@IanB2 I thought the story was that the christening was in Italy at the rich Russian dudes house?
The Sun story doesn’t give a location. But it says a small number of family and friends attended, and the press release claims “Planning was focused on the fact the country is in the midst of a pandemic.“
That the whole lot of them went off to Italy for a day doesn’t really seem credible.
@IanB2 I thought the story was that the christening was in Italy at the rich Russian dudes house?
The Sun story doesn’t give a location. But it says a small number of family and friends attended, and the press release claims “Planning was focused on the fact the country is in the midst of a pandemic.“
That the whole lot of them went off to Italy for a day doesn’t really seem credible.
Just says 'family and friends'; small private plane to Perugia, with, say ten people. Some friends already in Italy. Where has Carrie's mum been lately? First grandchild and all that!
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
My impression is that those who follow the rules are following them. Those that aren't aren't. The followers are hurting the economy, the non-followers are spreading the disease just as before. So the only effect really has been to keep the compliant away from spending any money. If they want to stop the disease then it is those who won't comply who need dealing with. As I said that is a choice.
That’s not my experience. My anecdotal experience is that those who were very strict in following the rules the first time round are now not quite so strict.
It's not really the "Not so strict" that are the problem though. It's the ones who egregiously insist on acting as if there is no problem, or can't be arsed, or who don't believe in it, or who are just too ignorant to cope with it all.
The “not so strict” people occasionally going to see their friends or family without social distancing because “what’s the harm?” or “f*ck it” will be having an impact, and I include myself in that category.
Then I would not include you in the "Not so strict" group.
What does that mean? I know many people who last time wouldn’t even entertain the idea of seeing their friends or family who now are happy to have a coffee with a small group of their closest friends, or their close family, regardless of what the rules say.
Which I imagine is because they're more confident/less afraid than they were months ago.
I can imagine thats is certainly a big factor yeah.
Only 307 healthy under 60s have died in England from Covid. My sense is that most people’s perceptions of the risk were orders of magnitude out at the start of the summer, but are coming slowly into line now, which would account for the decline In fearfulness.
Of course, because it was new and scary, no-one knew the true facts or risks, and there were people like Sean (and the ‘experts‘ he was forever quoting) going round talking about millions of dead and bodies piling up at the end of the street.
Time and experience helps most people put things into proportion. And it is an unavoidable fact that, for everyone except the elderly and ill, this virus on average tends not to be a big deal. It’s a big deal for society as a whole.
One of the best factoids came quite early from R4 More or Less, which is that the virus roughly doubles the chances you already had of dying during 2020.
What about the long term effects? You may say that we could tolerate a certain percentage of people getting the virus and a smaller percentage dying, but with a virus that grows exponentially and has a two week delay achieving that is difficult.
That is an interesting poll. It tends to confirm the belief that perceived blatant unfairness often transcends voters’ political affiliation.
Rather surprised at this. The vacancy is there to be filled now, it isn't meant to be an additional prize in the election. The GOP were deeply cynical and wrong to make up non-existent rules so as not to even give Garland a hearing (when they could simply have followed procedure and then voted against him) but they are perfectly within their rights to fill the seat before January if they can.
I suspect Collins is toast no matter what she does.
Just because they are “in their rights” doesn’t mean it’s politically a good idea to do it. If the position is filled and the democrats win big then there will likely be scorched earth retribution, perhaps expanding the size of the Supreme Court. Do GOP senators really want that?
I think the obvious play is just to name a pick but leave it until the lame duck session and spare Collins etc a tough pre-election vote.
If Trump holds on then there's no problem. If he doesn't it's not a slam-dunk that the Dems will take back the Senate, and if they don't then they won't even have the power to go scorched earth, so confirm the nominee then.
If the Dems get both the presidency and the Senate then the GOP have a dilemma whether to take what they can and risk retribution or pivot to "bipartisan civility" and "respect senate traditions", but they can also offer a deal and blame the situation on the Dems if they don't take it, which will look better for them - eg say they're suspending their time-honoured principle of letting the new president make the pick because Biden won't promise not to blow up the filibuster.
Not in Biden’s power to keep or not keep the filibuster. The new Senate decides which existing procedural rules to keep or not.
But Edmund said "If the Dems get both the presidency and the Senate..."
@IanB2 I thought the story was that the christening was in Italy at the rich Russian dudes house?
