to more than double those seen in the November plateau.

Spain will get worsse again, as alarming rises in hospitalisations are showing up in their data again recently. This should be very evident next time I publish my graph of Covid-19 patients in hospital in a few countries. I just have to wait for todays data, and will likely put that graph on the worldwide thread when its ready.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Some much needed focus on employers again. Becoming quite the theme very recently.

'My boss made me come to work and I caught Covid'

Despite the risks, people say they are being asked to work on site when they could do it from home.

www.bbc.co.uk

Between 6 and 14 January, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received 3,934 complaints relating to coronavirus and took enforcement action in 81 cases.



What's that, 2% of cases? And I wonder how much of that 'enforcement action' amounts to a strongly worded letter asking companies not to needlessly risk the life of their employees quite so overtly in future.

 

[elbows]

Between 6 and 14 January, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received 3,934 complaints relating to coronavirus and took enforcement action in 81 cases.



What's that, 2% of cases? And I wonder how much of that 'enforcement action' amounts to a strongly worded letter asking companies not to needlessly risk the life of their employees quite so overtly in future.

Lets see if any momentum builds as a result of this new-found desire to actually talk about the issues in the media.

Although the timing of this does mean it gets added to my disgusting pile of issues that are apparently only worth dwelling on when we are at the very peak of the horror.

Earlier, we reported on the story of Jane - an administrator who says she caught Covid after her boss made her come into the office.

Since then, readers have been sharing their experiences of having to come into the workplace during lockdown.

One woman told us her bosses insisted she continue working in the office, where clients came in for meetings without wearing masks or socially distancing.

After coming into contact with someone with Covid, she was told she would have to use holiday to self-isolate, she says.

"I had to use all my holidays to self isolate.

“I decided I couldn’t stay in that job, and I have now left and have found a new job that allows me to work from home”.

'Glorified flu'

Primrose, who is in her 60s, works in a parcel distribution facility.

She says masks are mandatory at work but many of her colleagues do not wear them and the rules are not adequately enforced.

"Some nights only three of us - out of more than 20 - wear a mask and in the morning drivers turn up and push past us not wearing masks.

"Younger workers say Covid is just glorified flu and they will claim anxiety for having to wear it, and police can’t prove otherwise.

“Enforcement is a mess."

From BBC live updates page at 12:13 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-55715793

 

[elbows]

On a related note, I found this rather depressing in all sorts of ways when I read it yesterday:

Store staff pay final respects to colleague

Ex-Marine John Deacy, 81, died with Covid-19 just two weeks after his last shift at the supermarket.

www.bbc.co.uk

Staff gathered outside a supermarket to pay their respects to a colleague who died with coronavirus.

John Deacy, 81, worked the Christmas Eve shift at the Tesco Extra store in Gabalfa, Cardiff, died just two weeks later.

Friends and colleagues clapped as the funeral procession went by the store.

 

[teuchter]

Control is possible, and possible to lose, at an earlier stage than deaths. COntrol was lost in late November and early December in regions to the south and east

Yes, point taken.

 

[IC3D]

Packed like sardines again on way to make rich richer

 

[teuchter]

Packed like sardines again on way to make rich richer

At least two chin masks in action there too.

 

[Wilf]

Dumbfuck Gideon doesn't even know that he would have still had to self-isolate under current rules.

Another grade A cunt...

And that's a bit of brain leakage. What he really thinks, but can't say, is that all important people - ministers, CEOs, him - should be at the front of the vaccine queue.

 

[zora]

Schools could reopen sooner in some parts of England, medical chief says

Concerns raised about fairness of assessment if areas such as London go back quicker

www.theguardian.com

Oh great, because the regional thing went so well last time. If infection levels are low - quick, let them get up again by having more ongoing mass gatherings! I appreciate the extreme strain on teachers, parents and children by having schools closed - but can't the fuckers (the politicians, that is) implement some of the recommendations at last that would actually at least slow down transmission via schools- larger spaces, smaller groups, factoring in a couple of planned additional breaks en route to the summer?

 

[teuchter]

How do you implement larger spaces and smaller groups in schools without building new schools and employing more staff?

 

[editor]

FFS:

Test And Trace Paying Nearly A Million Pounds A Day To Consultants Deloitte

Boris Johnson’s test and trace system is paying nearly a million pounds every day to private consultancy firm Deloitte, government officials have revealed.


David Williams, the department of health and social care’s (DHSC) second permanent secretary, told MPs that 900 of the private firm’s consultants were currently being used at a pay rate of £1,000 a day. That would mean £900,000 per day on one firm alone.

The new figure came as the Commons Public Accounts Committee was also told that the department expects to spend £15bn in the next three months alone on more testing, particularly rapid testing, to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The much-criticised NHS Test and Trace service, run by Tory peer Dido Harding, has already come under fire for its use of private firms including Serco and Sitel to set up and run its call centres and other services.

Test And Trace Paying Nearly £1m A Day To Private Consultants

Government officials reveal new figure, as they plan to spend £15bn in just three months on more testing.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

 

[nagapie]

How do you implement larger spaces and smaller groups in schools without building new schools and employing more staff?

