Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[danny la rouge]

I was just standing looking out of the window in my pyjamas, watching joggers and dog walkers keeping 2 meters apart, and noticed in the flats opposite several pyjamaed people in windows doing exactly the same.

 

[weltweit]

.. China set up fever accomodation and hauled anyone with a temperature from their homes. Can't see that going down well here, to put it mildly, but perhaps setting either the infected or their healthy flat- and housemates up in hotels will be viable.

I think that might be something to file under China can do this UK probably can't

 

[Chilli.s]

flew back into the manchester airport from Cyprus two weeks ago after a week away - and i was shocked by the utter lack of any controls or warnings. The only indication of a looming public health emergency was a hand written not saying "wash your hands"

Germany have already told people they're not allowed to travel to their second home.

This sums up why I've no confidence in the Gov now. These are both situations that any fule kno could help with preventing spread yet our leaders seem paralyzed.

 

[The39thStep]

I was just standing looking out of the window in my pyjamas, watching joggers and dog walkers keeping 2 meters apart, and noticed in the flats opposite several pyjamaed people in windows doing exactly the same.

Avert your gaze from bored housewives

 

[bimble]

Sorry if its been already posted elsewhere. This claims to know the behind the scenes wrangling that have been going on to turn the government machine this past week.

10 Days That Changed Britain: "Heated" Debate Between Scientists Forced Boris Johnson To Act On Coronavirus

“This is going to get much, much worse, very quickly, both in terms of deaths and the economy,” a cabinet minister told BuzzFeed News. “It will not be long before we are getting numbers like Italy. I don’t think people realise that yet.”

www.buzzfeed.com

 

[danny la rouge]

Avert your gaze from bored housewives

Will not.

 

[two sheds]

I was just standing looking out of the window in my pyjamas, watching joggers and dog walkers keeping 2 meters apart, and noticed in the flats opposite several pyjamaed people in windows doing exactly the same.

Working from home

 

[danny la rouge]

Wearing Fucking Hanything

 

[scifisam]

I went to the supermarket early this morning - sorry, Teaboy, but I've been having trouble getting my asthma prescriptions at my usual chemist and I'm also registered at the in-store chemist there so went there instead (and had to go in person), and since I was there I decided to do some shopping.

The bad - the frozen aisles and tin aisles and toilet rolls, nappies, etc, were completely depleted at 8am, the pharmacist had a sign up saying that they'd run out of things like paracetamol, and almost all vegetarian (Quorn, etc) products were gone:

However, the good is that there was plenty of fresh fruit and veg, a decent amount of ready meals, and prepared salads and sandwiches (which is what I bought), and there was no sign of fighting over produce, and people were distancing as much as they reasonably could. It was actually a lot friendlier than usual, TBH. I have a cough that I'm still fairly sure is just my usual asthma cough, and nobody gave me dirty looks, possibly partly because I was coughing into my elbow.

I gave planting advice to a guy buying seeds for the first time, which made me feel helpful, and the supermarket had a two of the same kind limit that most people seemed to be complying with without arguing.

Very few, if any, businesses will have cover for this situation, even closure because of disease cover is normally designed/written to cover an outbreak on the premises that results in a forced closure. Policies are legal contracts, so if it's covered, it will be paid out, because there'll be very few claims.

The reason why cover is not largely available or taken out for these circumstances is probably due (a) no one ever thinking it was a possibility, or (b) they did, but realised if it was wildly available & taken up, and it actually happened, it would collapse the insurance industry, meaning claims wouldn't be paid out without the government stepping in anyway.

This is far too big for the industry to cover, only the government can cover this situation.

The govt had stepped in the bail out reinsurers before, so it's not an unprecedented situation. And it's shit that people who actually paid for notifiable disease cover aren't covered because this disease didn't exist at the time. That's the kind of clause that no buyer beware advice can help with, and shouldn't have been allowed in the first place.

They've already cancelled recycling collections here in anticipation of people not being able to work.

They have here too. The problem is, on our street we don't have bins - Georgian townhouses with narrow pavements and no place to put bins - so we have to put bags on the actual pavement. It's a mess out there already, and it's only going to get worse. I picked up a couple of bottles that had been dragged out of bags by foxes tearing the bags apart, and put them in the bags that weren't destroyed. It's a health hazard. I really hope they do collect from streets like ours at least.

Having not panic bought I'm getting low food, no tomatoes, frozen peas, eggs or soya milk. At this point I'd probably go to the supermarket àfter work but the shops are empty then.

I'm still working for now and can't go early and my partner has panic attacks in queues and crowds. Think we'll have some odd meals for a whole. I'm getting worried that I'll never be able to buy eggs again.

I'm probably a bit far, but if you run low and can get here, I'm happy to pass on some stuff. You could call me and I'd leave it on the doorstep and wave through the window . Though I don't actually have the items you mentioned, I do have a reasonable stock of other stuff.