Makes possible sense if the Russian dude is a godfather. And could send a private jet to collect everybody.
There was a private jet from Perugia to Northolt on the Monday Bozo is supposed to have been sighted returning home. It was held up on the runway and left considerably delayed. By coincidence engagements the PM had planned with Patel later that morning were cancelled at the last minute.
An additional little snippet is that Bozo’s ill fated zoom call to MPs, where his WiFi kept breaking up, falls on the afternoon after his purported sighting arriving in Perugia.
Also worth noting that the first published claim that Bozo had been there came not from some random individual, but in an official press release issued by Perugia Airport.
There must be conservatives on the supreme court who are worried that the majority of americans lose all faith in the supreme court as an institution who must be against pushing through a nomination.
There is one - Roberts. Thomas and Alito ? You’re joking. Kavanaugh clearly doesn’t give much of a damn about public opinion; Gorsuch, unlikely, but time will tell.
If the Republicans seat another Justice after what they pulled with Garland, because it’s ‘within their rights’, I think it almost certain a Democratic Senate majority will expand the court, since that is equally ‘within their rights’.
Doubt Dems would get 50 senators lined up on that.
I think it's a pretty simple decision for a man with no scruples. Mitch is going to make sure there's a conservative majority.
Why do you doubt that? Seems to be an increasingly mainstream view in the Democratic Party. The GOP has been trampling on conventions for years, now its time for the Dems to play dirty otherwise their legislative agenda will just be picked apart by the court for years to come.
Dunno though, they don't just need *mainstream* Dems, they need people like Joe Manchin who represent extremely conservative states. If even if the Dems win big, they'll do it by electing more Dems from conservative-leaning states.
Ministers today ended rail franchising after 24 years as the first step in bringing Britain’s fragmented network back together.
The new system will create a simpler, more effective structure and will take shape over the coming months. The first stage, today, is moving operators onto transitional contracts to prepare the ground for the new railway.
BBC reporting that the government has agreed to carry on with the current emergency funding for 18 months,
Boris shoots another Labour fox, possibly while wearing an Italian silk kimono.
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
My impression is that those who follow the rules are following them. Those that aren't aren't. The followers are hurting the economy, the non-followers are spreading the disease just as before. So the only effect really has been to keep the compliant away from spending any money. If they want to stop the disease then it is those who won't comply who need dealing with. As I said that is a choice.
That’s not my experience. My anecdotal experience is that those who were very strict in following the rules the first time round are now not quite so strict.
It's not really the "Not so strict" that are the problem though. It's the ones who egregiously insist on acting as if there is no problem, or can't be arsed, or who don't believe in it, or who are just too ignorant to cope with it all.
The “not so strict” people occasionally going to see their friends or family without social distancing because “what’s the harm?” or “f*ck it” will be having an impact, and I include myself in that category.
Then I would not include you in the "Not so strict" group.
What does that mean? I know many people who last time wouldn’t even entertain the idea of seeing their friends or family who now are happy to have a coffee with a small group of their closest friends, or their close family, regardless of what the rules say.
Which I imagine is because they're more confident/less afraid than they were months ago.
I can imagine thats is certainly a big factor yeah.
Only 307 healthy under 60s have died in England from Covid. My sense is that most people’s perceptions of the risk were orders of magnitude out at the start of the summer, but are coming slowly into line now, which would account for the decline In fearfulness.
Of course, because it was new and scary, no-one knew the true facts or risks, and there were people like Sean (and the ‘experts‘ he was forever quoting) going round talking about millions of dead and bodies piling up at the end of the street.
Time and experience helps most people put things into proportion. And it is an unavoidable fact that, for everyone except the elderly and ill, this virus on average tends not to be a big deal. It’s a big deal for society as a whole.
One of the best factoids came quite early from R4 More or Less, which is that the virus roughly doubles the chances you already had of dying during 2020.
What about the long term effects? You may say that we could tolerate a certain percentage of people getting the virus and a smaller percentage dying, but with a virus that grows exponentially and has a two week delay achieving that is difficult.
I wasn’t suggesting anything other than supporting Anabob’s suggestion that time has allowed people to better assess their personal risks, and the steep age related profile in serious consequences.
Very little is known about these long term side effects, but in younger people such cases reported so far do seem pretty rare.
