Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[LDC]

Just chatted to the 17 year old here, two of her friends from school have flown to Pakistan today! Both in their last year at sixth form and over 18, and it's half term week coming up, so they flew out for a break! WTF, is that even allowed? Isn't it illegal to leave the country atm?

And the new rules come in on Monday, she thinks they won't have a clue about that and all the testing and quarantining they have to do. (I would doubt it was true but she showed me their social media of them on an empty plane!) And what the actual fuck were the parents thinking?

 

[SpookyFrank]

A break of sunlight in the gloom



View attachment 254051

Coronavirus R number falls below 1 in UK for first time since July

Reproduction number estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9, suggesting epidemic is shrinking

www.theguardian.com

Since July. Shit. And no lockdown until November. I was watching this all happen in real time and I still don't believe it happened

 

[Supine]

 

[elbows]

Covid: We could live with virus 'like we do flu' by end of year, says Hancock

But scientists warn against treating coronavirus like the flu, with mutations getting "more dangerous".

www.bbc.co.uk

Mr Hancock's comments suggest he is ruling out a "zero Covid" strategy, aimed at eliminating the virus entirely from the UK.

No shit Sherlock. I suppose there have been a couple of times during the pandemic where some small aspects of the rhetoric could have given some people a little room to believe that zero covid was an approach the government might take, but there was never anything of substance, just some superficial lip-service to some of the ideas behind such an approach. As such I highly doubt that it would be easy to find anyone who really believed the government would go down that route. My opinion remains that only a catastrophic failure of their chosen approach would lead to a rethink, and although there may be some setbacks in future it is still hard to imagine the destruction of conventional wisdom about how pandemics end. I wont spend years driving myself nuts about it so long as we do reach a point where the stakes are not so high. Our entire attitude towards pandemics is based on the burden they inflict, if all the parameters are changed then I will move with the reality. I'm not wedded to one pure, ideal approach, and the time when that could have done the most good is probably well in the past now. Should the reality go in a different direction, ie should the exit strategy fail, then I would be quite willing to nail myself to a zero covid mast, but this doesnt currently sound like the most likely outcome.

 

[teqniq]

Apologies if already posted, quite something when the BMJ publishes something like this:

Covid-19: Social murder, they wrote—elected, unaccountable, and unrepentant

After two million deaths, we must have redress for mishandling the pandemic Murder is an emotive word. In law, it requires premeditation. Death must be deemed to be unlawful. How could “murder” apply to failures of a pandemic response? Perhaps it can’t, and never will, but it is worth...

www.bmj.com

 

[teuchter]

Only the third time I think.

 

[Sunray]

Ending the lockdown
Clearly, we can't go on in lockdown indefinitely.
When do we start unlocking the country? What are the statistics you want to see to open up the country again?

Boris Johnson is announcing the Governments strategy on the 22nd. Given his incompetence, I was really nervous about anything he does, but given the numbers. Maybe something in April?

Thoughts?

 

[Orang Utan]

Probably somewhere near the end of this year

 

[souljacker]

Ending the lockdown
Clearly, we can't go on in lockdown indefinitely.
When do we start unlocking the country? What are the statistics you want to see to open up the country again?

Boris Johnson is announcing the Governments strategy on the 22nd. Given his incompetence, I was really nervous about anything he does, but given the numbers. Maybe something in April?

Thoughts?

There is a story doing the rounds that suggested schools back in early March, shops reopen in mid march, pubs on 2nd April. Sounds a bit quick if you ask me. We aren't going to know the effects of opening schools that quickly.

 

[editor]

....pubs on 2nd April

Selfishly I'd be all over that as it means I can have a non shit birthday this year, but I'd be really amazed if pubs are back open by then - and if they are I'll imagine it'll be an all-seater, table service, bubble-tastic 'bistro' experience.

 

[William of Walworth]

Ending the lockdown
Clearly, we can't go on in lockdown indefinitely.
When do we start unlocking the country? What are the statistics you want to see to open up the country again?

Boris Johnson is announcing the Governments strategy on the 22nd. Given his incompetence, I was really nervous about anything he does, but given the numbers. Maybe something in April?
Thoughts?

Surely somewhat later than then?

Probably somewhere near the end of this year

Surely somewhat earlier than then?

I'd take an evens bet on somewhere inbetween those two!

 

[William of Walworth]

....pubs on 2nd April

Selfishly I'd be all over that as it means I can have a non shit birthday this year, but I'd be really amazed if pubs are back open by then - and if they are I'll imagine it'll be an all-seater, table service, bubble-tastic 'bistro' experience.

I agree that 2nd April looks like almost an impossibility. but even if they re-open in May or June, those restrictions will still be there.

(One of my friends in the trade predicts early May Bank Holiday weekend or nearby to then).

At least the weather's likely to be nice enough for outside pubbing by May or June

 

[Artaxerxes]

Mixed feelings about this tbh.

 

[teuchter]

The topography of the Teddington area has changed a bit since I was last there.

 

[Orang Utan]

WTF: New ‘do not resuscitate’ orders imposed on Covid-19 patients with learning difficulties

 

[baldrick]

My bro says there is a very similar situation in the area of Birmingham where he lives.
Such things as unmasked, multi-generational groups crowding together in local shops.

