Coronavirus Thread

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

8 minutes ago, filbertway said:

Without a vaccine there was no way of predicting when. Now a vaccine is available, unless things go dramatically tits up. Like millions of doses being contminated or lost, we should be hitting the point of looser restrictions by March, with them getting looser and looser over the next 3 months. Then by June we should be pretty much open again. If the vaccine doesn't work as well as expected or the government somehow manages to mess up the roll out, I think we will need to open up regardless and attack it from a different angle anyway, because the world needs to get moving again.

The summer will also help, deaths will naturally decrease during the summer months, alongside the vaccine we should be ok by mid summer.

[Heathrow fox]

2 hours ago, Corky said:

With my area now being in Tier 4, I wonder how the second home owners who escaped Tier 4 for Christmas will now get back?

They get back in their cars and drive back??? Who’s going to know?

[Lionator]

38 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

So far we've had 3 weeks to flatten the curve, back to normal by April, back to normal by July, back to normal by October, back to normal by Christmas, back to normal by Spring 2021, back to normal by April 2021 and now back to normal by 2022.

 

This is reason number one I can see social distancing staying for the long term, maybe even masks too.

Ultimately if the vaccines are as effective as the trials show them to be, and there's a high take up, and a quick enough roll out, deaths and hospitalisations will dramatically reduce around March/April time. From there the only way is back to 'normal'. There will be no more waves or lockdowns. Along the way there'll be signs of caution (eg mask wearing next winter). 

[Corky]

And to think it was only three months ago that the Government were threatening people with the sack unless they physically got back into their offices.

[bovril]

48 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Did anyone really expect those in Government to say “When will it end? Pfffh. No bloody idea mate!”, they have to try to remain positive.

No, they don't. They need to try and be as honest as possible, even if they say they don't know. Pretending we're going to have a normal Christmas was maybe the stupidest thing they've done in the whole pandemic. 

[StanSP]

7 minutes ago, Corky said:

And to think it was only three months ago that the Government were threatening people with the sack unless they physically got back into their offices.

It's fine, just change your whole life, re-train in a computer-based job and everything is fine and dandy!

[Corky]

1 minute ago, StanSP said:

It's fine, just change your whole life, re-train in a computer-based job and everything is fine and dandy!

They had to get back to work to spend in town and city centres to get the economy going.

 

Then cases rose again...

[Guest Harrydc]

If these new strains are so bad, and deaths are in the hundred's everyday - why on earth did they not place the whole country into tier 4 in todays press conference? It makes absolutely no sense to me. I know what people will say - the backlash will be terrible etc , but they haven't cared about backlash before so why now? 

[UniFox21]

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

I think in general they just need to stop saying when things will get back to normal by. Johnson said it in summer that we'll have 'normality by Christmas' then said recently we'll have normality by Easter. 

 

If he doesn't know, and I don't see how anyone can know, they shouldn't be saying it and giving people false hope. Just adds weight to the fair criticism of the government constantly overpromising and under delivering. I think that will be one of the main character traits of these inept people in charge as to how they'll be remembered for governing this country. 

Tbf on many occassions they keep getting dragged into guessing the time frame

[Dunge]

I’m not as critical as others on here about the government’s handling of the pandemic (that’s not to say I think it was great either), but one of the mistakes I think they keep making over and over is trying to placate their own backbenchers.

 

A good quarter or more of the party is there talking about not locking down, sending people back to offices, etc. They’re MPs who are shouting from the sidelines safe in the knowledge that the government won’t get outvoted just so they can turn to complaining constituents and businesses and say “you see, I tried!” instead of actually taking responsibility and showing leadership. Boris should be showing leadership himself, calling their bluff, saying to them: “vote me down then and take responsibility for the ensuing deaths”. Instead he ends up trying to find some sort of compromise to stop them shouting at him and then seeing inevitable problems and confusion as a result.

 

Johnson continues to prove himself to be not the man for this situation. Neither he nor his backbenchers have shown the necessary leadership, and that to me has been the main problem. Same with Raab, and Patel, and any number of others. Sunak, the jury’s out. The only ones showing proper leadership to me are Hancock and Gove. My likely-to-be-very-unpopular opinion is that Matt Hancock’s been doing a decent job overall (albeit with a few gaffes) but has been surrounded by incompetence.

[SpacedX]

3 hours ago, Mark 'expert' Lawrenson said:

Hancock has had his half hour time he disappeared off into the abyss.

Hancock's Half Hour. 

[UniFox21]

1 minute ago, Harrydc said:

If these new strains are so bad, and deaths are in the hundred's everyday - why on earth did they not place the whole country into tier 4 in todays press conference? It makes absolutely no sense to me. I know what people will say - the backlash will be terrible etc , but they haven't cared about backlash before so why now? 

That's the thing, we don't know how bad they are. We know they cause an increased transmission, but so far we haven't seen these having a spike in mortality. 

So they've locked down those with high numbers and those nearing these areas. Areas of a smaller risk have been upped to tier 3, they're basically "building a wall" to limit the spread of these strains without the need for a full lockdown. 

[Guest Harrydc]

Just now, UniFox21 said:

That's the thing, we don't know how bad they are. We know they cause an increased transmission, but so far we haven't seen these having a spike in mortality. 

So they've locked down those with high numbers and those nearing these areas. Areas of a smaller risk have been upped to tier 3, they're basically "building a wall" to limit the spread of these strains without the need for a full lockdown. 

But in areas other than tier 4, families will be mixing on Friday. So, a full lockdown will inevitably happen in January at the latest resulting in more destruction to the economy and more general struggles which lockdowns cause. We're going round in circles here with all of this.  