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
My impression is that those who follow the rules are following them. Those that aren't aren't. The followers are hurting the economy, the non-followers are spreading the disease just as before. So the only effect really has been to keep the compliant away from spending any money. If they want to stop the disease then it is those who won't comply who need dealing with. As I said that is a choice.
That’s not my experience. My anecdotal experience is that those who were very strict in following the rules the first time round are now not quite so strict.
It's not really the "Not so strict" that are the problem though. It's the ones who egregiously insist on acting as if there is no problem, or can't be arsed, or who don't believe in it, or who are just too ignorant to cope with it all.
The “not so strict” people occasionally going to see their friends or family without social distancing because “what’s the harm?” or “f*ck it” will be having an impact, and I include myself in that category.
Then I would not include you in the "Not so strict" group.
What does that mean? I know many people who last time wouldn’t even entertain the idea of seeing their friends or family who now are happy to have a coffee with a small group of their closest friends, or their close family, regardless of what the rules say.
Which I imagine is because they're more confident/less afraid than they were months ago.
I can imagine thats is certainly a big factor yeah.
Only 307 healthy under 60s have died in England from Covid. My sense is that most people’s perceptions of the risk were orders of magnitude out at the start of the summer, but are coming slowly into line now, which would account for the decline In fearfulness.
Of course, because it was new and scary, no-one knew the true facts or risks, and there were people like Sean (and the ‘experts‘ he was forever quoting) going round talking about millions of dead and bodies piling up at the end of the street.
Time and experience helps most people put things into proportion. And it is an unavoidable fact that, for everyone except the elderly and ill, this virus on average tends not to be a big deal. It’s a big deal for society as a whole.
One of the best factoids came quite early from R4 More or Less, which is that the virus roughly doubles the chances you already had of dying during 2020.
What about the long term effects? You may say that we could tolerate a certain percentage of people getting the virus and a smaller percentage dying, but with a virus that grows exponentially and has a two week delay achieving that is difficult.
@IanB2 I thought the story was that the christening was in Italy at the rich Russian dudes house?
Makes possible sense if the Russian dude is a godfather. And could send a private jet to collect everybody.
There was a private jet from Perugia to Northolt on the Monday Bozo is supposed to have been sighted returning home. It was held up on the runway and left considerably delayed. By coincidence engagements the PM had planned with Patel later that morning were cancelled at the last minute.
An additional little snippet is that Bozo’s ill fated zoom call to MPs, where his WiFi kept breaking up, falls on the afternoon after his purported sighting arriving in Perugia.
Also worth noting that the first published claim that Bozo had been there came not from some random individual, but in an official press release issued by Perugia Airport.
The Zoom was quite late in the day too; we had a discussion on it at the time. Did he do it just after arriving at his 'holiday destination'? And before evening cocktails?
It's irrelevant and becoming boring. It won't be filled before Nov 3rd. The vetting and approval process takes months and involves endless wrangling and compromise.
Virus news ... Johnson to address the nation tomorrow night. I hope we're not heading for lockdown. If people were more careful to follow the guidelines we might yet avoid it but it's astonishing how (deliberately) dumb some people are.
Strictly, the statement that No 10 says was “wrong” is the one that said he landed at the airport at 2 pm. Easy to see how that could support a Clinton-denial.
Here’s my prediction: The two scientists are going to spend an hour talking about R-numbers, case increases, safety precautions and possible next stages of the virus - to which all the journalists in the room are going to ask stupid questions about whether the prime minister took a private trip to get his child christened.
Ministers today ended rail franchising after 24 years as the first step in bringing Britain’s fragmented network back together.
The new system will create a simpler, more effective structure and will take shape over the coming months. The first stage, today, is moving operators onto transitional contracts to prepare the ground for the new railway.
BBC reporting that the government has agreed to carry on with the current emergency funding for 18 months,
It is long overdue and something HMG has said they would enact
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
My impression is that those who follow the rules are following them. Those that aren't aren't. The followers are hurting the economy, the non-followers are spreading the disease just as before. So the only effect really has been to keep the compliant away from spending any money. If they want to stop the disease then it is those who won't comply who need dealing with. As I said that is a choice.
That’s not my experience. My anecdotal experience is that those who were very strict in following the rules the first time round are now not quite so strict.
