COVID19

[Digby]

Did I hear correctly we just found more positive test results down the back of a sofa? Again one wonders what (lack of) controls are in place this can happen, are we using prison inmates with no education to collate results on the cheap?

Nope, we're paying them £600 a day (at least).

They've already pulled this weird stunt of losing count, it's astonishing how lax they're being. And it's weird because it's not even hard to have checks in place to stop this kind of thing, so they're actively choosing to be at risk of manual fuck ups. You wouldn't expect that for £200/day

[Which Tyler]

Yay - we really are world beating - our Covid Corruption is headline worthy in Trumpland!
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020 ... tracts.htm

Waste, Negligence and Cronyism: Inside Britain’s Pandemic Spending
In the desperate scramble for protective gear and other equipment, politically connected companies reaped billions.

[fivepointer]

It's really getting to quite a stage when a US newspaper is running an expose on this corruption. When will our media get on top of this and start detailing what has been going on.
The Good Law Project has been shining a light on this and there are one or two MP's taking an interest, but this is corruption on a grand scale and really should be getting far greater exposure.

[Galfon]

Sweden's approach has been seen now to fall short with the winter surge:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55347021
Even Germany is struggling to get a grip tbf, and Fra needed a 5 week lockdown. Seems a question of 'assume the position' for many.
Tier 3 measures have shown to be effective here, yet again the question may be asked why some areas were exempt from this earlier and is asking everyone to be 'jolly careful' over the xmas period likely to have any effect overall.

[Digby]

And it's all change on the policy front, all change please, all change. Would they please sort their shit out, they keep passing up on chances to be more controlled in advance, and they keep reacting after the obvious facts with changes in what's permissible and messaging

[Sandydragon]

Well, what a surprise. The stats have pointed to this for weeks
But Boris doesn’t like to make hard decisions so with the usual pfiffel and bluster we have this latest fiasco.

[morepork]

The ongoing travel between the UK and USA is just a fucking joke. Loopholes you can literally drive a jumbo jet through.

[canta_brian]

The ongoing travel between the UK and USA is just a fucking joke. Loopholes you can literally drive a jumbo jet through.

but, but, business innit.

[canta_brian]

What really pisses me off is that in the UK we have seen no mainstream reporting of NZ's 3rd quarter GDP figure of +14%.

Here I am living in the UK where we fucked the health of the nation and the economy.

[morepork]

Talk to me when I can buy a house with an inside toilet for under 1.5 million.

[Which Tyler]

Well that went well.

Started preparing Mum that we might call Christmas a day trip, and not stay overnight. She's in tier 2, 6 miles away from tier 4; our numbers are higher than they were going into Lockdown2.

Her worry is that she gives someone else the virus. We're not allowed the same concern.
"If I don't see you at Christmas I might not be around for Easter! Click... Bzzzzzz"



FFS Mr Johnson, this decision should be coming from you, not left to people like me to make under extreme duress and manipulation. Your job is to lead, not dodge every decision that comes your way. Yes, you got the job with shitty timing, but it's a job you've spent the last 30 years building towards. You wanted the privilege, you HAVE to accept the responsibility.

[morepork]

My dude, not to belittle your situation, but 6 miles away from a tier 4 'aint tier 2, it's 4. 6 miles. You could literally walk that shit in.

[Which Tyler]

I know, I walk about that with my dogs every day.
It's trying to convince her, and trying to convince her not to threaten suicide.

I would far rather just see her over Zoom this Christmas, but she won't even accept (yet) the current rules, let alone me going beyond the letter of the minimum.

[morepork]

Yeah. I don't really have any sensible practical advice for dealing with a histrionic octogenarian.

Maybe send her some diazepam chocolates?

Short of smart arse, I've got nothing for you mate. A bit of clear, reasoned centralised messaging from the Downing St. Bullingdon club probably wouldn't hurt.

[Galfon]

Emergency plans to keep fast-spreading virus contained in SE England has immediate impact.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ier-4.html

It's ok - not breaking any rules eh ?

