Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Numbers]

Why? He's one of the architects of this shambles. He said 20,000 deaths would be a 'good result'

We're at 40k, and in reality more like 70k.

That was Vallance. Whitty just seems to be the only one who repeats caution.

 

[Petcha]

That was Vallance. Whitty just seems to be the only one who repeats caution.

Fair enough. But still. If he has any integrity as a professional why doesn't he just call Boris out publicly. As an intelligent man it must be gruelling having to stand next to that buffoon.

 

[maomao]

Well. Zoos will reopen. That's the main takeaway from that. Phew.

They're doing takeaways? Cause I'd kill for some pangolin.

 

[Numbers]

Fair enough. But still. If he has any integrity as a professional why doesn't he just call Boris out publicly. As an intelligent man it must be gruelling having to stand next to that buffoon.

He looks uncomfortable being next to the Cunt.

 

[Supine]

Furious about that botched announcement on bubbles. Just had to a family visit to my mum because the rule wasn't clear and it was taken as open doors for any family holidays desired

 

[platinumsage]

 

[LDC]

Furious about that botched announcement on bubbles. Just had to a family visit to my mum because the rule wasn't clear and it was taken as open doors for any family holidays desired

He botched some answers, but it is clear what you can and can't do re: the bubbles. How is a family visit now relevant?

 

[Supine]

He botched some answers, but it is clear what you can and can't do re: the bubbles. How is a family visit now relevant?

Don't ask me. Ask my niece who lives with an at risk key worker why she thinks she's ok to holiday at the house of a 78 year old.

And it's not clear. Whittey directly corrected Boris's answer to the first question. Boris doesn't even understand the new rule.

 

[elbows]

Huffington Post have now picked this up:

"The miscalculation leading to the four-week claim can be laid squarely at the door of the mathematical modelling sub-group of Sage. So why weren’t SPI-M’s world-leading modellers better able to calibrate their models to the early UK data. It turns out that some of groups who contribute to SPI-M did calculate significantly shorter and more realistic doubling times at an earlier stage in the UK’s epidemic, but that their estimates never found consensus within the group. Members of SPI-M have communicated their concerns to me, that some modelling groups had more influence over the consensus than others.

On March 16, Neil Fergusson’s Imperial College Covid-19 Response Team published their infamous report, which used effective estimates of the doubling time of over five days – way, way too slow. This figure seems to have dominated proceedings in SPI-M. It was a long time before more accurate doubling time figures eventually made their way up through SAGE and on to policy-makers."

The UK Was Never Four Weeks Behind Italy. How Did 'Following The Science’ Go So Wrong?

Good. I'm sure thats not the last we have heard of this.

Ferguson has also been saying things:

Coronavirus: 'Earlier lockdown would have halved death toll'

Former government adviser Prof Neil Ferguson was giving evidence to a committee of MPs.

www.bbc.co.uk

"Had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half," Prof Ferguson told a committee of MPs.

"So whilst I think the measures, given what we knew about this virus then, in terms of its transmission were warranted... certainly had we introduced them earlier, we would have seen many fewer deaths."

 

[LDC]

It's clear if you don't listen to Johnson and just read the rule though.

 

[prunus]

WTF is this bubbling business?

Does it finally mean I can drive to see my son, and stay the night?

If you are a single person household, and your son‘s household doesn’t elect to ‘bubble’ with a different single person, then yes I believe so.

Basically single people can merge into one other household (of any size), but no household (of any size) can merge with more than one other household.

Edit to add: under 18s don’t count in household size, and can come along with the single adult in the merge.

 

[LDC]

Yeah, basically single person households can join another household of any size and effectively act as one household (which includes all isolating if anyone gets symptoms too). Must be exclusive though.

 

[Cerv]

single people living alone can have sex again, but only if you first solve a crystal maze logic puzzle to find an eligible partner

 

[Supine]

It's clear if you don't listen to Johnson and just read the rule though.

Do you have a link? I can't see it on the gov website.