[Corky]

5 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

That's the thing, we don't know how bad they are. We know they cause an increased transmission, but so far we haven't seen these having a spike in mortality. 

So they've locked down those with high numbers and those nearing these areas. Areas of a smaller risk have been upped to tier 3, they're basically "building a wall" to limit the spread of these strains without the need for a full lockdown. 

Suffolk and Cambridesghire apparently are under the Tier 4 threshold but are in the restrictions due to location which I understand. I think having a lockdown now when cases are lower in some areas is the better thing to do- if this variant is so serious, why wait?

 

If we lock down now, we might come out earlier than expected.

[Livid]

Nipped out for a Chinese and the number of complete and utter can’ts who can’t be bothered to wear a mask still is incredibly. 
 

Is it that hard ? The odd one I can get might be exempt but it’s always seems to be lads in their twenties. 
 

 

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

12 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Hancock's Half Hour. 

😂 that’s why I said that! Sorry using Alan Partridge now! 

[yorkie1999]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Did anyone really expect those in Government to say “When will it end? Pfffh. No bloody idea mate!”, they have to try to remain positive.

 

Just hope that lessons are learnt, and the Idiots Guide to Managing a Pandemic is getting updated as frequently as the changing messages.

The problem is, the government are just using delay tactics to try to remain popular, but they haven't got a clue when things are going to get better. They would actually be better off just saying "no bloody idea mate" because it is true. We'd all be a bit narked, but at least we'd know where we stand. All this bullshit does is end up pissing people off, which will just lead to the government being unpopular with the electorate.

[UniFox21]

14 minutes ago, Harrydc said:

But in areas other than tier 4, families will be mixing on Friday. So, a full lockdown will inevitably happen in January at the latest resulting in more destruction to the economy and more general struggles which lockdowns cause. We're going round in circles here with all of this.  

 

10 minutes ago, Corky said:

Suffolk and Cambridesghire apparently are under the Tier 4 threshold but are in the restrictions due to location which I understand. I think having a lockdown now when cases are lower in some areas is the better thing to do- if this variant is so serious, why wait?

 

If we lock down now, we might come out earlier than expected.

Understand what you're both saying, and I see the logic of just sticking us all in tier 4, I'm simply trying to justify what the Gov. thinking could be. Given last time areas such as Manchester were locked down, there was a large uproar around financing. 

 

For me, there is no win. I wouldn't object to all in a modified version of tier 4 for a few weeks to quash cases. 

[Leicester_Loyal]

 

[tom27111]

25 minutes ago, Livid said:

Nipped out for a Chinese and the number of complete and utter can’ts who can’t be bothered to wear a mask still is incredibly. 
 

Is it that hard ? The odd one I can get might be exempt but it’s always seems to be lads in their twenties. 
 

 

I genuinely don't see why anyone would be exempt from wearing a mask?

 

At very least it should be possible to wear a face shield.

[Dahnsouff]

13 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

The problem is, the government are just using delay tactics to try to remain popular, but they haven't got a clue when things are going to get better. They would actually be better off just saying "no bloody idea mate" because it is true. We'd all be a bit narked, but at least we'd know where we stand. All this bullshit does is end up pissing people off, which will just lead to the government being unpopular with the electorate.

Totally get that, not sure everyone is of a similar mindset, some may need hope, even misplaced (misinformed, or otherwise). Not sure how the truthful message is conveyed without instilling despair into society, at least in some parts. Not excusing them, it’s a total sh*t storm, but like the whole damn thing, one size cannot fit all. 

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

13 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

I genuinely don't see why anyone would be exempt from wearing a mask?

 

At very least it should be possible to wear a face shield.

My missus has twice had crippling panic attacks in her mask, she's pregnant. She doesn't wear it now but I keep an extra one in my pocket in case someone comes up all 'oi why don't the rules apply to you!' etc. 

[StanSP]

23 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

I genuinely don't see why anyone would be exempt from wearing a mask?

 

At very least it should be possible to wear a face shield.

If you have breathing difficulties? Anyone with asthma, for instance. My missus has asthma and does wear a mask, but if we're out for a fair amount of time it does affect her more than anyone without that kind of illness.

[tom27111]

11 minutes ago, Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot said:

My missus has twice had crippling panic attacks in her mask, she's pregnant. She doesn't wear it now but I keep an extra one in my pocket in case someone comes up all 'oi why don't the rules apply to you!' etc. 

 

1 minute ago, StanSP said:

If you have breathing difficulties? Anyone with asthma, for instance. My missus has asthma and does wear a mask, but if we're out for a fair amount of time it does affect her more than anyone without that kind of illness.

 

That's fair enough. Wasn't trying to provoke or be funny about it.

 

Has she tried a shield @StanSP? Is that easier to get along with for an asthmatic?

 

I think I mentioned it in another thread a couple of weeks ago, but the people who piss me off are the ones blatantly lying about being exempt. 

 

I was in B&Q and when challenged by the security guard, three tradesmen in their late 20's all went "shut up, exempt innit". 

 

Pathetic really.

[yorkie1999]

34 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Totally get that, not sure everyone is of a similar mindset, some may need hope, even misplaced (misinformed, or otherwise). Not sure how the truthful message is conveyed without instilling despair into society, at least in some parts. Not excusing them, it’s a total sh*t storm, but like the whole damn thing, one size cannot fit all. 

We get it at work, someone will quote an impossible timeframe for a job to make themselves look good and everyone knows it won't get delivered on time so the customer just ends up being pissed off, yet the people who are a bit more savvy go well over, knowing they'll get the job anyway, the customer might moan a bit but then ends up well happy because the delivery is early, so they end up coming back for more work and just adjust their own timings.