[Sandydragon]

Emergency plans to keep fast-spreading virus contained in SE England has immediate impact.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ier-4.html

It's ok - not breaking any rules eh ?

This completely grips my shit. There was an interview with some anonymous teaching assistant who managed to bring her flight to Tenerife forward by a few hours so she and her offspring could travel and meet friends there for Christmas.

Yes, the government response has been, and continues to be, a shambles. But there is a point here around personal responsibility.

[Digby]

Now that's an increase in infections, Tuesday could look amusingly awful

[Puja]

Well that went well.

Started preparing Mum that we might call Christmas a day trip, and not stay overnight. She's in tier 2, 6 miles away from tier 4; our numbers are higher than they were going into Lockdown2.

Her worry is that she gives someone else the virus. We're not allowed the same concern.
"If I don't see you at Christmas I might not be around for Easter! Click... Bzzzzzz"



FFS Mr Johnson, this decision should be coming from you, not left to people like me to make under extreme duress and manipulation. Your job is to lead, not dodge every decision that comes your way. Yes, you got the job with shitty timing, but it's a job you've spent the last 30 years building towards. You wanted the privilege, you HAVE to accept the responsibility.

I'm sorry to hear that mate.

My visit to my mum's at Christmas is the literal highlight of my year (3 days of low stress, an extra adult to handle the kids, being looked after rather than looking after) and I've just had the conversation with her where we agreed that it wasn't a good idea to do it this year. She lives in Chelmsford, so we've had a better guidance than you have (in that going from T2 to T4 is "Don't"), but it's still incredibly shitty to have it all planned and ready to go and then have the rug pulled last minute.

To quote a friend of mine - You can justify opening up for Christmas and you can justify closing down for Christmas. What's not possible to justify is to vacillate for weeks and then change your mind after everyone's booked tickets and bought food.

Puja

[Puja]

Literally 3 days ago:

Puja

[morepork]

Boris is a complete cunt. There's more to come to light about this, and it looks like he has shelved data available to him for months that predicts exactly what is happening now. He is in charge of a centralised public health response and has actively hobbled it. That's go t to be getting close to corporate manslaughter territory.

[Digby]

That's go t to be getting close to corporate manslaughter territory.

History suggests that's a much less serious charge even than drinking Carling, eating at McDonalds or littering.

[morepork]

Sweden's approach has been seen now to fall short with the winter surge:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55347021
Even Germany is struggling to get a grip tbf, and Fra needed a 5 week lockdown. Seems a question of 'assume the position' for many.
Tier 3 measures have shown to be effective here, yet again the question may be asked why some areas were exempt from this earlier and is asking everyone to be 'jolly careful' over the xmas period likely to have any effect overall.

Fuck, I remember seeing all these pretentious wankpieces about "the Swedish approach" being preferable to the lockdown. I propose that going forward, "the Swedish approach" in place of a lockdown should only be done only if the person suggesting it chugs down an entire litre of hydrochloric acid in one go.

There has not been a single credible scientific "piece" supporting the triage-driven herd immunity concept espoused by Swedish public health officials. Not one.

[morepork]

Grant, Hooton....not exactly representative of global scientific consensus. Yes, they are shitcunts, but no one outside of Sweden or St. Heliers really gives that nonsense credence. I get that some internal commentary/opinion in Oceania is redonkulous, sure.

[Galfon]

The muto-horse has definitely bolted - T4 ain't going to stabilise much now.
How hard is it to just 'stay put' for 1 crimbo in your life ?

As an aside, the EU vaccine situation looks a bit of a shambles, oddly.

[Puja]

The muto-horse has definitely bolted - T4 ain't going to stabilise much now.
How hard is it to just 'stay put' for 1 crimbo in your life ?

As an aside, the EU vaccine situation looks a bit of a shambles, oddly.

I mean, the EU are usually a shambles. They've just gained the temporary illusion of competence because we've been next to them shitting the bed twice a day for the past 4 years.

Puja