It's not really the "Not so strict" that are the problem though. It's the ones who egregiously insist on acting as if there is no problem, or can't be arsed, or who don't believe in it, or who are just too ignorant to cope with it all.
The “not so strict” people occasionally going to see their friends or family without social distancing because “what’s the harm?” or “f*ck it” will be having an impact, and I include myself in that category.
Then I would not include you in the "Not so strict" group.
What does that mean? I know many people who last time wouldn’t even entertain the idea of seeing their friends or family who now are happy to have a coffee with a small group of their closest friends, or their close family, regardless of what the rules say.
Which I imagine is because they're more confident/less afraid than they were months ago.
I can imagine thats is certainly a big factor yeah.
Only 307 healthy under 60s have died in England from Covid. My sense is that most people’s perceptions of the risk were orders of magnitude out at the start of the summer, but are coming slowly into line now, which would account for the decline In fearfulness.
Of course, because it was new and scary, no-one knew the true facts or risks, and there were people like Sean (and the ‘experts‘ he was forever quoting) going round talking about millions of dead and bodies piling up at the end of the street.
Time and experience helps most people put things into proportion. And it is an unavoidable fact that, for everyone except the elderly and ill, this virus on average tends not to be a big deal. It’s a big deal for society as a whole.
One of the best factoids came quite early from R4 More or Less, which is that the virus roughly doubles the chances you already had of dying during 2020.
What about the long term effects? You may say that we could tolerate a certain percentage of people getting the virus and a smaller percentage dying, but with a virus that grows exponentially and has a two week delay achieving that is difficult.
I wasn’t suggesting anything other than supporting Anabob’s suggestion that time has allowed people to better assess their personal risks, and the steep age related profile in serious consequences.
Very little is known about these long term side effects, but in younger people such cases reported so far do seem pretty rare.
Gibberish and dangerous gibberish. It's typical of the right-wing nutjobs to start putting economic benefit above people's welfare. That's the end result and golden fleece of capitalism. Sod the people if you can make a profit.
We know fully well what the long term effects are and so do you, so stop being disingenuous.
It's a vicious virus. The US has just passed the 200,000 deaths mark and you mock the fact that some people like Sean thought deaths would be in the millions?
You just wait until this winter has passed before spouting such inappropriate hubris.
1. Whitty and Vallance being sent out on their own to berate us. If it's received badly or goes wrong, they will simply be thrown under the bus and replaced by Dildo. Cabinet demonstrating that they are gutless yellow cowards 2. Shagger's mystery trip to Italy. All kinds of scandalous potential for what he was doing there with whom...
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
My impression is that those who follow the rules are following them. Those that aren't aren't. The followers are hurting the economy, the non-followers are spreading the disease just as before. So the only effect really has been to keep the compliant away from spending any money. If they want to stop the disease then it is those who won't comply who need dealing with. As I said that is a choice.
That’s not my experience. My anecdotal experience is that those who were very strict in following the rules the first time round are now not quite so strict.
It's not really the "Not so strict" that are the problem though. It's the ones who egregiously insist on acting as if there is no problem, or can't be arsed, or who don't believe in it, or who are just too ignorant to cope with it all.
The “not so strict” people occasionally going to see their friends or family without social distancing because “what’s the harm?” or “f*ck it” will be having an impact, and I include myself in that category.
Then I would not include you in the "Not so strict" group.
What does that mean? I know many people who last time wouldn’t even entertain the idea of seeing their friends or family who now are happy to have a coffee with a small group of their closest friends, or their close family, regardless of what the rules say.
Which I imagine is because they're more confident/less afraid than they were months ago.
I can imagine thats is certainly a big factor yeah.
Only 307 healthy under 60s have died in England from Covid. My sense is that most people’s perceptions of the risk were orders of magnitude out at the start of the summer, but are coming slowly into line now, which would account for the decline In fearfulness.
Of course, because it was new and scary, no-one knew the true facts or risks, and there were people like Sean (and the ‘experts‘ he was forever quoting) going round talking about millions of dead and bodies piling up at the end of the street.
Time and experience helps most people put things into proportion. And it is an unavoidable fact that, for everyone except the elderly and ill, this virus on average tends not to be a big deal. It’s a big deal for society as a whole.
One of the best factoids came quite early from R4 More or Less, which is that the virus roughly doubles the chances you already had of dying during 2020.
