UK Government can't say it wasn't warned...

[The Aquila]

I don’t think was a government in the world that was prepared for this. Credit has to be given to the way that some governments acted swiftly to prevent if becoming worse, unfortunately the UK government is not one of those.

[jeba]

I don’t think was a government in the world that was prepared for this.

That´s the problem - they should have been. E. g. the German goverment had plans to prepare for a pandemic at least since 2013. They simply left it at having them rather than acting on them. And I´d guess that EU governments are sharing that kind of information among them.

[Dominic]

People have been warning about a new pandemic for years. You cannot blame a lack of preparedness on one government.

And society is just as much to blame. Politicians react to what society thinks is important, as that is what gets them re-elected.

[Dominic]

Nonsense. As I said, people have been warning about a new pandemic for years.

Bill Gates in 2015:



George Bush in 2005:




And its not just pandemics! Take global warming. How many reports about that have both society and successive governments brushed under the carpet?

Stop looking for somebody to blame. There's no point. All it does is just detract from finding solutions.

[Jimgym]

Sadly there will always be some who cannot wait to blame the government for anything and everything. This pandemic has certainly thrown up its fair share of social media "experts"

[Dominic]

I don’t know why you bothered typing that lot.

[bromerzz]

Totally agree the quality of the UK journalists and there repeat classroom questions are shite.
Just let the Government get on with the job and not have to put up with the junk chucked at them from the parties that are NOT in Government.
The daily Corona briefing is a classic example where some days the same question is posed by the next journalist who obviously has not listed to the answer given minutes before.
A concerned contact has told me that ---- oh I wish they would STFU.

[Jimgward]

I completely disagree with the notion the media are being negative. Piers Morgan, who I normally dislike, is one of the few to ask ministers proper questions. Kuensberg and Peston are poodles, nodding in agreement and asking pre-set questions.
The UK has the highest death per million in the world. We have 11% of worldwide deaths, on an island, with .87% of the world’s population.

`The herd immunity concept they are sill following, is sacrificing thousands of lives.

This article is very good;

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features ... s-get-away

The ‘let’s have a stiff upper-lip and applaud our hard-working ministers is foolish beyond belief. We are behind the curve on every aspect of this.

[jeba]

We are behind the curve on every aspect of this.

Maybe not on every aspect:

Q: From where you stand, how is the UK handling the situation?
A: It’s clear that testing was implemented a little bit too late in the UK. Public Health England was in a position to diagnose the disease very early on – we worked with them to make the diagnostic test – but rollout in Germany was driven in part by market forces, which made it fast, and that wasn’t the case in the UK. Now, though, I have the impression that the UK is really gaining momentum in this regard, and that it is coordinating testing efforts better than Germany.

Quoted from an interview with one of Germany´s top virologists https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... -interview. It must be an older interview though as some statements aren´t up to date anymore (e. g. meanwhile there is a reliable antibody test available, validated by his lab).

[Jimgward]

You are certainly wrong there according to the latest world figures:-

Deaths per 1M of population:
Belgium 612
Spain 490
Italy 436
France 346
UK 299
Netherlands 257
Ireland 215

.... and the UK government has never had a policy of herd immunity, you can't get that with a 'stay at home' policy. The only herd immunity that might begin to be created is by those in the population that ignore the government's instructions and move around outdoors mixing with others.

The UK does NOT quote deaths in the community and nursing and care homes. Out last week, but the FT, from ONS figures at 41,000 total and estimated to be nearly 50,000 now.
There has always been a herd immunity policy. It was put into the background after they were forced to create a lockdown, it got so bad..., but they haven’t changed from that, hence the last minute and too late changes of tactics, like Testing and Tracy now.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... e-covid-19

[Mrblobby]

You are certainly wrong there according to the latest world figures:-

Deaths per 1M of population:
Belgium 612
Spain 490
Italy 436
France 346
UK 299
Netherlands 257
Ireland 215

Looks like Cyprus is doing well , about 1M population and about 15 deaths .

[Dominic]

You are certainly wrong there according to the latest world figures:-

Deaths per 1M of population:
Belgium 612
Spain 490
Italy 436
France 346
UK 299
Netherlands 257
Ireland 215

.... and the UK government has never had a policy of herd immunity, you can't get that with a 'stay at home' policy. The only herd immunity that might begin to be created is by those in the population that ignore the government's instructions and move around outdoors mixing with others.

The UK does NOT quote deaths in the community and nursing and care homes. Out last week, but the FT, from ONS figures at 41,000 total and estimated to be nearly 50,000 now.
There has always been a herd immunity policy. It was put into the background after they were forced to create a lockdown, it got so bad..., but they haven’t changed from that, hence the last minute and too late changes of tactics, like Testing and Tracy now.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... e-covid-19

Do all the other countries quote deaths in the community and nursing and care homes?

[Firefly]

I always find it strange that it's the usual doom and gloom.

Why, oh why don't they ever quote the figures of sufferers who have recovered ? Doesn't sell papers or make interesting listening I suppose.

[Dominic]

That's actually harder to tell.

[Jimgward]

Germany and France and Italy and other include the community deaths. As far as I know, Spain only partly. Certainly, the UK is doom and gloom, for an island. In fact, this week, they are talking about isolating people coming into the country. 15000 a day at Heathrow alone. All coming in for months with not even a check for temperature. In fact, Handcock admitted they weren’t even told to isolate.

[Dominic]

I always find it strange that it's the usual doom and gloom.

Why, oh why don't they ever quote the figures of sufferers who have recovered ? Doesn't sell papers or make interesting listening I suppose.

DAY 49
7 NEW COVID19 CASES! TOTAL OF 817. 148 RECOVERED.
PLEASE STAY HOME.

[Jimgward]

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavir ... #countries

This is where I got my figures from, I believe most people use this as it is constantly updated. I consider that I am sensible not to read The Guardian

What nonsense. You are sent facts on why I stated what I did, and you refuse to read. Looking at inaccurate figures is exactly what they want and there’s nothing I can do I to change you’re mind, as it’s predicated with political bias and blind faith. Because people use something doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference, so you’re argument is poppycock. That site is great, but when some countries put the wrong figures on, then they are fooling no-one but themselves and foolish sheep like yourself.

[Dominic]

I thought the ONS had the actual amount as 40% higher than quoted. That would put it at about 30,000 now, rather than the 50,000 you quoted.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... ain-points

[Dominic]

If you want to look at a country that really is massaging its figures, look at Russia.

[Jimgward]

I thought the ONS had the actual amount as 40% higher than quoted. That would put it at about 30,000 now, rather than the 50,000 you quoted.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... ain-points

The 41,000 was from the FT a week ago, which would put it heading towards 50,000

https://www.ft.com/content/67e6a4ee-3d0 ... 39799fa6ab