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Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

Just got the same text.
Don’t think I’ve received any previous texts from the gov about covid at all, have you?
The only one I got was the one back in March telling me to "lockdown" - that was the national alert. [for which the gov't had to make special arrangements with the mobile phone companies / networks] ... nothing since then, not even from the local council. Excluding the local health centre telling me to book a 'flu jab - that was back in September.
 
The only one I got was the one back in March telling me to "lockdown" - that was the national alert. [for which the gov't had to make special arrangements with the mobile phone companies / networks] ... nothing since then, not even from the local council. Excluding the local health centre telling me to book a 'flu jab - that was back in September.
Got the Lambeth one too, I wonder if this is in breach of GDPR?
 
Meanwhile its quite easy to imagine Wales reaching levels of Covid-19 patients in hospital that is double what they had at the peak of their first wave. Except especially because of recent stories, I dont know what the maimum their figures could go to would be before they are full, and we already heard about an offer of Welsh patients being redirected to England.

Usual disclaimer for the Northern Ireland part of this chart - they retroactively change their past figures so trends near the end of their chart should not be taken as fact, the trajectory shown will probably alter as more data comes in.

As for the sudden drop in Scotlands figures earlier in the year, the UK government dashboard describes it in a way that is also useful to consider more broadly when thinking about how full a picture this sort of hospital data does and does not offer.

Scotland.

On 11 September 2020 the data were updated to exclude people (in larger NHS Boards) who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 but remain in hospital for another reason.

Screenshot 2020-12-18 at 21.52.42.png
 
I dont know what sort of Christmas break from data I will take by the way.

As you could probably tell long before now, the December data has a fresh urgency about it. So its not the sort of time that I would normally give it a rest. I'd normally do that if all trends were safely declining in a sustained way and peoples interest then understandably wanes, or when its gotten so bad that the government are forced to act in a more substantial way than they would like, and I can briefly 'relax about the politics' and wait some weeks for the results of new measures to show up in the data. Neither of those are a good fit with the current reality.

At least I was not posting the same charts every single day in the first place, so I dont feel obliged to update on that regular a basis. So chances are I will mostly end up updating the picture in slightly different ways several times a week, and will try to coincide that with a smattering of days where it might be necessary to comment on the latest news. I'll probably try to avoid Christmas eve, Christmas day and boxing day but with the amazing powers of timing this government possess I can make no promises.
 
Although I'm not under any illusions that my commentary and charts are essential at this stage of the pandemic. If the government manage to shit themselves by Monday, Tuesday or even Wednesday and announce some new stuff, then if its dramatic enough I might manage to take a more substantial break. And I might still manage such a break in any case, see how long they can go after Christmas before they act and then I'll jump back in when it feels like that moment is imminent.
 
This new strain, and the fact that they think it's more infectious, thus spreading faster, especially in London and the south-east, is clearly causing major concern amongst SAGE & the government.

There was an emergency meeting of ministers last night to discuss it, and further restrictions, including possible curbs on travel between the south-east and the rest of the UK, with an announcement possibly coming as earlier as today.

Merry fucking Christmas from covid. :mad:

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, expressed concerns earlier this week about the new strain as he announced that a large swathe of the south-east would be placed under the toughest, tier 3 restrictions.

It is understood that government scientists have subsequently presented new evidence to ministers about the behaviour of this variant. A government official said: “There are concerns that it is more transmissible than the existing strain – and that sense is hardening.”

An announcement could be made as soon as Saturday about how ministers plan to try to contain the new threat, with particular concerns about the risks of cross-UK travel in the run-up to Christmas.

Hancock added: “I must stress at this point that there is currently nothing to suggest that this variant is more likely to cause serious disease and the latest clinical advice is that it’s highly unlikely that this mutation would fail to respond to a vaccine.

“But it shows we’ve got to be vigilant and follow the rules and everyone needs to take personal responsibility not to spread this virus.”

 
Still convinced it's just a way to cover there arses.

The new strain of the virus is probably true, but as with all the things they've done this year them not being honest and doing something at the last minute on the basis of "new information" that isn't really new is going to wind people up far more than doing the sensible but (theoretically) politically risky thing would have done (in this case tell people not to celebrate Christmas together this year early enough so that arrangements werent made, which would have been a sensible position for them to take at any point after March onwards). Its also going to be almost impossible to enforce at this short notice as well, unless they just stop trains / coaches etc - which is going to have a big impact on the firms concerned and a much bigger one on those using public transport to go and visit dying relatives, for work and so on - and physically block the roads, which I suppose would be easy in Kent but less so in other areas.

I am not saying they shouldn't do it, but we are long past the point where we should have expected them to actually learn from previous disasters they've caused in this crisis and to not do them again. They've focus-grouped (badly) the response to this throughout and its cost thousands of lives.
 
There's a new rapidly transmitting strain of the virus spreading across the south east. Should we:

a) Try to limit travel from this area to the rest of the country.
b) Give everyone 5 days to go where they want and meet in larger groups than are currently allowed.

:hmm:

Or to put it in a more sensible way:

There's a virus spreading across the country. Should we:

a) Try to limit travel.
b) Give everyone 5 days to go where they want and meet in larger groups than are currently allowed.


This is after all what they've known for months.
 
It's hardly conspiracy to suggest that prominence is given to certain stories, sometimes beyond their actual importance, in order to spin the appearance of the government's management of the situation.

Especially when we know the government has paid very serious attention to 'nudge theory' and behaviour shifting within the last decade.
 
Especially when we know the government has paid very serious attention to 'nudge theory' and behaviour shifting within the last decade.

Thats certainly how it has been advertised, but honestly unless they wanted the population to lose all trust in the government its hard to see that they paid that much attention to behaviour shifting.
 
Thats certainly how it has been advertised, but honestly unless they wanted the population to lose all trust in the government its hard to see that they paid that much attention to behaviour shifting.

Covid has punched the government in the face and it doesn't know what it's doing. You also can't nudge with this stuff, you have to lead, there's no time to nudge.

Nudge was deeply embedded under Cameron, I'm not sure how it's fared under his successors though.
 
Covid has punched the government in the face and it doesn't know what it's doing. You also can't nudge with this stuff, you have to lead, there's no time to nudge.

Nudge was deeply embedded under Cameron, I'm not sure how it's fared under his successors though.

Indeed, though of course these don't really understand what leadership is - they've duped themselves (as most British politicians, journalists and business people have) into believing in the heroic model of leader in which strength of that person's will is much more important than competence, measureable success, ability, experience, extensive training, preparation and careful planning is.

That a leader might not be able to turn back the tide just by looking at it is as shocking to them as it is patently obvious to everyone else.
 
Covid has punched the government in the face and it doesn't know what it's doing. You also can't nudge with this stuff, you have to lead, there's no time to nudge.

Nudge was deeply embedded under Cameron, I'm not sure how it's fared under his successors though.

Last time I looked into it (some months ago) the nudge unit were busy with Covid stuff.
 
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