Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[WA Toffee]

I must admit, I really struggle to understand how there can be so many cases, yet so few restrictions (and people calling for even less)

Western Australia has just gone into a 4 day lockdown because we now have 3 cases in the community. Yes, 3. And when it doesn't spread any further, we will then be able to go back to everyday life with no restrictions other than closed borders

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

I see Javed said he "sees no reason" why Gammon Day on the 14th shouldn't go ahead.

Perhaps Hancock's been stitched-up because he wouldn't support it.

It's certainly a facet of British politics...




Chris Whitty has a taste of normality...

Professor Chris Whitty: Video of 'thugs' harassing England's chief medical officer condemned by Boris Johnson

It is the second time this year social media footage has emerged of Professor Whitty being harassed by members of the public.

news.sky.com

 

[AdamEFC]

I must admit, I really struggle to understand how there can be so many cases, yet so few restrictions (and people calling for even less)

Western Australia has just gone into a 4 day lockdown because we now have 3 cases in the community. Yes, 3. And when it doesn't spread any further, we will then be able to go back to everyday life with no restrictions other than closed borders

That’s not a sustainable method though. It will cause havoc on businesses across the area with the uncertainty. Locking down for 3 cases seems like madness also, you are never going to completely get rid of this now so as long as the deaths are low there isn’t any need to lockdown.

 

[PhilM]

I must admit, I really struggle to understand how there can be so many cases, yet so few restrictions (and people calling for even less)

Western Australia has just gone into a 4 day lockdown because we now have 3 cases in the community. Yes, 3. And when it doesn't spread any further, we will then be able to go back to everyday life with no restrictions other than closed borders

What percentage of people in Australia have had COVID compared to the UK? I suspect ours is much higher and with mass roll out, it's a race to herd immunity.

As I've said a few times, my wife works in schools and its absolutely rife within the region's classrooms: short staffed; bubbles closing; lots at home isolating.

The issue being however that many of the staff have had either both or one dose and the children, in the mainstay, won't be seriously ill, so it's allowed.

With hospitalisation and death rates within acceptable boundaries, they will keep peeling restrictions back. My wife and middle child are both currently isolating.

Our youngest can't be in school as there's not enough staff to run his class... all madness.

 

[Amw79]

Sections of this country have completely lost their minds.

 

[PhilM]

Sections of this country have completely lost their minds.

Police investigating after Chris Whitty accosted in park

Boris Johnson says he is "shocked" by the "despicable harassment" of England's chief medical officer.

www.bbc.co.uk

It gets worse.

 

[Amw79]

Police investigating after Chris Whitty accosted in park

Boris Johnson says he is "shocked" by the "despicable harassment" of England's chief medical officer.

www.bbc.co.uk

It gets worse.

Yeah. People are getting radicalised by social media misinformation. I think we’re not far off a trump-style insurrection event, where people get hurt.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Police investigating after Chris Whitty accosted in park

Boris Johnson says he is "shocked" by the "despicable harassment" of England's chief medical officer.

www.bbc.co.uk

It gets worse.

Not good at all.

Based on the new Serco contract I am quite sure that the winter lockdown is on its way. The general public support for lockdown is starting to become very weak (other than the people who wear masks on their profile pictures on twitter).

I think more focus from the anti lockdown protesters should be aimed towards the tory party and their donors who have made huge profits from the PPE and other contracts.

 

[WA Toffee]

That’s not a sustainable method though. It will cause havoc on businesses across the area with the uncertainty. Locking down for 3 cases seems like madness also, you are never going to completely get rid of this now so as long as the deaths are low there isn’t any need to lockdown.

Don't know, it has served us well for the last year. We had very short lockdowns in January and April and another now. We have always had very low levels of covid in WA (today was just case number 1023 since it began over a year ago,and over 90% of those are international arrivals that go straight into quarantine) due to short lockdowns as soon as it gets into the community, and having tight control over our border.

Oh, and we just also happen to have probably the best performing economy in the world at the moment, so that's not really an issue either.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

I must admit, I really struggle to understand how there can be so many cases, yet so few restrictions (and people calling for even less)

Western Australia has just gone into a 4 day lockdown because we now have 3 cases in the community. Yes, 3. And when it doesn't spread any further, we will then be able to go back to everyday life with no restrictions other than closed borders

It's our best time of year for when illnesses caused by viruses that will put the vulnerable in hospital are at the lowest. We did same last year without current covid vaccines. Sure has hell have to come out of lockdown with vaccines now so much political capital has been invested in the vaccine program, political suicide not to come out. The consequences of death by this virus will be calculated risk against other causes.

