Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[MrSki]

So a Yes or No question. That cunt Hancock is coming more cuntish as the day goes on. At a guess for the fact he didn't answer I reckon it might be a Yes.

 

[two sheds]

They need to be questioned under oath, with actual answers demanded. They're just avoiding parliamentary questions, it's now just a sham. Unaccountable government by presidential decree now.

 

[MrSki]

They need to be questioned under oath, with actual answers demanded. They're just avoiding parliamentary questions, it's now just a sham. Unaccountable government by presidential decree now.

The speaker should be able to insist that they answer the fucking question. If they knowingly lie then they should be out of politics forever. There is less honour in UK politics than at a cock fight.

 

[two sheds]

You would think though that the questioner would have the courage to ask for an actual answer to the question. If the speaker then rules them out of order they could surely object to that and make some sort of stink about the whole thing rather than just sitting down again. I can't see the Beast of Bolsover having stood for that shit.

 

[elbows]

I speculate that we're going to get a new lockdown announcement of some sort in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow. This is a pretty big thing to be suddenly shifting back a day.

Half term begins quite soon in some parts of Scotland doesnt it? I guess the long rumoured circuit breaker stuff, timed to have some half term holiday overlap, is indeed going to materialise and its just a question of the precise detail and how much they do nationally rather than regionally/locally.

 

[elbows]

Row after London council is warned off enforcing mask rules in shops

Exclusive: council says BEIS official intervened on shops’ side after it raised issue of non-compliance

www.theguardian.com

Ministers have been accused of putting the high street above public health after the business department warned council leaders against enforcing mask-wearing in supermarkets.

Four retailers – Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Morrisons and B&M homeware stores – were issued with warning notices by Barking and Dagenham council in east London after their staff were seen failing to enforce mask-wearing and social distancing by customers.

After the enforcement notices were issued under antisocial behaviour legislation, stores are understood to have complained to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

A senior official at BEIS then phoned the council and said it “did not have powers to enforce these guidelines using the government’s Covid-19 emergency powers” and that “the action had caused a negative reaction from the operators”, according to a letter of complaint from the council to Alok Sharma, the business secretary.

 

[elbows]

If I call them superspreadermarkets loudly enough will I get a call from the BEISty boys?

 

[two sheds]

If I call them superspreadermarkets loudly enough will I get a call from the BEISty boys?

It's 3 o'clock go to bed

I went to bed but had an email going round in my head that I had to write so I got up again but I'm going back to bed soon so go to bed

 

[elbows]

I didn’t realise I was subject to a curfew. It’s not like I have to be up early to make myself COVID secure before breakfast either. But as it happens it is approaching my bedtime so until the next hideously predictable pandemic story, farewell.

 

[MrSki]

I didn’t realise I was subject to a curfew. It’s not like I have to be up early to make myself COVID secure before breakfast either. But as it happens it is approaching my bedtime so until the next hideously predictable pandemic story, farewell.

Carry on your good work at what ever time but don't burn yourself out.

 

[Cid]

If I call them superspreadermarkets loudly enough will I get a call from the BEISty boys?

I hadn't quite digested the full implications of superspreader events until that Atlantic article... It does make the way we're going about things seem doubly daft. It's not as if the lockdown policy of limited entry to supermarkets and special hours for the elderly was particularly onerous (though I suppose it's getting colder, which presents a few problems wrt outdoor queueing). We seem to be limiting the thing that is easy to limit, outdoor exposure, but probably a bit useless and increasing the thing that is hard to limit but potentially useful (extended time in poorly ventilated indoor spaces). How er... surprising . I think you've been talking about this to an extent from the start (especially in the sense of difference between coronavirus and flu spread), but as I say took that article to fully connect all the dots for me...

 

[TopCat]

I don’t know why, but that’s made me profoundly sad. He can’t be on a lot of money, it makes kids happy. What a shit thing to do.

They have deep and full pockets. This is cunty.

 

[frogwoman]

Commons rebellions expected at votes on curfew and rule of six

Conservative and Labour MPs are unhappy with lack of evidence behind 10pm closing time

www.theguardian.com

 

[frogwoman]

Seems obvious that 10pm closing is not going to make much difference tbh. Maybe when combined with other stuff?

 

[Chilli.s]

Seems obvious that 10pm closing is not going to make much difference tbh. Maybe when combined with other stuff?

Early opening?

 

[Cid]

Seems obvious that 10pm closing is not going to make much difference tbh. Maybe when combined with other stuff?

What it is is an attempt to keep hospitality open, while limiting spread. As are all the other bits like keeping music down and banning dancing... it may still be too early to see effects. But tbh it is nearly 2 weeks and cases are still rising.

Problem here is that it seems totally arse about face to suggest that the right response to that is to remove the curfew.

 

[cupid_stunt]

The Office for National Statistics says a total of 215 coronavirus-related deaths were registered in the week to 25 September.

In the week before, there were 139 COVID-19-related deaths registered, and before that it was 99.