 

[Supine]

Even the 'best science' doesn’t have the final word on covid-19

Models of what impact interventions will have on the new coronavirus's spread are imperfect, so factors other than the science play an important role too, says David Adam

www.newscientist.com

 

[spitfire]

I went to the supermarket early this morning - sorry, Teaboy, but I've been having trouble getting my asthma prescriptions at my usual chemist and I'm also registered at the in-store chemist there so went there instead (and had to go in person), and since I was there I decided to do some shopping.

The bad - the frozen aisles and tin aisles and toilet rolls, nappies, etc, were completely depleted at 8am, the pharmacist had a sign up saying that they'd run out of things like paracetamol, and almost all vegetarian (Quorn, etc) products were gone:

However, the good is that there was plenty of fresh fruit and veg, a decent amount of ready meals, and prepared salads and sandwiches (which is what I bought), and there was no sign of fighting over produce, and people were distancing as much as they reasonably could. It was actually a lot friendlier than usual, TBH. I have a cough that I'm still fairly sure is just my usual asthma cough, and nobody gave me dirty looks, possibly partly because I was coughing into my elbow.

I gave planting advice to a guy buying seeds for the first time, which made me feel helpful, and the supermarket had a two of the same kind limit that most people seemed to be complying with without arguing.



The govt had stepped in the bail out reinsurers before, so it's not an unprecedented situation. And it's shit that people who actually paid for notifiable disease cover aren't covered because this disease didn't exist at the time. That's the kind of clause that no buyer beware advice can help with, and shouldn't have been allowed in the first place.



They have here too. The problem is, on our street we don't have bins - Georgian townhouses with narrow pavements and no place to put bins - so we have to put bags on the actual pavement. It's a mess out there already, and it's only going to get worse. I picked up a couple of bottles that had been dragged out of bags by foxes tearing the bags apart, and put them in the bags that weren't destroyed. It's a health hazard. I really hope they do collect from streets like ours at least.



I'm probably a bit far, but if you run low and can get here, I'm happy to pass on some stuff. You could call me and I'd leave it on the doorstep and wave through the window . Though I don't actually have the items you mentioned, I do have a reasonable stock of other stuff.
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you’re in tower hamlets as well aren’t you? The bin men are/were on strike. We’ve had massive piles of rubbish outside for a week. Apparently they’re starting to clear now.

 

[elbows]

Some detail here in the internal debate within government: 10 Days That Changed Britain: "Heated" Debate Between Scientists Forced Boris Johnson To Act On Coronavirus

Sorry if its been already posted elsewhere. This claims to know the behind the scenes wrangling that have been going on to turn the government machine this past week.

10 Days That Changed Britain: "Heated" Debate Between Scientists Forced Boris Johnson To Act On Coronavirus

“This is going to get much, much worse, very quickly, both in terms of deaths and the economy,” a cabinet minister told BuzzFeed News. “It will not be long before we are getting numbers like Italy. I don’t think people realise that yet.”

www.buzzfeed.com

Thanks for posting that article, very timely. One more level of detail beyond that should be enough to really get to the bottom of matters, I wonder if more of that will come out in the terrible weeks ahead or whether it will all have to wait for a public inquiry.

 

[scifisam]

you’re in tower hamlets as well aren’t you? The bin men are/were on strike. We’ve had massive piles of rubbish outside for a week. Apparently they’re starting to clear now.

Yeah, I heard that too, but the black bin bags have been collected. It's an awkward time for a strike. Callous as it might sound, I hope they're able to use it to bargain for good terms, given that everyone has collectively realised they're an essential service - it would be the kind of profiteering I'd approve of.

 

[Chilli.s]

The lack of testing of NHS staff is just mind numbingly stupid.

 

[Petcha]

Bizarrely/ironically, whatever - this thing is working out quite well for flathunters. Landlords are falling over themselves to get people in. I just knocked one down by 200 quid a month

 

[Kaka Tim]

The lack of testing of NHS staff is just mind numbingly stupid.

criminally negligent to the point of manslaughter. As im sure the public enquiry will find when it reports its findings in 30 years time.

 

[Supine]

The lack of testing of NHS staff is just mind numbingly stupid.

It's almost certainly because not enough testing capability is available. There is no sane reason to not test them.

 

[elbows]

More on the 'other companies making ventilators' thing:

British technology firm Smiths Group says it is making the details of one of its ventilators available for other manufacturers to produce, in an attempt to tackle the shortage of equipment.

The group's Smiths Medical unit is also ramping up its own ventilator production, as well as providing intellectual property and advice to other companies to make its PARAPAC Plus lightweight ventilators.

From 11:49 of BBC updates page https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-51984399

 

[prunus]

More musing on the effect on the national psyche, I wonder if this could finally kill off the pernicious evil of the concept of British exceptionalism? When we see many other countries of the type we’ve traditionally looked down on being more competent, better organised, better resourced, pulling together, better informed and crucially just coping better and so on maybe we’ll realise that we’re not special, we’re the same as everyone else, pretty average on balance, good at some things, way behind on others. And then I would hope we might realise that like everyone we and they and everyone are better off together, working together for common goals each using their strengths to shore up others’ weaknesses, rather than always trying to get one up and steal an ‘advantage’ over our fellow man and woman. Maybe.