What about the long term effects? You may say that we could tolerate a certain percentage of people getting the virus and a smaller percentage dying, but with a virus that grows exponentially and has a two week delay achieving that is difficult.
I wasn’t suggesting anything other than supporting Anabob’s suggestion that time has allowed people to better assess their personal risks, and the steep age related profile in serious consequences.
Very little is known about these long term side effects, but in younger people such cases reported so far do seem pretty rare.
Gibberish and dangerous gibberish. It's typical of the right-wing nutjobs to start putting economic benefit above people's welfare. That's the end result and golden fleece of capitalism. Sod the people if you can make a profit.
We know fully well what the long term effects are and so do you, so stop being disingenuous.
It's a vicious virus. The US has just passed the 200,000 deaths mark and you mock the fact that some people like Sean thought deaths would be in the millions?
You just wait until this winter has passed before spouting such inappropriate hubris.
Ministers today ended rail franchising after 24 years as the first step in bringing Britain’s fragmented network back together.
The new system will create a simpler, more effective structure and will take shape over the coming months. The first stage, today, is moving operators onto transitional contracts to prepare the ground for the new railway.
BBC reporting that the government has agreed to carry on with the current emergency funding for 18 months,
It is long overdue and something HMG has said they would enact
Another Ed Milliband policy successfully delivered isn’t it?
Ministers today ended rail franchising after 24 years as the first step in bringing Britain’s fragmented network back together.
The new system will create a simpler, more effective structure and will take shape over the coming months. The first stage, today, is moving operators onto transitional contracts to prepare the ground for the new railway.
BBC reporting that the government has agreed to carry on with the current emergency funding for 18 months,
It is long overdue and something HMG has said they would enact
The railway business model has been completely broken by the virus. Given all the more historic problems as well, now is probably not a bad time for some out-of-the-box thinking - hopefully to be accompanied by some modernisation of railway labour practices too.
Ministers today ended rail franchising after 24 years as the first step in bringing Britain’s fragmented network back together.
The new system will create a simpler, more effective structure and will take shape over the coming months. The first stage, today, is moving operators onto transitional contracts to prepare the ground for the new railway.
BBC reporting that the government has agreed to carry on with the current emergency funding for 18 months,
It is long overdue and something HMG has said they would enact
Another Ed Milliband policy successfully delivered isn’t it?
He quite clearly meant 200,000 dead which was the grim milestone they just passed and said 200,000,000 by mistake.
Up to the American voters to determine which is worse: a POTUS candidate who said the wrong word by mistake, or a POTUS who dismissed the virus as a hoax, has undermined medical advice throughout and now have 200,000 dead, with now more per capita dead than in the UK despite them having a population density a tiny fraction of what we have.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
1. Whitty and Vallance being sent out on their own to berate us. If it's received badly or goes wrong, they will simply be thrown under the bus and replaced by Dildo. Cabinet demonstrating that they are gutless yellow cowards 2. Shagger's mystery trip to Italy. All kinds of scandalous potential for what he was doing there with whom...
Ministers today ended rail franchising after 24 years as the first step in bringing Britain’s fragmented network back together.
The new system will create a simpler, more effective structure and will take shape over the coming months. The first stage, today, is moving operators onto transitional contracts to prepare the ground for the new railway.
BBC reporting that the government has agreed to carry on with the current emergency funding for 18 months,
It is long overdue and something HMG has said they would enact
The railway business model has been completely broken by the virus. Given all the more historic problems as well, now is probably not a bad time for some out-of-the-box thinking - hopefully to be accompanied by some modernisation of railway labour practices too.
Practically speaking it doesn't make much difference. We've had management contracts at various points before for failed franchises, this just means that they're now all on that basis. The financial risk on paper transfers to the DfT, however as franchising hasn't been viable for a while "cap and collar" arrangements have allowed the likes of firstGroup to hand the financial risk on gWr back to the DfT anyway.
What the government are going to have to do now is decide what they want the railway system to deliver. They have been micromanaging for years - this franchise will assume x passenger growth running services y using rolling stock z. Now they get to decide on the big stuff - is it a commuter railway, a freight railway, a leisure travel railway?
1. Whitty and Vallance being sent out on their own to berate us. If it's received badly or goes wrong, they will simply be thrown under the bus and replaced by Dildo. Cabinet demonstrating that they are gutless yellow cowards 2. Shagger's mystery trip to Italy. All kinds of scandalous potential for what he was doing there with whom...
