The UK response to Covid-19 [MOD WARNING 1ST POST]

A Dub in Glasgo

Masks were mandatory in Scotland in shops from last Friday and I have been in 3 supermarkets since and the compliance rate is very high from what I could see. Interestingly, over the last 10 days the Tories / unionists in Scotland slagged Sturgeon for making it mandatory in the shops claiming they will follow UK govt advice, they have gone very quiet

Dave0301

Enzokk wrote: »

Another day and another dodgy contract.

Just how does public money end up in the pockets of Cummings' friends?

Legal action has been brought to find out why this contract was awarded to this company. They seemed to have concluded a verbal agreement without tender on the 3rd March 2020 and then the written contract was awarded to the company on the 5th June only. By this time the company provided the following services and was paid for,



So it seems like the Cabinet Office (responsibility of Gove) awarded this contract using the pandemic as an excuse for this company to provide services during the pandemic. This was done without tender or competing bids. The people in charge of the company, married couple, both have history with both Gove and Cummings as well. They seem to have started working together in 2004 and as recently as last year when Ms Wolf helped co-write the Conservative manifesto for the election.

Also, their offices operate out of No.11 Tufton Street.

More on this in today's paper. PestFix seems particularly iffy, and the fast that the PPE has not made it to the NHS is a scandal in itself.

https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonbiot/status/1283280615996039168

Joe_ Public

I think this might have been the only time Boris Johnson actually told the truth during pmqs this morning. Responding to another question relating to bereaved families, he made a joke about underpants.

https://twitter.com/JonathanPieNews/status/1283359682774605832?s=20

A Dub in Glasgo

https://twitter.com/RP131/status/1283416299553599488

Lowest Wednesday for deaths in 17 weeks, by a good bit

theological

Deleted User wrote: »

Lowest Wednesday for deaths in 17 weeks, by a good bit

It's a mixed picture at the moment. The KCL tracker data seems to suggest that the R in the UK is now 1.2 which isn't brilliant. This means we're going to see cases pick up again if it isn't rectified. There are more localised lockdowns occurring - about 100 a week if Matt Hancock is right.

It is good to see the deaths come down, but there's still a lot of virus around which isn't a brilliant starting point for the autumn. Hopefully the local actions have the desired impact.

theological

theological wrote: »

It's a mixed picture at the moment. The KCL tracker data seems to suggest that the R in the UK is now 1.2 which isn't brilliant. This means we're going to see cases pick up again if it isn't rectified. There are more localised lockdowns occurring - about 100 a week if Matt Hancock is right.

It is good to see the deaths come down, but there's still a lot of virus around which isn't a brilliant starting point for the autumn. Hopefully the local actions have the desired impact.

What’s a localised lockdown? Like an individual pub or restaurant?

theological

Deleted User wrote: »

What’s a localised lockdown? Like an individual pub or restaurant?

Apparently it can be as local as shutting down a postcode where there has been an outbreak.

tritriagain

What would people think of travelling to uk from Ireland to do a course 2 weeks long. Is it acceptable or not. I really don't know what to do.

theological

tritriagain wrote: »

What would people think of travelling to uk from Ireland to do a course 2 weeks long. Is it acceptable or not. I really don't know what to do.

Is the course so essential that it requires people to stay residentially?

For perspective, I've told my family in Ireland not to come to the UK for my wedding. I'm not going to Ireland at all this summer. I think that's the right call.

Will you be willing to quarantine on return also?

BringBackMick

What a disgrace. Will be getting out of this country now.

Pathetic.

S.M.B.

What ails ya?

theological

theological wrote: »

Is the course so essential that it requires people to stay residentially?

For perspective, I've told my family in Ireland not to come to the UK for my wedding. I'm not going to Ireland at all this summer. I think that's the right call.

Will you be willing to quarantine on return also?

For an alternative perspective, I would have no problems going to the UK, and no isolation is required at that end. As long as you do the right thing when you come back to Ireland, it’s fine IMO (ie. restrict movement, as per current government instructions, not full on quarantine)

And if attendance in person at this course would be beneficial, whether residential or not, I would not hesitate

I have been over a couple of times as have a flat and family over there, and didn’t think twice

mugsymugsy

theological wrote: »

Is the course so essential that it requires people to stay residentially?

For perspective, I've told my family in Ireland not to come to the UK for my wedding. I'm not going to Ireland at all this summer. I think that's the right call.

Will you be willing to quarantine on return also?

Big decision for you to make but ultimately I think the right less risky one. We are meant to have a celebration with UK family over here but they are not travelling over.

Timberrrrrrrr

BringBackMick wrote: »

What a disgrace. Will be getting out of this country now.

Pathetic.

and go where?

ExMachina1000

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

and go where?

Portland, Oregon I'd say

tritriagain

theological wrote: »

Is the course so essential that it requires people to stay residentially?

For perspective, I've told my family in Ireland not to come to the UK for my wedding. I'm not going to Ireland at all this summer. I think that's the right call.

Will you be willing to quarantine on return also?