 

[LDC]

single people living alone can have sex again, but only if you first solve a crystal maze logic puzzle to find an eligible partner

Government organized lottery?

 

[prunus]

Well that didn’t take long to cause fights! My brother is separated and lives alone, with custody of his daughter. Both sets of grandparents have already been on the phone to him asking to merge households so they can see their granddaughter (and him presumably). He doesn’t know how to choose without causing offence...

And - and I shouldn’t laugh, but unintended consequences - his daughter (14) has just pointed out that if instead they merged with her best friend’s household she could go for sleepovers!

 

[cupid_stunt]

Yeah, basically single person households can join another household of any size and effectively act as one household (which includes all isolating if anyone gets symptoms too). Must be exclusive though.

Yep, it seemed clear to me, not sure why people are struggling with it.

 

[LDC]

Yep, it seemed clear to me, not sure why people are struggling with it.

I do think there's some 'confusion' among some people in order to justify doing what they want to do.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I do think there's some 'confusion' among some people in order to justify doing what they want to do.

Everyone wants a trip to Barnard Castle.

Specsavers are gutted.

 

[souljacker]

I do think there's some 'confusion' among some people in order to justify doing what they want to do.

Definitely, and that's where most of this confusion comes from. Peoples desire to do what they want.

 

[Petcha]

So they just said on the news that all this bubble thing is based on the New Zealand system. Which they introduced weeks if not months ago. How the fuck do they have better scientists than us?

 

[LDC]

So they just said on the news that all this bubble thing is based on the New Zealand system. Which they introduced weeks if not months ago. How the fuck do they have better scientists than us?

No useful comparison can be made regards the timescale of introductions for the bubble thing re: UK and NZ, they're in a very different position to us.

 

[Petcha]

No useful comparison can be made regards the timescale of introductions for the bubble thing re: UK and NZ, they're in a very different position to us.

Well, no, I think comparisons can be made. NZ acted hard and fast. We're in a very different position to them because either the scientists here or the politicians here, or probably both, are incompetent fucks.

Why the hell are there 100 people on SAGE? How are you going to get a coherent decision out of 100 probably quite egotistical people like that?

 

[Petcha]

Can you imagine the Zoom call - I struggle with more than 4 friends.

 

[nagapie]

My son lives with his mother and stepfather. So I guess that is a no. Grr

I thought that was a yes. What a delightful bubble - you, your ex and her current partner. You can see your son though, he can come to you.

This is all so romantic, suddenly the world is full of opportunity for singletons like me

 

[cupid_stunt]

Well, no, I think comparisons can be made.

Do shut up, you uneducated potato.

 

[LDC]

Well, no, I think comparisons can be made. NZ acted hard and fast. We're in a very different position to them because either the scientists here or the politicians here, or probably both, are incompetent fucks.

Why the hell are there 100 people on SAGE? How are you going to get a coherent decision out of 100 probably quite egotistical people like that?

We were in also a very different position very quickly due to our geography and travel hub status though (among other reasons), but generally I was just meaning in reaction to your post re: the bubbles and the timing of their introduction, of course some comparisons can be made in other areas. Maybe I misunderstood your post.

 

[Petcha]

Do shut up, you uneducated potato.

Wyh?

 

[Orang Utan]

I’m confused as I filter my news by coming on here! Can I hug anyone yet?

 

[Petcha]

We were in also a very different position very quickly due to our geography and travel hub status though, but generally I was just meaning in reaction to your post re: the bubbles and the timing of their introduction, of course some comparisons can be made in other areas. Maybe I misunderstood your post.

No, I think you understood. Obviously every country seems to have taken different approaches but if the likes of Vietnam and NZ figured out the bubble and threat level system so early after observing what was taking place in China, Italy and Spain then something has very clearly gone very very wrong here.

As to geography. Not sure what you mean there? We're an island country. So is New Zealand. Even Australia handled this better. I understand your point on the travel hub thing but arguably that should have also been shut down much earlier. Boris' response today along the lines of 'we know more now than we did in March'. Well, no shit. Of course we fucking do. The warnings were there since January.