* Those figures are only England & Wales, UK wide it was 234 deaths w/e 25 Sept.

So, that's more than double in numbers of deaths in two weeks, and judging by the daily figures since, that is likely to continue - meaning over 400 this week, and over 1000 in the last week of the month.

Coronavirus: Excess deaths involving COVID-19 rise for third week in a row, ONS says

COVID-19 now accounts for 2.2% of all deaths in England and Wales, according to the statistics agency.

news.sky.com

Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional - Office for National Statistics

Provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales, including deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, by age, sex and region.

www.ons.gov.uk

 

[2hats]

BBC saying it was the rows that were the problem?

It might be acceptable for doing your SOHO accounts, but if you think the answer to building any serious, robust data science analysis or warehousing pipeline is Excel then you haven't digested the question.

 

[LDC]

It might be acceptable for doing your SOHO accounts, but if you think the answer to building any serious, robust data science analysis or warehousing pipeline is Excel then you haven't digested the question.

Yeah Excel is what a bunch of us use when we go on holiday as a group to work out who's bringing what food and similar costs ffs, not for a nationally important database where people's lives are relying on it. I hysterically laughed when I saw the news. Mind blowing.

 

[emanymton]

Seems obvious that 10pm closing is not going to make much difference tbh. Maybe when combined with other stuff?

What I think is really needed is different rules for pubs than for restaurants/cafes people behave different in pubs. Will not happen as they don't have the nerve and there is the problem of where you draw the line. I have not been out at busy times but even then I can see a defence in behaviour. People in pups are just more lax on distancing and table service.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

What I think is really needed is different rules for pubs than for restaurants/cafes people behave different in pubs. Will not happen as they don't have the nerve and there is the problem of where you draw the line. I have not been out at busy times but even then I can see a defence in behaviour. People in pups are just more lax on distancing and table service.

In Paris bars are shut as of today.
But not those that serve food...

 

[TopCat]

I ain't going to no pub whatever the time.

 

[emanymton]

In Paris bars are shut as of today.
But not those that serve food...

Which I think is good but most pubs serve food and those that don't could suddenly develop a sandwich menu easy enough.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

I hadn't quite digested the full implications of superspreader events until that Atlantic article... It does make the way we're going about things seem doubly daft. It's not as if the lockdown policy of limited entry to supermarkets and special hours for the elderly was particularly onerous (though I suppose it's getting colder, which presents a few problems wrt outdoor queueing). We seem to be limiting the thing that is easy to limit, outdoor exposure, but probably a bit useless and increasing the thing that is hard to limit but potentially useful (extended time in poorly ventilated indoor spaces). How er... surprising . I think you've been talking about this to an extent from the start (especially in the sense of difference between coronavirus and flu spread), but as I say took that article to fully connect all the dots for me...

It was also quite instructive about the things that Sweden is really getting right (by chance or design) - schools open, yes but U16s only - all 16-18 and college / uni courses are online only.

And " In reality, although Sweden joins many other countries in failing to protect elderly populations in congregate-living facilities, its measures that target super-spreading have been stricter than many other European countries. "
"It also encouraged social-distancing, and closed down indoor places that failed to observe the rules. From an overdispersion and super-spreading point of view, Sweden would not necessarily be classified as among the most lax countries, but nor is it the most strict. It simply doesn’t deserve this oversize place in our debates assessing different strategies. "

link again to Atlantic article, as it's a few pages back now. whole article is worth a read.

 

[emanymton]

I ain't going to no pub whatever the time.

I basically went for breakfast and even at that time I could see a difference.

 

[editor]

As someone who has recently been to a funeral, this must been particularly awful...

Son 'angry' at being moved away from mum at dad's funeral

Craig Bicknell just wanted to comfort his "lost mother" at his dad's funeral in Milton Keynes.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[TopCat]

As someone who has recently been to a funeral, this must been particularly awful...

Son 'angry' at being moved away from mum at dad's funeral

Craig Bicknell just wanted to comfort his "lost mother" at his dad's funeral in Milton Keynes.

www.bbc.co.uk

Grim.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Which I think is good but most pubs serve food and those that don't could suddenly develop a sandwich menu easy enough.

That's what I meant. Most bars do some type of food, even if only croissants to go with your morning coffee.

 

[elbows]

Further restrictions for Nottingham sound likely:

Coronavirus: Nottingham mixing ban 'likely' after spike

Restrictions similar to those in northern England could be announced later this week.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[two sheds]

It might be acceptable for doing your SOHO accounts, but if you think the answer to building any serious, robust data science analysis or warehousing pipeline is Excel then you haven't digested the question.

I'm joking about it being good enough because I do my accounts on it. Really

The posts I saw on here have blamed the private sector contractors and say that the problems came (amongst many other reasons) because Excel doesn't allow enough columns. The two pieces I put up blame PHE and say that they came because Excel didn't allow enough rows. The stories probably come from a single source, but I thought that was worth pointing out.