Will be the autumn and winter when all viruses are back. And how our NHS and Social care has been mismanaged over the last decade bare fruit again. Factor in the millions on waiting lists. Some scary stuff now coming down the road, more and more people who have been waiting for elective surgery are presenting with a severe mental health and substance misuse like never before.

 

[WA Toffee]

What percentage of people in Australia have had COVID compared to the UK? I suspect ours is much higher and with mass roll out, it's a race to herd immunity.

As I've said a few times, my wife works in schools and its absolutely rife within the region's classrooms: short staffed; bubbles closing; lots at home isolating.

The issue being however that many of the staff have had either both or one dose and the children, in the mainstay, won't be seriously ill, so it's allowed.

With hospitalisation and death rates within acceptable boundaries, they will keep peeling restrictions back. My wife and middle child are both currently isolating.

Our youngest can't be in school as there's not enough staff to run his class... all madness.

Yeah, Australia is much lower, and WA is among the lowest in Australia. Probably because of the part of your post I have bolded - we do not have anywhere near the level of tolerance that your PM does for sickness and death, therefore are far more proactive in minimising it

 

[tsubaki]

Yeah. People are getting radicalised by social media misinformation. I think we’re not far off a trump-style insurrection event, where people get hurt.

It’s not just social media - nearly every bit of media these people consume (TV, newspapers, commentary and social) is leading them down this road - they are on the side of “freedom” the others aren’t; they are the “patriots” the others aren’t; they are “the people” and the others are, well, the others. Only their proposals are common sense, even when they aren’t. Only they care about the country, even though in this case it’s not clear what country they are actually on about (England or Britain) and it’s fairly evident they are harming it by what they support.

As you say this is similar to what happened in the US, albeit of course we’ve already got around 30% of the populace who believe whatever the Tories and their media tell them, so we might even be further down the road of madness anyway.

 

[Amw79]

It’s not just social media - nearly every bit of media these people consume (TV, newspapers, commentary and social) is leading them down this road - they are on the side of “freedom” the others aren’t; they are the “patriots” the others aren’t; they are “the people” and the others are, well, the others. Only their proposals are common sense, even when they aren’t. Only they care about the country, even though in this case it’s not clear what country they are actually on about (England or Britain) and it’s fairly evident they are harming it by what they support.

As you say this is similar to what happened in the US, albeit of course we’ve already got around 30% of the populace who believe whatever the Tories and their media tell them, so we might even be further down the road of madness anyway.

I think social and ‘alternative’ media has a huge amount to do with it. The ability to type anything into google and find a dodgy media source to back up the opinion you already hold, but those alternative media sources have zero accountability or regulation.

You’re right to spot that they’re claiming to be on the side of ‘freedom’, as it gives a powerful feeling of being on the right side, as with Trump supporters claiming to be fighting for ‘patriotism’ or ‘democracy’.

The anti vax narrative in this country has increasingly focussed on “saving the children”, which mirrors the Qanon narrative, and again places those people on the ‘right side’, as who can argue about the cause of saving children.

 

[tsubaki]

I think social and ‘alternative’ media has a huge amount to do with it. The ability to type anything into google and find a dodgy media source to back up the opinion you already hold, but those alternative media sources have zero accountability or regulation.

You’re right to spot that they’re claiming to be on the side of ‘freedom’, as it gives a powerful feeling of being on the right side, as with Trump supporters claiming to be fighting for ‘patriotism’ or ‘democracy’.

The anti vax narrative in this country has increasingly focussed on “saving the children”, which mirrors the Qanon narrative, and again places those people on the ‘right side’, as who can argue about the cause of saving children.

There’s certainly an aspect of alternative media having some influence, but all I’d say there is that the vast majority of these people are fairly standard readers of the Mail, Express and of course the S*n and they are saying the same things that have repeatedly appeared in those papers. The children’s education point especially is one that the likes of noted scumbag Toby Young have been pushing for ages.

 

[trueblue84]

Yeah. People are getting radicalised by social media misinformation. I think we’re not far off a trump-style insurrection event, where people get hurt.

The 2 dopes who grabbed him couldn't even speak. Even for cockneys, they sounded a mess.

"Oi oi, aaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah."