Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Orang Utan]

Police are neither frontline nor workers.

they are frontline though, and i have the misfortune of having to work in the same building as the plastics and I would rather not be forced to breath their air and use the same toilets, as they have to go into the company of some quite unwell people or chaotic people who don't social distance.
(they are lazy corrupt thick twats as well)

 

[crossthebreeze]

From the Independant live updates:

Coronavirus rate of transmission is increasing, says chief government statistician
The critical ‘R’ rate measuring the spread of coronavirus infections is on the rise again, the chief national statistician says – raising fresh questions about any lockdown easing.
Professor Ian Diamond of the ONS said he agreed with analysis by Professor John Edmunds that the 'R' rate in the UK has actually risen.
"Professor Edmunds, I think, is right - the 'R' probably has gone up just a little bit from his last estimates, and that is driven by the epidemic in care homes," he said. "I would not demur from that.
"That gives us a real challenge to reduce the epidemic in care homes and it's one that I think over the next few weeks will happen.”
It came moments after Dominic Raab said "if we see that the R level goes back up, we will tighten the restrictions again, we will always retain the option to do so" - as he paved the way for Boris Johnson announce changes to the current restrictions on Sunday.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Reading posts on here, it does seem the lockdown has been breaking down over the last week or so, and from most of those posters saying so, it seems a problem mainly in cities & London in particular.

There's no signs of it happening around Worthing, the seafront & parks are almost dead, very little traffic on local roads, on a par with a Christmas day. Normally in this weather my neighbours & I would be having BBQ parties, whilst some have been having BBQs for their household, none could be described as 'parties', certainly no cars or taxis coming or going.

Although, it's reported the 'A' roads in Sussex are busier over the last week or so, no idea where they are going or doing, but they don't seem to be heading towards the seafront.

 

[Callie]

I’d also like to know what happened to the 2 million antibody tests we ordered from China before they were even tested.

In the bin

 

[Grandma Death]

I got my car washed today and breezed into my local supermarket within minutes with zero security on the door and numbers not limited. This wasn't the state of affairs less than a few days ago. Im a little concerned to say the least

 

[Orang Utan]

Reading posts on here, it does seem the lockdown has been breaking down over the last week or so, and from most of those posters saying so, it seems a problem mainly in cities & London in particular.

There's no signs of it happening around Worthing, the seafront & parks are almost dead, very little traffic on local roads, on a par with a Christmas day.

Although, it's reported the 'A' roads in Sussex are busier over the last week or so, no idea where they are going or doing, but they don't seem to be heading towards the seafront.

i think it must vary in urban areas too - the contrast between where I live and work is striking - I live in a 'leafy suburb' where many have gardens, the streets are wider, the shops are bigger and many people are comfortably off and/or working from home, but where I work has one of the highest population densities in Europe, with few gardens and green spaces, overcrowded and insanitary housing, and a much higher proportion of people who cannot afford not to work or who are keyworkers. So of course there are way more people and traffic on the streets.

 

[MrSki]

What a cunt.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Following a question from the same reporter that Raab called 'crafty' today, for asking more than one question, Harries gave an explanation about why temperature checks are unreliable/pointless in testing at borders or anywhere else - workplaces etc (in a comparison to S.Korea's success, iirc) - that it's not really meaningful because there is a 14 day incubation period - also based on 'reliable kit' (which is it, really, isn't it) - when our own instructions to self-isolate, based on symptoms, continues to be (I think?!) a temp or a persistent cough, while we also head back towards lifting lockdown measures and returning people to work/school. Fuck sake.

Also Raab calling a reporter 'crafty' for asking too many questions (after he also stopped reading, aloud, the first question from the member of public, to give the full context of the question.

 

[frogwoman]

Around here people weren't really following it to begin with. I was pissed in the early weeks but now I just feel dead eyed rage at the government tbh.

The lockdown is definitely causing hardship especially if it drags on indefinitely but the way its happening at such a speed is terrifying

 

[sheothebudworths]

And 'prevelance is vital', to incorporate with the R value - when we have NOT been testing nearly enough.
It's really scary that they keep highlighting the issue of our new cases not dropping, that plateauing is good because we're testing more, when we've consistently tested on such a diabolically low scale - even more so at this point that they look to be loosening everything.

 

[Artaxerxes]

What has caused their most trusty newspapers this morning to be apparently so out of step with what the government now says they plan to announce on Sunday? I am confused by it. The papers must have got it from somewhere. Seems a possibility that they changed their minds when they observed the general reaction? We have a pm who above all wants to be liked I think.

We have a PM who likes plausible deniability and is happily going to pas blame on to those silly media types for chafing about lockdown (even though we briefed that we might let it wind down, what what) when the rate rises again in a week or two.

 

[phillm]

 

[weltweit]

Leaked report on Exercise Cygnus

What was Exercise Cygnus and what did it find?

The 2016 simulation of a pandemic found holes in the UK’s readiness for such a crisis

www.theguardian.com

Revealed: the secret report that gave ministers warning of care home coronavirus crisis

Care providers say government did not discuss key Exercise Cygnus concerns with them

www.theguardian.com

Good the Cygnus report is coming out. I think I already read that it criticised UK ventilator stocks as being way too low, which they were and about which the recommendations were ignored. Will be interesting what else was recommended. Have you read it yet zahir?

 

[SpookyFrank]

We have a PM who likes plausible deniability and is happily going to pas blame on to those silly media types for chafing about lockdown (even though we briefed that we might let it wind down, what what) when the rate rises again in a week or two.

Surely there's only so many Boris Johnson arse-covering U-turns the press is willing to instantly forget about?

Although to be fair, if there was a limit on that it would have been reached long before he got as far as Downing Street.

