Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[Deckard2049]

I agree, but what scientists are loudly calling for them to start shutting everything down again? Pretty much everything I’ve seen is them just saying they need a bit more time to know one way of the other.

This is why I said people should be able to make their own decisions after being presented with accurate information. Kind of like the brexit referendum… oh dear.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

I'd have nailed her in the video that broke. Now, wouldn't even look twice......... minger.

 

[Seanjd]

This is why I said people should be able to make their own decisions after being presented with accurate information. Kind of like the brexit referendum… oh dear.

It’s a governments job to take the scientific advice and make decisions to keep the public safe.

In my eyes, this government being incompetent is not a reason to ignore the advice, in fact the opposite, because I think any competent government would have more in place to stop the spread of a new variant which is clearly a problem.

The least we can do at this stage is to go along with the restrictions and hope that this variant doesn’t get out of hand. I don’t have much hope, though.

 

[tsubaki]

But they arent, they are consistent for months now. Cases are consistent for months, the fact that the data is decreasing now as we enter winter is the exact opposite of this.

The numbers are falling according to the government scientist right there.

So why weren't these restrictions in place already? Why have the government waited until the numbers started falling before introducing them?

On a day when it has blown up the government don't follow their own rules. They have just stood up there and presented data decreasing whilst telling us we need more restrictions.

Do you honestly not see the hypocrisy in that?

Not sure how they "aren't" - we've been at a similar level since July, with some peaks and troughs but above 35,000 cases a day / around 100 deaths a day / 800 hospitalizations a day / 800 ventilated patients. That is what "consistent" means, and that is what the starting point would be if a wave starts now.

 

[Ghost Rider]

'masks in all indoor settings except when eating or drinking or exercising'. Surely that includes restaurants and bars?

Having to wear a mask in cinema but not in a nightclub is definitely following the science?

It isn't.

Covid rates highest in younger age groups. Nightclubs are predominantly young people all indoors without a mask.

Still not targeting the source of infection rates.

playing devil's advocate, is it not better to not take the risk for the sake of a few weeks?

I'm not a fan of any restrictions at all but, this isn't a lockdown and these new restrictions aren't really even changing that much? Most offices will be on an Xmas shutdown anyway, so maybe there's a week of WFH that people would actually be going in?

They've not said mandatory masks or rule of 6 in hospitality etc (though it's obviously loads of waffle so who knows what they end up doing with this). Is anything changing from what it is right now? I don't know if that's pointless or not.

There is a contradiction. I said it before but if they announced on July 19th for the winter we are bringing in these restrictions as a precautionary measure then there would be no uproar now.

Chris whitty just literally stood there and presented decreasing data in hospitalisations whilst telling us we have increased restrictions because of what might happen in the future (but has not happened anywhere in the world).

Can you see what I mean? If the plan was in place 5 months ago, no issues at all. Presenting decreasing data on a day that you are telling the country that they need to have more restrictions? That's the problem I have with it. It defies their own data they are presenting to us.

 

[PhilM]

This is the crushing blow for all hospitality let's face it, may as well be a lockdown for them and it's arguably worse because no support. All Christmas parties cancelled and a large percentage of people not bothering over Christmas because wearing masks in a pub or bar ruins the night.

I agree and it's a real worry. On the flip side, a full lock down would do much more harm to the wider economy nor do I think there's enough goodwill for one.

Nobody wants this, let alone me, but cases are rising here and elsewhere. Maybe some proactive measures unlike last year could limit the damage.

 

[MikeH72]

It’s a governments job to take the scientific advice and make decisions to keep the public safe.

In my eyes, this government being incompetent is not a reason to ignore the advice, in fact the opposite, because I think any competent government would have more in place to stop the spread of a new variant which is clearly a problem.

The least we can do at this stage is to go along with the restrictions and hope that this variant doesn’t get out of hand. I don’t have much hope, though.

Scientists are telling me that this new variant is likely to be less severe than the previous ones, am I allowed to listen to those scientists or only the BBC-approved ones that want us to lock down forever?

 

[Wizard]

Think the reason the Mogg one hasn’t been brought up today is that, while pretty disgusting, it was from an event this week. Hard enough to get them to condemn the actual illegal event without throwing that in there to muddy the waters

Edit: sorry this was meant as a reply to you @BlueToff

 

[Deleted member 48881]

They don't care. nor should you.

Finnish PM apologises for staying out clubbing despite Covid exposure

Sanna Marin says she should have checked guidance given to her after her foreign minister tested positive

www.theguardian.com

 

[Big Sams Undies]

As boring as it is embarrassing this crap from the so-called Government.

Trying to stop the world from spinning again for something that’s little more than common cold symptoms to 99% of the population and deadlines to a minute percentage of the remaining 1%.

Zzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Ghost Rider]

Not sure how they "aren't" - we've been at a similar level since July, with some peaks and troughs but above 35,000 cases a day / around 100 deaths a day / 800 hospitalizations a day / 800 ventilated patients. That is what "consistent" means, and that is what the starting point would be if a wave starts now.

Exactly.

So if we didn't need all these restrictions 2 weeks ago with these figures then why now when the data is decreasing?

Honestly , I didn't know the data was going down until Chris whitty told me there.

Even this potential wave that you mention, which could well be a real thing, absolutely considering its winter. It's from a virus variant that still doesn't have any evidence of it being worse or even showing anything other than mild symptoms.

Like I've said , if the plan was in place already then no argument from me. It's when the government are moving the goal posts to now suggest restrictions until everyone is boosted, so just the 40 million boosters to go. By then we will need another booster, so do we lock down again?

Perminant restrictions whilst we keep vaccinating , that will never end.

 

[tsubaki]

Exactly.

So if we didn't need all these restrictions 2 weeks ago with these figures then why now when the data is decreasing?

Honestly , I didn't know the data was going down until Chris whitty told me there.

Even this potential wave that you mention, which could well be a real thing, absolutely considering its winter. It's from a virus variant that still doesn't have any evidence of it being worse or even showing anything other than mild symptoms.

Like I've said , if the plan was in place already then no argument from me. It's when the government are moving the goal posts to now suggest restrictions until everyone is boosted, so just the 40 million boosters to go. By then we will need another booster, so do we lock down again?

Perminant restrictions whilst we keep vaccinating , that will never end.

Because the rates have a good possibility of going up again - they are (apparently) happy with what we've had since July, but this could lead to a considerable increase again. That they are not happy with, because there isn't the capacity to do it without starting to bin other people off again.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Because the rates have a good possibility of going up again - they are (apparently) happy with what we've had since July, but this could lead to a considerable increase again. That they are not happy with, because there isn't the capacity to do it without starting to bin other people off again.

That's the key words , could , possibility etc.

I don't disagree at all about doing things ahead of time rather than react. Absolutely I have said the same thing last year that we reacted too late. I completely understand where you are coming from.

At some point though you have to see it from my perspective , that there isn't a solid base for introducing more restrictions. If we now take the policy of being too cautious then there can't be a safe period until covid is gone.

 

[Seanjd]

Scientists are telling me that this new variant is likely to be less severe than the previous ones, am I allowed to listen to those scientists or only the BBC-approved ones that want us to lock down forever?

Scientists haven’t fully discovered the extend of the new variant’s severity or transmissibility. What we do know, is that cases in South Africa are rising very quickly, and we have learned from variants in the past that they will equate to a rise in hospitalisations and deaths.

I’d rather take their advice than someone saying otherwise on Facebook or a footy forum.

 

[EGWToffee]

On a footy point of view… I ain’t had the vaccine. (Own choice). How do I get into tge stadium?