I live in Handsworth and almost everyone I see in the shops has a mask on, and a good proportion of people walking on the street. I think we ought to be a bit more discerning when we talk about this stuff tbh.

 

[teqniq]

WTF: New ‘do not resuscitate’ orders imposed on Covid-19 patients with learning difficulties

Eugenics, anyone?

 

[cupid_stunt]

Today's reported figures -

First dose vaccinations now just over 14m

New cases - 15,144, overall a drop of 26.3% in the last week.

New deaths - 758, which is down 283 on last Friday's 1041, that brings the 7-day average down to around 714 a day, a drop of 27.1% in the last week.

Long way to go still, but everything is moving in the right direction.

Things continue to move in the right direction, today's reported figures -

First dose vaccinations now just over 14.5m

New cases - 13,308, overall a drop of 27.3% in the last week.

New deaths - 621, which is down 207 on last Saturday's 828, that brings the 7-day average down to around 689 a day, a drop of 26.1% in the last week.

 

[Pickman's model]

Things continue to move in the right direction, today's reported figures -

First dose vaccinations now just over 14.5m

New cases - 13,308, overall a drop of 27.3% in the last week.

New deaths - 621, which is down 207 on last Saturday's 828, that brings the 7-day average down to around 689 a day, a drop of 26.1% in the last week.

Don't worry, Johnson will yet prove worldbeating in his own inimitable style

 

[BigMoaner]

Things continue to move in the right direction, today's reported figures -

First dose vaccinations now just over 14.5m

New cases - 13,308, overall a drop of 27.3% in the last week.

New deaths - 621, which is down 207 on last Saturday's 828, that brings the 7-day average down to around 689 a day, a drop of 26.1% in the last week.

With the numbers dropping as they are, it's going to be interesting to see what the government do next to fuck things up. I'm sure Hancock and Johnson are working hard to come up with something that'll get those numbers rising again.

 

[editor]

With the numbers dropping as they are, it's going to be interesting to see what the government do next to fuck things up. I'm sure Hancock and Johnson are working hard to come up with something that'll get those numbers rising again.

I'm sure they'll devise ways to unsquash the sombrero soon.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

With the numbers dropping as they are, it's going to be interesting to see what the government do next to fuck things up. I'm sure Hancock and Johnson are working hard to come up with something that'll get those numbers rising again.

Well that's easy, they'll just lift lockdown too early again and expect that vaccination is going to make up for it.

 

[Sunray]

Selfishly I'd be all over that as it means I can have a non shit birthday this year, but I'd be really amazed if pubs are back open by then - and if they are I'll imagine it'll be an all-seater, table service, bubble-tastic 'bistro' experience.

I think it depends on how the hospitals are faring. Admissions are still happening but given fewer people are getting sick, the numbers will be going down. Places like the Royal London will be in a position to stop using operating theatres as ICU, every floor as COVID wards and staff can start having breaks.

This is the point we can have the 'Can we stand outside a pub with a few friends?' conversation.

 

[baldrick]

In the last month or so I have discovered that I am much less inclined to discuss pandemic detail here unless I see a proper debate about this bit.

I was saying that the other day. We can't talk about the pandemic ending in this country without it becoming under control everywhere else too otherwise it's just going to be a cycle of lockdowns, mutations, reinfections. Isn't it?

 

[editor]

This is the point we can have the 'Can we stand outside a pub with a few friends?' conversation.

I dream of such things.

My ex girlfriend is in Sardinia and there they can move up or down a tier on a weekly basis. The current one means that bars are open till 6pm but there's a curfew at 10pm. A limited number of people can meet each other and visit each other's homes. But if you stray outside the rules you'll get an insta-slapdown, guaranteed (e.g. she had her mask off for a few moments in public when they were at a higher tier and was hit with a €400 fine).

Harsh, but I'd take that right now.

 

[BigMoaner]

Well that's easy, they'll just lift lockdown too early again and expect that vaccination is going to make up for it.

I think most government departments will be working in cohesion to ensure that a full and world beating third wave is in affect by August.

 

[BigMoaner]

Surely the vacinne is going to really start to show in say may, June. Surely?

Surely? Gulp.

 

[BigMoaner]

Honestly it's like we are all in prison. Freedom is hardly the option of popping to fucking sainsburys it? Whrn all a human being can do is go for a day out at Lidl it might as well be prison.

 

[StoneRoad]

I live in Handsworth and almost everyone I see in the shops has a mask on, and a good proportion of people walking on the street. I think we ought to be a bit more discerning when we talk about this stuff tbh.

I checked with my bro just a few days ago, the situation he described has continued to occur throughout the past year - that is, almost no change to their normal behaviour. Yes, there are some masks / gloves in view, but nothing like universally worn in the shops and he is still seeing multi-generational family groups in those same shops.

 

[baldrick]

I checked with my bro just a few days ago, the situation he described has continued to occur throughout the past year - that is, almost no change to their normal behaviour. Yes, there are some masks / gloves in view, but nothing like universally worn in the shops and he is still seeing multi-generational family groups in those same shops.

Where does he live though?