If you are convinced that the virus remains a great enough threat to public health that drastic action is needed the only policy that makes sense to me is to make University teaching online and virtual and ask students to stay home rather than going to their new accommodation over the next couple of weeks. If they go we will not see an R rate below 1 this side of Christmas, no matter what else we do.
The consequence of this is that the largest part of the price will be paid by those least at risk. This strikes me as unfair and unreasonable but, let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time. I can see our scientists making this case, possibly even today.
Allegations re Boris are not being covered by the media so I assume caution is needed on this subject
Indeed. May well tie into the alleged super-injunction or a new one or whatever. Hence me not making allegations. However, we know that Shagger has a history of philandering and lying, so I'm not taking Downing Street's dance on a pinhead denial in good faith.
I should add two earlier polls on the SC had a much more partisan split . They were YouGov and RMG taken on the 19th , the Reuter’s Ipsos was done 19th and 20th , they still showed 10+ points advantage for delaying the nomination .
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Strictly, the statement that No 10 says was “wrong” is the one that said he landed at the airport at 2 pm. Easy to see how that could support a Clinton-denial.
Though is either of the parents RC? Mixing up the Abbey and Cathedral feels like the sort of mistake made by someone who doesn't frequent either. (Though the idea that Boris's exhaustion is due to diligent preparation for reception into the Holy Mother Church is a cheering one.)
There must be conservatives on the supreme court who are worried that the majority of americans lose all faith in the supreme court as an institution who must be against pushing through a nomination.
There is one - Roberts. Thomas and Alito ? You’re joking. Kavanaugh clearly doesn’t give much of a damn about public opinion; Gorsuch, unlikely, but time will tell.
If the Republicans seat another Justice after what they pulled with Garland, because it’s ‘within their rights’, I think it almost certain a Democratic Senate majority will expand the court, since that is equally ‘within their rights’.
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
On a similar theme we came back from Europe via the tunnel yesterday. 48 hours before arriving we were required to each complete a Passenger Locator form on line, receive an email confirmation and code and and this had to be printed out or available on the phone and be produced before arriving in the UK. The Government website said that anyone who had failed to do this could expect a lengthy delay.
To cut a long story short we sailed through and nobody even mentioned it let alone asked to see it. I also know that we are required to quarantine for 14 days but again nobody mentioned this or provided any information telling us what that actually meant. In short we could have waltzed back into the UK without even being aware there was a pandemic in progress.
Seems typical of the government's handling of the virus from start to finish. Lots of fine words and sod all delivery.
If you are convinced that the virus remains a great enough threat to public health that drastic action is needed the only policy that makes sense to me is to make University teaching online and virtual and ask students to stay home rather than going to their new accommodation over the next couple of weeks. If they go we will not see an R rate below 1 this side of Christmas, no matter what else we do.
The consequence of this is that the largest part of the price will be paid by those least at risk. This strikes me as unfair and unreasonable but, let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time. I can see our scientists making this case, possibly even today.
The alternative option is to make Universities "bubbles" and tell students to stay at university and not go home, not visit their parents or grandparents etc
Allegations re Boris are not being covered by the media so I assume caution is needed on this subject
Reputable journalists are covering them on Twitter, so there’s clearly no injunction.
Anyhow, Bozo planning his little escapade will have made absolutely sure Italy wasn’t going onto the quarantine list (and indeed may explain why the EU ‘air corridors’ were introduced so rapidly after the initial universal quarantine policy). So it’s not all bad.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Nothing to do with masks all to do with people either ignoring the rules or like you, idiots.
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
On a similar theme we came back from Europe via the tunnel yesterday. 48 hours before arriving we were required to each complete a Passenger Locator form on line, receive an email confirmation and code and and this had to be printed out or available on the phone and be produced before arriving in the UK. The Government website said that anyone who had failed to do this could expect a lengthy delay.
To cut a long story short we sailed through and nobody even mentioned it let alone asked to see it. I also know that we are required to quarantine for 14 days but again nobody mentioned this or provided any information telling us what that actually meant. In short we could have waltzed back into the UK without even being aware there was a pandemic in progress.
Seems typical of the government's handling of the virus from start to finish. Lots of fine words and sod all delivery.
