Coronavirus

[pauld]

Branson  appealing for millions from the Government for his airline seems a bit rich, after he is said to have screwed his own employees.  Is he rich enough to use his own money?

Yes, he is a billionaire tax exile who lives on his own private island who, as tans says, sued the NHS for millions when he had a hissy fit about wanting to open up healthcare to his own private healthcare provider. Along with Ashley (Sports Direct), Tim Martin (Wetherspoons) should be firmly on anyone's "Profiteering cunts who's only thought was for their own bank accounts" post-virus boycott list.

[Flashheart]

Other British airline owners basically said he was a twat for asking and the money should be going elsewhere.

Him and his ilk should be boycotted once this is all over. It won't happen though. The gullible masses will still keep on handing over money to him.  The rich (through the press) will end up blaming the poor instead.

[RobertT]

I thought IAG put their own hands out as well?  I think you'd be hard pressed to find an airline that wasn't already State owned that isn't asking for help right now.  I think American Airlines went begging but realised they might have to give up some equity or refuse to buy back shares and give dividends so are backing off!  Boeing have done similar - although it could be argued they'd already fucked themselves ahead of this by selling a plane that was essentially broken.

[townforever]

to be fair to BA, they said they have plenty of cash, just not enough to pay there workers

[Simon Pieman]

Looking at the numbers of the US and their lack of action they're going to be absolutely fucked in a week or so

[tans]

Looking at the numbers of the US and their lack of action they're going to be absolutely fucked in a week or so

But trump wants everyone in the churches for easter! What a prick

[pauld]

FT reporting this morning that UK was in EU meetings about joint procurement of ventilators - i.e. the "We didn't get the email" excuse is not just a pathetic excuse but a lie. And companies who were proposing to buy in ventilators from abroad and claim they could have had an extra 15,000 here now and a further 10,000 within the next two weeks are complaining they were ignored because the govt wanted to go with ventilators made in the UK.

https://www.ft.com/content/f9051f66-cfbe-4b36-848e-3980225ae542

[Chubbs]

Just been out to get some bits to keep me going. Morrison’s have this concert style rails to queue outside. I was only queued you for 15 min and then shop was nice and quiet, everyone was being civilised. It was great. Still not big roll mind. Should have done this 3 weeks ago.

[Banker]

Damning article in The Lancet this morning. Good grief.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30727-3/fulltext

[pauld]

Damning article in The Lancet this morning. Good grief.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30727-3/fulltext

PDF version here which some may find easier to read, although it's far from easy reading. TLDR: we are sleepwalking into a disaster built on complacency and poor leadership, and frontline NHS staff are being used as cannon fodder

https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930727-3

[tans]

The Department of Health says 17,089 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus and the number of reported UK COVID-19 deaths has risen by 260 to 1,019

[Jimmy HaveHave]

The Department of Health says 17,089 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus and the number of reported UK COVID-19 deaths has risen by 260 to 1,019

We're starting to see numbers dying similar to Spain & Italy now.....scary times for everyone

[pauld]

NHS have apparently been in touch with a medical fetish site and had all their supplies of gloves and masks. Would be funny except for how clear it makes it how desperate the situation is for getting even a pretence of protective equipment to frontline NHS staff

https://twitter.com/MedFet_UK/status/1243590308878848002

We had months to prepare for this in January and Feburary. NHS staff are being used as cannon fodder

[Ardiles]

Damning article in The Lancet this morning. Good grief.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30727-3/fulltext

Damning, but not surprising - given the complete absence of political leadership at the start of this crisis.  Johnson is well known not to be a details man.  Too busy wanking himself dry over Brexit last month to prepare for the unfolding disaster.

This is him at the start of this month, describing how he went on shaking hands with Coronavirus patients.  He's not leading.  He's being led at every turn.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

NHS have apparently been in touch with a medical fetish site and had all their supplies of gloves and masks. Would be funny except for how clear it makes it how desperate the situation is for getting even a pretence of protective equipment to frontline NHS staff

https://twitter.com/MedFet_UK/status/1243590308878848002

We had months to prepare for this in January and Feburary. NHS staff are being used as cannon fodder

46 doctors dead in Italy from the virus