Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Teaboy]

what, the app? to be honest I haven’t heard much about it. But it can’t be mandatory surely as in all those people who can’t use it. to be honest I only know it’s out tomorrow because I saw an email about it at work today. I knew it was due sometime but yeah.

No. Not the app. No app will be mandatory.

 

[editor]

Oh. Just. Fuck. Off.

He's getting rightfully roasted on Twitter

 

[Orang Utan]

what, the app? to be honest I haven’t heard much about it. But it can’t be mandatory surely as in all those people who can’t use it. to be honest I only know it’s out tomorrow because I saw an email about it at work today. I knew it was due sometime but yeah.

It’s ‘mandatory‘ to provide contact details, whether in person or via the app. But then it’s not mandatory as we still have to let people in to access services. Straight forward really.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I posted about 2 weeks ago, with a link, that the app would be available from tomorrow, has everyone got me on ignore?

 

[Orang Utan]

I posted about 2 weeks ago, with a link, that the app would be available from tomorrow, has everyone got me on ignore?

It’s a 600 page thread that sometimes has 10 pages posted in an afternoon

 

[Badgers]

I posted about 2 weeks ago, with a link, that the app would be available from tomorrow, has everyone got me on ignore?

Most people have

 

[LDC]

Talking about the app now on Radio 4. Short version is it's a proximity warning really, you get a beep if you've been in contact for a certain length of time with a positive case. Then you get in touch with T&T. Idea is it catches people before they get symptoms. Relies massively (entirely?) on the testing system being effective. Person on said without the testing system working the app is functionally useless.

 

[xenon]

I posted about 2 weeks ago, with a link, that the app would be available from tomorrow, has everyone got me on ignore?

I knew it was on its way but you know a week is a long time in Corona land.

 

[Lancman]

It’s as if we’re all playing some macabre game of musical chairs, the music has stopped and we’ve all sat down, if we can find a seat. And there we must stay until the music starts again. But the violinist has packed up his instrument and gone home, and he wont come back until he gets a sip of vaccine.

 

[Badgers]

Talking about the app now on Radio 4. Short version is it's a proximity warning really, you get a beep if you've been in contact for a certain length of time with a positive case. Then you get in touch with T&T. Idea is it catches people before they get symptoms. Relies massively (entirely?) on the testing system being effective. Person on said without the testing system working the app is functionally useless.

The testing system is functionally useless.
Track and trace is functionally useless.
The Disgraced Prime Minister is functionally useless.
The advice and guidance is functionally useless.
The cabinet is functionally useless.
The government is functionally useless.

 

[LDC]

It’s as if we’re all playing some macabre game of musical chairs, the music has stopped and we’ve all sat down, if we can find a seat. And there we must stay until the music starts again. But the violinist has packed up his instrument and gone home, and he wont come back until he gets a sip of vaccine.

...and someone's just told us the seats all have a 4ft metal spike spring loaded into the seat and any of them could go off at any time.

 

[Wilf]

My entirely unscientific take is that this week's measures will have just about zero impact, particularly in the context of schools, colleges and unis going back. It probably is about the government making it look like they are taking reasonable steps before 'our' failures to comply push them into a lockdown. Not a full lockdown as of the Spring, but a modified version of it. Less ways to visit your nan, more ways to spend money.

 

[Badgers]

My entirely unscientific take is that this week's measures will have just about zero impact

That is a bit harsh.

I am betting on 0-5%

 

[Wilf]

That is a bit harsh.

I am betting on 0-5%

'Thank God they stopped me having that 8th pint, I can now go home safely to my family'.

 

[LDC]

My entirely unscientific take is that this week's measures will have just about zero impact, particularly in the context of schools, colleges and unis going back. It probably is about the government making it look like they are taking reasonable steps before 'our' failures to comply push them into a lockdown. Not a full lockdown as of the Spring, but a modified version of it. Less ways to visit your nan, more ways to spend money.

Professor John Edmunds been in the media a fair bit saying pretty much the same.

 

[killer b]

I think they should have a fairly significant impact - just not enough to totally offset the schools & unis being open.

 

[LDC]

I think they should have a fairly significant impact - just not enough to totally offset the schools & unis being open.

Which ones do you think though?

One of them isn't even a restriction, it's just not opening sport in October. Then there's the making it legal to have workplaces Covid secure (personally was surprised that wasn't already the case), then masks in taxis, WFH, 10pm shutting, and something else (can't be arsed even looking tbh).

 

[Wilf]

I think they should have a fairly significant impact - just not enough to totally offset the schools & unis being open.