 

[Treacle Toes]

 

[planetgeli]

This is disgusting

Sacked staff left homeless after north hotel orders them to ‘vacate immediately’

A hotel worker said he will have to sleep in a tent after he was sacked this afternoon, alongside a number of other employees who were staying in staff

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

'salright. Just an 'admin error' apparently.

Coronavirus: Hotel made staff homeless in 'admin error'

More than a dozen staff at a Highland hotel were sacked and asked to leave staff accommodation.

www.bbc.co.uk

Screw them.

 

[gentlegreen]

They should have installed Grammarly - though I don't know if that spots people being cunts ....

 

[xes]

A care home in Wales playing Hungry Hungry Hippos during lockdown.

 

[elbows]

Good:

The Home Office has released almost 300 people from detention centres in the last few days because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Guardian has learned.

The speed and scale of the release is unprecedented in recent years. Detainees and charities estimate that more than a quarter of those currently locked up have been set free.

The release comes in the wake of a legal action launched last week which argued that the Home Office had failed to protect immigration detainees from the coronavirus outbreak and failed to identify which detainees were at particular risk of serious harm or death if they do contract the virus due to their age or underlying health conditions.

Home Office releases 300 from detention centres amid Covid-19 pandemic

Release follows legal action that argues Home Office is failing to protect immigration detainees

www.theguardian.com

 

[agricola]

Sorry if its been already posted elsewhere. This claims to know the behind the scenes wrangling that have been going on to turn the government machine this past week.

10 Days That Changed Britain: "Heated" Debate Between Scientists Forced Boris Johnson To Act On Coronavirus

“This is going to get much, much worse, very quickly, both in terms of deaths and the economy,” a cabinet minister told BuzzFeed News. “It will not be long before we are getting numbers like Italy. I don’t think people realise that yet.”

www.buzzfeed.com

yet more PM-excusing drivel from him:

While the crisis that Johnson faces is undoubtedly unprecedented, there is significant criticism of Number 10’s handling of the situation across the government and the Conservative Party.

Chief among them is the view — expressed by several ministers and Tory MPs to BuzzFeed News over the last few days — that Johnson and his chief aide Dominic Cummings have effectively “outsourced” the government’s decision-making process to Vallance, the chief medical officer Chris Whitty, and a small team of scientific advisers.

While Downing Street’s deference to the experts won plaudits early on, this approach has turned out to be lacking, the ministers and MPs said, because the scientists themselves disagreed on what to do. One minister said that it was then the political responsibility of Johnson and Number 10 to decide which scientists to back, but described a “vacuum of leadership” among aides.

The minister told BuzzFeed News that Cummings and Vallance were “close allies” and claimed the government had “bet” the future of the UK on advice from a very small group of scientists that for a long time differed from the wider international consensus, and other members of SAGE.

Its the scientists that were wrong, apparently. Also, "millennials" (despite that Wetherspoons cretin and the likes of Humphries telling his Mail readership that he'll be defying the advice to stay home):

Despite the prime minister’s praise for Londoners, there is increasing concern in Downing Street the public is so far not heeding his advice to avoid unnecessary social gatherings.

It is believed that in particular, millennial men have been the worst offenders at failing to reduce their contact with other people, continuing to visit pubs, travel widely and take part in other social events, despite being told that doing so risks the lives of the elderly and vulnerable.

On Wednesday, health minister and recent coronavirus sufferer Nadine Dorries blasted the "selfishness" of Londoners who have been failing to follow social distancing advice.

Anyone to blame but them. That someone who claims to be a journalist is putting out this absolute rubbish is a disgrace.

 

[cupid_stunt]

The NHS are taking over private hospitals from next week –that’s 8,000 beds, over 1200 extra ventilators, over 10,000 nurses, over 700 doctors, over 8,000 other qualified clinical staff.

Breaking on sky News.

 

[weltweit]

I wonder if more measures are on their way initially for London because according to some the parks are full of people who aren't taking social distancing seriously, that and that London is a hot spot for infections.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I wonder if more measures are on their way initially for London because according to some the parks are full of people who aren't taking social distancing seriously, that and that London is a hot spot for infections.

Just how fucking thick are people, especially in London.

 

[elbows]

Nick Triggle alert:

Coronavirus: How to understand the death toll

The rising number of coronavirus deaths is distressing. But what are the figures actually telling us?

www.bbc.co.uk

I note some changes to that article since I posted about it last night (my post with some quotes #2,565 )

The title of the piece when I posted it was 'Coronavirus: Have UK experts over-egged deaths?'.

It has since been changed to 'Coronavirus deaths: What we don't know'.

I dont think anything has been removed from the article, but some stuff has been added. In particular, the following caveat was inserted after a sentence about how it is not clear to what extent the deaths would have happened without coronavirus:

Of course, this will never truly be known until the pandemic is over, which is why modelling is very difficult and needs caveats.

 

[klang]

Just how fucking thick are people, especially in London.

they are no different in any other larger city eg Munich or Berlin.