It's fairly essential to me. Can put it off til September but to be honest I'm not too optimistic that it will be any better by then.

theological

tritriagain wrote: »

It's fairly essential to me. Can put it off til September but to be honest I'm not too optimistic that it will be any better by then.

I'm surprised that a lot of this stuff can't be done remotely at this stage. I guess it depends on what it is.

The virus is active still, the question would it be worth it if you caught the virus, and then potentially infected family members as a result?

Perhaps I'm paranoid, but I'd err towards caution.

tritriagain

theological wrote: »

I'm surprised that a lot of this stuff can't be done remotely at this stage. I guess it depends on what it is.

The virus is active still, the question would it be worth it if you caught the virus, and then potentially infected family members as a result?

Perhaps I'm paranoid, but I'd err towards caution.

this is a hands on course. It will allow me to go to work again after being made redundant in feb. I am however worried what problems I could potentially cause to my family.

S.M.B.

Could you find somewhere to quarantine for two weeks on returning? Sounds like it is worth considering but a lot would depend on what exactly you'd be doing when over here.

tritriagain

S.M.B. wrote: »

Could you find somewhere to quarantine for two weeks on returning? Sounds like it is worth considering but a lot would depend on what exactly you'd be doing when over here.

The class consists of 7 others plus 2 tutors. I would be going by ferry and staying in hotel. I would keep to myself as much as possible i.e have my dinner and up to room. I really want to do it but am being put under pressure by family... Some want me to go others don't. Quarantine would consist of coming home and staying home but family would be present

S.M.B.

I wouldn't see any major issue in going based on that info. Everything right now is a risk/reward decision and doing a course that is going to get you back in the workplace sounds like a pretty positive step to take. Trying to identify the risk is a trickier task but your plans sound pretty low risk to me. Not sure if you could come up with a means of trying to distance yourself as much as possible for two weeks when you are back in the family home.

S.M.B.

On a slightly different note:

Inside Westminster’s coronavirus blame game

Interestingly it says Cummings was the man to give everyone a good kick up the arse when nobody wanted to consider the lockdown.

moritz1234

Any one know the R rate in the UK ?

theological

moritz1234 wrote: »

Any one know the R rate in the UK ?

KCL are suggesting it is 1.2. They have their extra data on the app for contributors.

Joe_ Public

S.M.B. wrote: »

On a slightly different note:

Inside Westminster’s coronavirus blame game

Interestingly it says Cummings was the man to give everyone a good kick up the arse when nobody wanted to consider the lockdown.

Dont think it's news that cummings was pushing for lockdown before johnson and other senior government figures. Shipman reported that in the ST back in April. I suppose the population should give thanks for that small mercy. I think the view that economy was critical and that the people would not support lockdown had become entrenched and there was a reluctance among the scientists to go against that grain. That was a problem. Cummings may have been right in pressing for the lockdown but that doesn't mean it was right for him to have had such a prominent role at sage meetings, throwing his weight around. It wasnt.

tritriagain

tritriagain wrote: »

The class consists of 7 others plus 2 tutors. I would be going by ferry and staying in hotel. I would keep to myself as much as possible i.e have my dinner and up to room. I really want to do it but am being put under pressure by family... Some want me to go others don't. Quarantine would consist of coming home and staying home but family would be present

You said before that this is going to help you get back into the workforce having been made redundant. That seems pretty persuasive to me, and I would definitely be going, especially given the way that you are going to behave when you are there. You need to have a talk about the risk, by the sounds of it, with certain members of your family, but if I were you I would certainly be going

Because of how Boris handled it, people have the impression that the UK is on fire. It is not. There is some divergence by town. Perhaps worth looking at that to support your conversation with your more risk averse family members. Breakdowns are all available online. The travelling is as close to zero risk as you can realistically get.....the ferries are empty

robinph

tritriagain wrote: »

The class consists of 7 others plus 2 tutors. I would be going by ferry and staying in hotel. I would keep to myself as much as possible i.e have my dinner and up to room. I really want to do it but am being put under pressure by family... Some want me to go others don't. Quarantine would consist of coming home and staying home but family would be present

Once you are not going to the pub or any orgies whilst in the UK there really isn't that much additional risk if you just behave sensibly. Don't spend long duration in small badly ventilated areas with a large group of strangers, if chatting with people on the course then do so outside, wash your hands and don't cough on people or be coughed on by people.

If the family is being particularly nervous then stick a tent up in the back garden and kip in there for a week on return, or just wear a mask about the house and eat alone.

robinph

robinph wrote: »

Once you are not going to the pub or any orgies whilst in the UK

:eek:

S.M.B.

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Dont think it's news that cummings was pushing for lockdown before johnson and other senior government figures. Shipman reported that in the ST back in April. I suppose the population should give thanks for that small mercy. I think the view that economy was critical and that the people would not support lockdown had become entrenched and there was a reluctance among the scientists to go against that grain. That was a problem. Cummings may have been right in pressing for the lockdown but that doesn't mean it was right for him to have had such a prominent role at sage meetings, throwing his weight around. It wasnt.

I must have missed it and only seen the Cummings said he wanted Herd Immunity story which he denies.