Depends which bits you mean. I was really talking about the latest bits announced. The rule of 6 does have the potential to slow down the spread (if policed/observed).

 

[killer b]

Which ones do you think though?

One of them isn't even a restriction, it's just not opening sport in October. Then there's the making it legal to have workplaces Covid secure (personally was surprised that wasn't already the case), then masks in taxis, WFH, 10pm shutting, and something else (can't be arsed even looking tbh).

I think WFH and 10pm closing will have an impact. The others I don't really know. I thought people were already wearing masks in taxis...

 

[Wilf]

I think WFH and 10pm closing will have an impact. The others I don't really know. I thought people were already wearing masks in taxis...

Here's John Edmunds on both of those points, but basically saying too little too late (again):

New lockdown is 'too little, too late' government's own science adviser says

Professor John Edmunds said we did not act quick enough back in March and the same ‘mistake’ is about to be repeated.

metro.co.uk

 

[Sue]

because we love freedom so much.

Not like those Germans and Italians obvs.

 

[cupid_stunt]

There's not enough of these -

What at first seems like an incredibly alarming statistic has been circulating on social media, promoted by a small and vocal group of journalists – at least 91% of coronavirus tests in the UK are “false positives”.

If true, the implications would be staggering – the actual scale of the pandemic in the UK is less than a tenth of what we thought and the government has just announced further lockdown restrictions based on faulty data.

This claim has been seized upon by, among others, radio show host Julia Hartley-Brewer...

No, 90% Of Coronavirus Tests Are Not 'False Positives' And This Is Why

 

[Sue]

There's not enough of these -

No, 90% Of Coronavirus Tests Are Not 'False Positives' And This Is Why

Experts explain why a theory doing the rounds about the number of people wrongly diagnosed with Covid-19 is simply not true.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

This was discussed at length (and included the expert who explained the numbers to Hartley-Brewer that she then misunderstood/misrepresented) on More or Less this morning.

More or Less - Covid curve queried, false positives, and the Queen’s head - BBC Sounds

How fast are coronavirus cases doubling? Plus testing confusion and a royal face-off.

www.bbc.co.uk

(I love More or Less. I realise that probably makes me a right saddo but hey...)

 

[elbows]

"My staff are attempting to do the right thing and yet are putting themselves in danger as the police are failing to back them up," the bowling alley owner said.

"Our 22 year old female manager was dealing with four youths here with no backup. This is nothing short of a disgrace and typical of problems we keep having at this and other bowling centres.

"I have seen this time and time again. There is no consequence to the public from not wearing a mask. According to what I can see only 46 fines were issued across the whole of the UK in August.

Police criticised over response to Bowling Alley yobs

There was an incident at the bowling alley in Nuneaton

www.coventrytelegraph.net

 

[strung out]

It’s as if we’re all playing some macabre game of musical chairs, the music has stopped and we’ve all sat down, if we can find a seat. And there we must stay until the music starts again. But the violinist has packed up his instrument and gone home, and he wont come back until he gets a sip of vaccine.

violinist, you say?

 

[Lancman]

violinist, you say?

View attachment 231482

Just a "Valse Macabre" allusion, nothing personal.

 

[killer b]

Here's John Edmunds on both of those points, but basically saying too little too late (again):

New lockdown is 'too little, too late' government's own science adviser says

Professor John Edmunds said we did not act quick enough back in March and the same ‘mistake’ is about to be repeated.

metro.co.uk

I'm sure it's true that it's too little, too late - but there's a difference between too little, too late and nothing at all. Small though these measures look, they are still significant, and will have an impact on how much contact people have with each other. Not enough to stop the virus, but enough to, say, stop the doubling time going down from 10 days to 8 days (nb, this is not a real figure, totally pulled out of my arse).

 

[Orang Utan]

Why will the 10pm ‘curfew’ make people less likely to spread the virus? Surely the opposite would be the result?

 

[Wilf]

I'm sure it's true that it's too little, too late - but there's a difference between too little, too late and nothing at all. Small though these measures look, they are still significant, and will have an impact on how much contact people have with each other. Not enough to stop the virus, but enough to, say, stop the doubling time going down from 10 days to 8 days (nb, this is not a real figure, totally pulled out of my arse).

Yes, certainly they will have some effect and I'd have thought the rule of 6 was the most effective. But some bits of the package, particularly the 10 pm last orders appear almost ideological, things you do when you are not willing to act i.e. unwilling to do the things that will really affect transmission.

 

[emanymton]

I posted about 2 weeks ago, with a link, that the app would be available from tomorrow, has everyone got me on ignore?

I can just about remember 2 hours ago 2 weeks forget it.