 

[elbows]

Good the Cygnus report is coming out. I think I already read that it criticised UK ventilator stocks as being way too low, which they were and about which the recommendations were ignored. Will be interesting what else was recommended. Have you read it yet zahir?

I havent got time to read it till tomorrow but I did have a vague stab at skimming the start of it. Phrases such as 'population triage' and 'reverse triage' leapt out at me.

 

[zahir]

Good the Cygnus report is coming out. I think I already read that it criticised UK ventilator stocks as being way too low, which they were and about which the recommendations were ignored. Will be interesting what else was recommended. Have you read it yet zahir?

Not yet. I’ll need some time to read through it.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Surely there's only so many Boris Johnson arse-covering U-turns the press is willing to instantly forget about?

Although to be fair, if there was a limit on that it would have been reached long before he got as far as Downing Street.

Given the abysmal state of UK press that's a no.

As your second point makes clear.

 

[Doctor Carrot]

View attachment 211356View attachment 211357View attachment 211358

Blimey! Where are they from?

 

[frogwoman]

Blimey! Where are they from?

Proper terrifying images that.

 

[elbows]

Blimey! Where are they from?

Wefail Art - Political Art Prints

Wefail Art - Political art and prints for sale.

wefail.art

 

[Steel Icarus]

Very Bacon and Steadman

 

[weltweit]

I see scare stories about a great recession, with perhaps a 14% drop in GDP in 2020. I don't get it, don't the economists realise we have had an epidemic and a lockdown? Obviously GDP will be down. What matters is how quickly the economy can come back when the virus is finally more under control!

 

[Doctor Carrot]

Proper terrifying images that.

Innit! Especially the Hancock one!

 

[Steel Icarus]

I see scare stories about a great recession, with perhaps a 14% drop in GDP in 2020. I don't get it, don't the economists realise we have had an epidemic and a lockdown? Obviously GDP will be down. What matters is how quickly the economy can come back when the virus is finally more under control!

Sooner they get out there that regrettably we must all tighten our belts and make sacrifices the better.

 

[Doctor Carrot]

I just can't quite get my head around how surreal this all is. Tens of thousands dead even when the government had months to prepare. When a pandemic was deemed the biggest risk to the country. When Italy was being reported it was like day of the locust. Now it's worse here, in terms of numbers at least, there's a weird disconnect from it. The media today, again, tens of thousands of dead and it's 'ooh, we might be able to have a pint in the pub garden come Monday.' Happy Monday was even a fucking headline!

It's almost a sense of mass denial. Fuck even I feel in denial about it in some ways. I can't quite believe it's gone this badly wrong. There's a part of me that wants to have some sympathy because trying to deal with a crisis like this is unimaginable but that's only a small part. The rest of me says they're the fucking government. You put yourself in a position to be the government. Your main priority is to protect people but instead, you were more concerned with the economy.

 

[yield]

It's surreal because - as has been said before on this thread - the government are gaslighting.

"People making difficult decisions in extraordinary circumstances" ‘Herd immunity and let the old people die’ was policy.

Will it be enough? Boris Johnson says 'MANY loved ones' will die and tells people to stay home if they have a COUGH as he brands coronavirus 'worst health crisis in a generation'... but still refuses to ban mass gatherings or shut schools
12 March 2020

"We didn't know this could happen!" Yes, they did.

Leaked report on Exercise Cygnus

What was Exercise Cygnus and what did it find?

The 2016 simulation of a pandemic found holes in the UK’s readiness for such a crisis

www.theguardian.com

Revealed: the secret report that gave ministers warning of care home coronavirus crisis

Care providers say government did not discuss key Exercise Cygnus concerns with them

www.theguardian.com

Not to mention ten years of austerity and underfunding of the NHS to the extent where they didn't have basic equipment, PPE etc.

 

[Raheem]

Innit! Especially the Hancock one!

It's got Hancock in it.

 

[little_legs]

i'm terrified about this lockdown easing. it was never a fucking lockdown in the first place and they want to ease restrictions even further. It's so irresponsible and callous

I reckon the daily briefings with updated death figures will be phased out pretty soon too

 

[andysays]

Reading posts on here, it does seem the lockdown has been breaking down over the last week or so, and from most of those posters saying so, it seems a problem mainly in cities & London in particular.

There's no signs of it happening around Worthing, the seafront & parks are almost dead, very little traffic on local roads, on a par with a Christmas day. Normally in this weather my neighbours & I would be having BBQ parties, whilst some have been having BBQs for their household, none could be described as 'parties', certainly no cars or taxis coming or going.

Although, it's reported the 'A' roads in Sussex are busier over the last week or so, no idea where they are going or doing, but they don't seem to be heading towards the seafront.

My experience in my part of London is that it has been gradually but noticeably getting busier over the past couple of weeks at least.

Most people are still practicing distancing measures as best they can, but there are far more people about and, most noticeably, far more cars on the roads.

There was a surge over Easter weekend, and I expect there will be a significant surge this weekend, partly because of good weather, partly because of anticipation of lockdown measures being eased on Sunday.

 

[Sprocket.]

I feel nothing but dread regarding the slightest lift in restrictions. The percentage of selfish and uncaring individuals that are about leaves me fearful of the country stumbling, maybe free falling into a second overwhelming wave of illness and deaths.
The government’s desire to be popular and it’s desire to stop the economic downfall, appears to outweigh the common sense to realise this pandemic is far from over. Despite the promise of rigorous testing and social distancing advice.
On a personal note I’m being shielded currently, but I would be really pissed off if I became an unnecessary victim of some populist politicians ego. Like so many unfortunate and needless deaths have over the last few months.