Coronavirus

Just read this..

Quoted from LH

My point was that a few days ago the people most at risk from this virus were quite happy to let the government stand them in the firing line of it. As soon as he admits they got it wrong then they’re all quiet.

The experts keep telling us this is some kind of master plan but every 24hrs the master plan changes. It has become very obvious that the experts are not in charge of this national disaster but are being told to justify scientifically why the government policy is safe.

It’s very difficult to not make this a political discussion but shall we say that Theresa May had made the initial decisions Johnson did that she wouldn’t have been defended by so many quite so enthusiastically?

I doubt if anyone at all was 'quite happy' in the slightest.  If you mean did we have confidence in the decisions made then as far as we could we did have.  I still believe that the timescales for the crack downs are being done as they feel is right.  What I don't agree with is the way that it is being implemented.  If you are going to advise people not to go to the pub then you should be just shutting the pubs.
There should be more financial assistance assured to those that are most affected.  Those reassurances need to be given now.  I know people that simply can not afford to self isolate on Statutory Sick Pay.
They will swig cough medicine to cover things up and work on regardless. Not because of greed but because of need.  Maybe those that defend BJ enthusiastically  feel the need to do so in response to those that can't wait to attack him so enthusiastically.  This virus is still relatively new and so ultimately things will tend to be reactive as opposed to proactive. There are some right doom mongers on here and look at everything as the worst case scenario.  Lets just all pull together on this (I'm not saying you have to agree) for now and then have the inquest once we are pretty much sorted.

For the avoidance of doubt, it’s fine -and entirely necessary- for people to demand more of the government and the Prime Minister.

These people are running the country, they make our laws and spend our money, they can magic more investment out of thin air and they can do almost anything the want without question. They have access to any resources they could possibly want or need.

These people aren’t your friends and aren’t “on your team”, so don’t need anyone to defend them. They are servants of the population, every one of us, and should remember that. Feel free to remind them, you don’t need anyone’s permission.

Quoted from Civvy at last

Lets just all pull together on this (I'm not saying you have to agree) for now and then have the inquest once we are pretty much sorted.

I don’t think we agree on everything but likewise I don’t think we’re a million miles off either. As Ska says we’re quite within our rights to question govt decisions and want the very best we can get from them. I am willing to leave political discussion on this subject until a sense of normality resumes.

We are facing the most difficult time many of us will ever live through. Personally speaking I work at a site of very high importance to national security and I don’t know if they’re going to let me on site to work tonight. As a sub-contractor my livelihood is in jeopardy. That pales into insignificance though with what our elderly and vulnerable face over the next few months.

Quoted from toontown

I've been to Havana ( the relatively wealthy and successful bit of their country) if that's success I'd hate to see a failed communist state. Dirt poor and laughably understocked shops that lìterally celebrate having anything to sell at all.

That’s a lot to do with the effect of nearly 60 years of trade embargoes imposed by the US. They had to run virtually a siege economy plus had to spend a very high proportion of their GDP on defence because of the very real threat of invasion. It’s that constant deferral of consumer production in favour of very high defence spending that did for the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc too.

US life expectancy for all of their wealth is no higher than that of Cuba. Cuba has the lowest mortality rates from hurricanes too in the region. No one’s pretending that it’s rosey there but it’s not as black and white as that.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

That’s a lot to do with the effect of nearly 60 years of trade embargoes imposed by the US. They had to run virtually a siege economy plus had to spend a very high proportion of their GDP on defence because of the very real threat of invasion. It’s that constant deferral of consumer production in favour of very high defence spending that did for the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc too.

US life expectancy for all of their wealth is no higher than that of Cuba. Cuba has the lowest mortality rates from hurricanes too in the region. No one’s pretending that it’s rosey there but it’s not as black and white as that.

I have always thought the US are the worlds big bullies they think they are so powerful they can do what they want.

AND

They do.

Quoted from rancido

I assume then that you will be emigrating to Denmark then?

That’s the oldest, weakest counter-argument to pointing out that some countries do things better. It’s pathetic. Rather than having a country that performs better economically and looks after its people, you’d rather see opposition emigrate so you can continue to wallow while your country is dismantled. Why shouldn’t people want their country to emulate best practice??

And sticking with Denmark specifically, let’s not forget that they looked after their fishermen when the industry had to downsize because of CAP.

just been told to self isolate by work for the next 12- going to be hard

Quoted from GrimRob

Hope you get well soon! You sure you haven't got the same and your bodies are reacting differently?

Thank you.

The social distancing measures that have now been introduced in the UK should reduce the peak of the spread by around 50%, MPS have been told by Britain’s Chief Scientific Adviser.

Sir Patrick Vallance tells the Health Select Committee also answered a particular question that has been exercising the minds of many people : why Britain has not continued with the mass testing in place in some other countries.

Public Health England has done 44,000 tests so far which is in the top three or four countries and the state body has a capacity of about three or four thousand a day, he said.

He went on to explain that one of the recommendations from the UK government’s ‘SAGE’ expert committee is that testing should be put in “the right place.” As capacity ramps up, it will be extended to other groups from the current focus on groups such as those now in hospital.

The second type of testing - which is incredibly important - will be for those who have already had the virus and may be asymptomatic.

“it will change a lot if we can understand that,” he added.