You give extra funding to utiilise community spaces and buy in extra staff. For example there is a church hall around the corner from my school that we used to use for exams when we were under construction. Teaching agencies are full of staff waiting to be employed in schools. Just need funding and extra staff to organise, oversee and facilitate.

 

[miss direct]

You stagger lesson times, lunch times and stagger days of attendance. And make people wear masks, not this stupid policy of only in corridors.

 

[zora]

nagapie and miss direct have taken the words out of my mouth. All of that. They have had A YEAR.

 

[wayward bob]

world beating statistics today again

Covid: UK records new daily high of 1,610 deaths

The total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test during the pandemic is now above 90,000.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[nagapie]

nagapie and miss direct have taken the words out of my mouth. All of that. They have had A YEAR.

And now children have nearly had a year out of school, if we're also counting the shambles that was the autumn term and was plagued by isolations and large groups being sent home in my area.

 

[cupid_stunt]

world beating statistics today again

Covid: UK records new daily high of 1,610 deaths

The total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test during the pandemic is now above 90,000.

www.bbc.co.uk

That's up 367 on last Tuesday, increasing the 7-day daily average from 1,129 yesterday to 1,181 today.

Good to see the downward trend in new cases continues, today's figure is 33,355, but it's going to be a while before that translates into a reduction of deaths, grim.

 

[brogdale]

world beating statistics today again

Covid: UK records new daily high of 1,610 deaths

The total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test during the pandemic is now above 90,000.

www.bbc.co.uk

And 1,507 in England alone; fucksake

 

[killer b]

Teaching agencies are full of staff waiting to be employed in schools.

is this the case if all the schools need loads of extra staff though? Don't disagree there's stuff that can be done, but I don't think there's enough agency staff available to expand schools massively

 

[wayward bob]

can anyone point me to where i've seen a graph with the devolved UK nations case/death rates compared? wales was a green line. have trawled my history unsuccessfully.

eta: i think it's somewhere on Official UK Coronavirus Dashboard but i'm only seeing blocky charts i can't read, there was defo one with a line for each country that i could...

 

[teuchter]

I thought we had a shortage of teachers, not a surplus looking for jobs.

 

[Deej1992]

world beating statistics today again

Covid: UK records new daily high of 1,610 deaths

The total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test during the pandemic is now above 90,000.

www.bbc.co.uk

Awful stats again.

 

[weepiper]

Scottish lockdown continues until mid February at the earliest. Quite happy with this personally.

Scotland's coronavirus lockdown extended until at least mid-February

The decision means that millions of people living on the mainland will be forced to stay at home for around another four weeks.

inews.co.uk

 

[Pickman's model]

Scottish lockdown continues until mid February at the earliest. Quite happy with this personally.

Scotland's coronavirus lockdown extended until at least mid-February

The decision means that millions of people living on the mainland will be forced to stay at home for around another four weeks.

inews.co.uk

i think this will last into march and quite possibly until easter

 

[weepiper]

i think this will last into march and quite possibly until easter

I'm certainly not anticipating the kids being back at school before Easter.

 

[Pickman's model]

I'm certainly not anticipating the kids being back at school before Easter.

yeh reckon i'll be wfh at least till then

 

[zora]

And now children have nearly had a year out of school, if we're also counting the shambles that was the autumn term and was plagued by isolations and large groups being sent home in my area.

Very much so. Worst of all possible scenarios.

is this the case if all the schools need loads of extra staff though? Don't disagree there's stuff that can be done, but I don't think there's enough agency staff available to expand schools massively

I was wondering about that, too (having zero insight into this myself). But especially if it's about younger kids who need fewer specialist subject teachers and more exploration and a place where they can be looked after and develop in the company of their peers with some kind of educational activities, - surely there must be huge numbers of people who are qualified to work in some kind of capacity with children and who are not doing so atm? But maybe by that point we are so far in the realm of what's not going to happen and the debate of what school and education should or could actually be for, that it's sort of moot.

 

[Wilf]

That's up 367 on last Tuesday, increasing the 7-day daily average from 1,129 yesterday to 1,181 today.

Good to see the downward trend in new cases continues, today's figure is 33,355, but it's going to be a while before that translates into a reduction of deaths, grim.

Not sure when the Christmas period deaths are supposed to hit? Maybe in another week or 10 days? Will presumably be a further bulge on whatever shape the deaths graph is at at that point.

 

[brogdale]

Awful stats again.

I was reflecting the other day with Mrs B on our recollection of how we were remembering back in the summer how shocked we were at the dark days of Wave 1 when the daily death toll crept over into 4 figures for a number of days.

This is such a fucking disaster and I'm annoyed with myself for suffering from 'boiling frog' style news fatigue at these numbers. There should be so much anger out there.

 

[killer b]

I'm annoyed with myself for suffering from 'boiling frog' style news fatigue at these numbers.

you seem pretty consistently pissed off at the numbers tbf