Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[Toffe3m4n]

As much as I'm happy about restrictions lifting on July 19, I'm skeptical about the 'face masks will now be voluntary' thing as I feel it's really quite short-sighted, especially in certain settings. Personally I think masks should remain mandatory indoors and on public transport for a while longer.

 

[Paris]

Masks haven`t been revoked though, it`s just up to the individual now whether they wear one or not.

As you can see from the comments on here, most people will still wear them in certain situations and I`d say that`ll still apply to the public in general.

I suppose we just have to trust in the basic common sense of the British people

 

[degsy]

Little faith in this government to be making the right call here...

This time though they may have the right of it...(though I'm not sure all the other unacknowledged reasons for doing so would meet with general approval)
It might be...blasé(?) to trivialize sickness and death, but the short term pain for longterm gain nettle has to be grasped.

 

[tsubaki]

This time though they may have the right of it...(though I'm not sure all the other unacknowledged reasons for doing so would meet with general approval)
It might be...blasé(?) to trivialize sickness and death, but the short term pain for longterm gain nettle has to be grasped.

We are nearly 18 months into this, with 130000 dead, hundreds of thousands having been hospitalised and hundreds of billions spent.

“Short term pain for longterm gain” really is something that should have been exposed as completely and utterly wrong by now, surely.

 

[navidson]

I suppose we just have to trust in the basic common sense of the British people

 

[peteblue]

You must be dying to get back on the dance floor Pete?

Got some new wheels for the zimmer…..

 

[degsy]

We are nearly 18 months into this, with 130000 dead, hundreds of thousands having been hospitalised and hundreds of billions spent.

“Short term pain for longterm gain” really is something that should have been exposed as completely and utterly wrong by now, surely.

I mean this opening up now. Johnson more or less said we have to do it now in summer, if we leave it until winter we may not be able to cope...that short term pain for longterm gain

 

[BlueToff]

Bit harsh calling him a prat over that like.

Just speaking about a personal experience about his late wife.

Did you read the whole thread?

yes I did.

The bit about his wife is very sad and I understand that sentiment.

The time he's chosen to do it, and the reason he has done it, is not sad, he's been a prat.

Because we have to return to normal, as much as is possible, and the final step is this one - and those fears for people (like his wife) will be there this month, and next month, and in 12 months' time.

There is always going to be a risk but ultimately that's where we're at. We don't live in a risk free world. We have mitigated the risk of COVID as much as possible, probably as much as we have ever done for any illness (because we had to) and in some cases, more so (self-isolation, an unprecedented vaccine roll out across the globe).

Feeding off people's fear isn't right, especially when so many people are sick of the constant media flipflopping - which there has been. Back when they announced the delay, the BBC and ITV both had massive segments on what a catastrophe it could be for businesses who were prepared to open, and what it would do to knock faith. Now the final step is finally going ahead - well, hopefully, but the details of it have been announced at least - they're going in the opposite direction. Not everyone involved, obviously. There'll be different views on each broadcaster depending who is on the screen at the time and I don't view 'the media' as one entity.

However, stuff like this makes it really hard to defend - and I've defended Peston previously.

 

[BlueToff]

As much as I'm happy about restrictions lifting on July 19, I'm skeptical about the 'face masks will now be voluntary' thing as I feel it's really quite short-sighted, especially in certain settings. Personally I think masks should remain mandatory indoors and on public transport for a while longer.

The 'guidance' will be there for them to be on.

Yeah personally I'd just keep them mandatory for a bit but I reckon a lot of private enterprises (supermarkets and such) will keep them as mandatory.

 

[peteblue]

To be honest they probably need to stop producing that daily dashboard - or at least the cases part of it

The media needs to start scaling down it's daily constant coverage about it as well

This ^^^^….it’s run it’s course, time to back to normal life and put all the Sage scientists back in their labs and offices…….

 

[Deleted member 48881]

As much as I'm happy about restrictions lifting on July 19, I'm skeptical about the 'face masks will now be voluntary' thing as I feel it's really quite short-sighted, especially in certain settings. Personally I think masks should remain mandatory indoors and on public transport for a while longer.

Why do you think people won't wear them voluntarily? maybe it's really an unpleasent piece of cloth IMO. If enough people don't like the decision, they can go and continue wearing them. If majority won't, then that means they are OK with catching it.

I personally would wear a mask only if I feel sick or it's really crowded when indoor.

 

[tsubaki]

I mean this opening up now. Johnson more or less said we have to do it now in summer, if we leave it until winter we may not be able to cope...that short term pain for longterm gain

It’s not short term pain though, and it doesn’t lead to any sort of long term gains.

The abiding and obvious lesson from this disaster should be that nothing is better to have than people in place, properly equipped to deal with things like this (and with a population that can follow clear, honest and simple advice on an emergency).

Instead we are no better prepared now than we were before to deal with an unexpected public health crisis, and most of the country doesn’t believe the government because it routinely gaslights, tells fibs and enriches itself.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

To be honest they probably need to stop producing that daily dashboard - or at least the cases part of it

The media needs to start scaling down it's daily constant coverage about it as well

100% this.

'Cases rising' without the context means very little anymore. It's time they swerved it.

 

[Moomin]

yes I did.

The bit about his wife is very sad and I understand that sentiment.

The time he's chosen to do it, and the reason he has done it, is not sad, he's been a prat.

Because we have to return to normal, as much as is possible, and the final step is this one - and those fears for people (like his wife) will be there this month, and next month, and in 12 months' time.

There is always going to be a risk but ultimately that's where we're at. We don't live in a risk free world. We have mitigated the risk of COVID as much as possible, probably as much as we have ever done for any illness (because we had to) and in some cases, more so (self-isolation, an unprecedented vaccine roll out across the globe).

Feeding off people's fear isn't right, especially when so many people are sick of the constant media flipflopping - which there has been. Back when they announced the delay, the BBC and ITV both had massive segments on what a catastrophe it could be for businesses who were prepared to open, and what it would do to knock faith. Now the final step is finally going ahead - well, hopefully, but the details of it have been announced at least - they're going in the opposite direction. Not everyone involved, obviously. There'll be different views on each broadcaster depending who is on the screen at the time and I don't view 'the media' as one entity.

However, stuff like this makes it really hard to defend - and I've defended Peston previously.

How is he feeding off fear?

He listed a personal experience of having a loved one with a weak immune system due to health treatments and showing show empathy for people who might be in a similar position to his late wife.

What a monster he is.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Why do you think people won't wear them voluntarily? maybe it's really an unpleasent piece of cloth IMO. If enough people don't like the decision, they can go and continue wearing them. If majority won't, then that means they are OK with catching it.

I personally would wear a mask only if I feel sick or it's really crowded when indoor.

Less people wearing masks will invariably increase the risk to the people still actually wearing them though, which is my point really. This is especially worrying for people like bus drivers and those working in hospitality.