Coronavirus

[Mother Brown]

Air freight

https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1251420198286090240?s=09

So whats the reason for the delay then ?

[Legends-Lounge]

So whats the reason for the delay then ?

Probably need to grease a few greasy palms on the way out, usual stuff.

[Ardiles]

Govt response to the allegations in the Sumday Times.  Possibly the weakest rebuttal you'll ever hear.  Not Classic Dom at all.

This article contains a series of falsehoods and errors and actively misrepresents the enormous amount of work which was going on in government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.

The Government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus, delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our NHS and save lives.

Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.

The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation.

It might have been better to say nothing at all.

[Richie Wellen-Dowd]

Govt response to the allegations in the Sumday Times.  Possibly the weakest rebuttal you'll ever hear.  Not Classic Dom at all.

This article contains a series of falsehoods and errors and actively misrepresents the enormous amount of work which was going on in government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.

The Government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus, delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our NHS and save lives.

Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.

The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation.

It might have been better to say nothing at all.

A much more detailed rebuttal here.

https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/19/response-to-sunday-times-insight-article/

[StfcRusty]

Probably need to grease a few greasy palms on the way out, usual stuff.

Do you always have to allow your casual racism to leak out?

[Batch]

this is going to rumble on.

it's quite clear we didn't have the necessary in place quick enough, and still don't.

it's not that clear (to me) whether that was even possible from the starting position.

many had certainly made noises that we were dilly dallying while others took decisive action.

yet none of us know whether mixed messages were given to the government from the scientific advisors.

I guess there will be an inquest, and it'll find it's way to the same draw as the Russian report if it's critical.

we are where we are, sadly.

[StfcRusty]

Well here's a novelty.  Piers Morgan talking a lot of sense on an interview with CNN on Youtube, from today I think.

Critical of Boris, damning of Trump but pushing the point that not too late to change/adjust.

Title is "Piers Morgan's stunning advice for his friend Donald Trump" if anyone interested.

It really is a quite amazing interview and a damning indictment of Trump and Johnson.  You'd like to thing Morgan has suddenly found some morals but I think a tweet from back when he did the Trump exclusive interview in early 2019 is quite informing; he said something like that when he was a kid he dreamt of being the most talked about journalist in the world.  Not the most talented, most acclaimed, most admired.  The most talked about.

I imagine his sudden conversion is more to do with that than anything else.

[StfcRusty]

Of course, it's being generally well-observed. But after nearly a month of this partial lockdown, and allowing for average time from infection to hospitalisation, only Russia is reporting a greater number of new cases today. Suggests to me our version of a lockdown is not keeping a tight enough lid on spread. Can only see it getting worse, sadly.

Our lockdown is not helped by the reported 15,000 people a day coming into the UK via airports including from areas with high Covid-19 infections.  I've yet to hear the Government offer an explanation as to why this is happening when NZ and, closer to home, Slovakia shut all border points weeks ago.

It makes no sense to me.  Does anyone else think it's a good idea?

[RedRag]

Govt response to the allegations in the Sumday Times.  Possibly the weakest rebuttal you'll ever hear.  Not Classic Dom at all.

This article contains a series of falsehoods and errors and actively misrepresents the enormous amount of work which was going on in government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.

The Government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus, delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our NHS and save lives.

Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.

The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation.

It might have been better to say nothing at all.

The telling words are

We have taken the right steps at the right time guided by the scientific evidence.

A Government that is incapable of admitting any mistakes in such a novel situation doesn't look ready to learn.  

Wtf anyway is "the science"?  Is it the secret science that we fund as taxpayers and in respect which the Government will only share with us the parts its wishes (eg its statement that it will only publish the minutes of its SAGE meetings AFTER the Pandemic is over).  

And why should the members of SAGE not be disclosed?  Our Supreme Court Judges shared their reasons for their decisions and stood up individually to scrutiny.  When they had their mugs splashed on front pages and were accused of being traitors, Johnson and Cos only concern was to review the manner of their appointment.  

At some point, the public will lean towards rationality and openness over soundbites and demagoguery.

[swindonmaniac]

this is going to rumble on.

it's quite clear we didn't have the necessary in place quick enough, and still don't.

it's not that clear (to me) whether that was even possible from the starting position.
many had certainly made noises that we were dilly dallying while others took decisive action.
yet none of us know whether mixed messages were given to the government from the scientific advisors.
I guess there will be an inquest, and it'll find it's way to the same draw as the Russian report if it's critical.

we are where we are, sadly.

Absolutely the best post on this subject for a long time.  All the bickering and finger pointing is absolutely pointless,  we just need to knuckle down,  get on with life, get through this god forsaken disease and argue about who was right and who was wrong once we get out the other side.   NHS are doing an amazing job and deserve all the credit they get, same as postal workers,  delivery drivers and binmen,  not to mention the amount of people working behind the scenes.  As Batch says, we are where we are, let's just make the best of it and fuck all the arguing.

[Batch]

actually I don't think it's pointless, because it's clear we have to do better next time

it's just pointless now.

[swindonmaniac]

Correct,  that's what I meant to say.

[Richie Wellen-Dowd]

Settle this for me if you would. A friend's workmate says he had a swab test in a doctor's car park, by someone in a hazmat suit about ten days ago and subsequently tested positive for covid-19. Complete bullshit, non? As in, this literally isn't happening anywhere? He's not a frontline worker or even shielded.

[Bogus Dave]

Settle this for me if you would. A friend's workmate says he had a swab test in a doctor's car park, by someone in a hazmat suit about ten days ago and subsequently tested positive for covid-19. Complete bullshit, non? As in, this literally isn't happening anywhere? He's not a frontline worker or even shielded.

There have been drive-through testing sites at locations such as:

Western General Hospital in Edinburgh
Ikea’s Wembley branch
Chessington World of Adventures
Parsons Green Health Centre
Edgware Community Hospital
Harpenden Memorial Hospital
Boots’ headquarters in Nottingham
Swansea Bay University Health Board opened a centre off the M4 in former playing field changing rooms
Easingwold Health Centre
Northampton General Hospital

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2020/03/31/coronavirus-uk-covid-19-testing-facilities-uk-12482614/amp/

[pauld]

actually I don't think it's pointless, because it's clear we have to do better next time

it's just pointless now.

Bickering is always pointless. Holding the govt to account is vital, and it is vital that it is done now, because if they aren't being held to account now, they will continue down the same disastrous path. It is only by holding the govt to account that there was a change of direction on herd immunity/lockdown, on increasing testing (although they're still making an almighty fuck-up of it), on testing in care homes and indeed on trying to get in PPE. If no-one was asking the questions, Hancock et al would be quite happy to pop up on the telly at 5pm every day and blandly assure everyone that the NHS has everything it needs, when it patently doesn't. Waiting until after it's all over would have resulted in the continuation of herd immunity, no lockdown and the NHS would already be completely overwhelmed (as opposed to desperately struggling)