I've been saying this for a while. Checking is minimal with a lot of people able to just walk through. The absolute minimal thing we could do is a check at the border. Every person entering the UK (except via ROI) has to show their passport. "Can I see your Passenger Locator form" has to be the question asked every single time. Its so simple. Yet Shitty Patel can't even manage that.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
If you are convinced that the virus remains a great enough threat to public health that drastic action is needed the only policy that makes sense to me is to make University teaching online and virtual and ask students to stay home rather than going to their new accommodation over the next couple of weeks. If they go we will not see an R rate below 1 this side of Christmas, no matter what else we do.
The consequence of this is that the largest part of the price will be paid by those least at risk. This strikes me as unfair and unreasonable but, let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time. I can see our scientists making this case, possibly even today.
The alternative option is to make Universities "bubbles" and tell students to stay at university and not go home, not visit their parents or grandparents etc
That's completely impractical and impossible. Students go to bars (yes, really, sometimes even when they might be studying instead), shops and our city centres. Very few campuses are locked away in their own part of the city. Many thousands of these students come from abroad like the 3 Irish girls who my nephew is to be sharing with. Its almost inevitable some of these will by asymptomatically infected. We either accept a much higher rate of infection or we stop them travelling. It's a tough choice.
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Do you know of anyone introduced as life long conservative campaigner and party member?
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Do you know of anyone introduced as life long conservative campaigner and party member?
It is happening on the BBC across the political divide
It will probably be labelled as xenophobic again to remind people that the oligarch in Perugia, Evgeny Lebedev is the son of a KGB and FSB agent who worked at the London embassy and somehow managed to acquire $4bn. The father, the (ex?) KGB/FSB agent is also often in Perugia and meets Johnson.
The son has recently been appointed by Johnson to the House of Lords.
This week we also find out that Putins former deputy finance minister, married to Lubov Chernukhin who paid the Tory party £160k to play tennis with Johnson and Cameron (and another £1.5m for other reasons), received $8m from another Russian oligarch with ties to Putin.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
In May/June one hunter gatherer from each household tentatively braved the supermarket. On arrival we queued for half a mile at 2 metre intervals. We could not go to pubs and restaurants and our children were off school.
Here in Wales mask wearing became mandatory two weeks ago. So prior to that date we were all partying down the pub like England, but mask-free. The current Covid situation remains similar to England.
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
On a similar theme we came back from Europe via the tunnel yesterday. 48 hours before arriving we were required to each complete a Passenger Locator form on line, receive an email confirmation and code and and this had to be printed out or available on the phone and be produced before arriving in the UK. The Government website said that anyone who had failed to do this could expect a lengthy delay.
To cut a long story short we sailed through and nobody even mentioned it let alone asked to see it. I also know that we are required to quarantine for 14 days but again nobody mentioned this or provided any information telling us what that actually meant. In short we could have waltzed back into the UK without even being aware there was a pandemic in progress.
Seems typical of the government's handling of the virus from start to finish. Lots of fine words and sod all delivery.
I've been saying this for a while. Checking is minimal with a lot of people able to just walk through. The absolute minimal thing we could do is a check at the border. Every person entering the UK (except via ROI) has to show their passport. "Can I see your Passenger Locator form" has to be the question asked every single time. Its so simple. Yet Shitty Patel can't even manage that.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
In May/June one hunter gatherer from each household tentatively braved the supermarket. On arrival we queued for half a mile at 2 metre intervals. We could not go to pubs and restaurants and our children were off school.
Here in Wales mask wearing became mandatory two weeks ago. So prior to that date we were all partying down the pub like England, but mask-free. The current Covid situation remains similar to England.
So what difference did not wearing masks in Wales make?
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Do you know of anyone introduced as life long conservative campaigner and party member?
It is happening on the BBC across the political divide
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
FFS you think I want more people to die! My whole point about masks was that we had got into an excellent position with Covid, deaths were minimal as were infections, then we made the big change to mask wearing and since then infections have started increasing.
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Do you know of anyone introduced as life long conservative campaigner and party member?
It is happening on the BBC across the political divide
Never heard it name a few then
It is happening on the the BBC under the new DG and I expect it to become common in the media, as it should
There must be conservatives on the supreme court who are worried that the majority of americans lose all faith in the supreme court as an institution who must be against pushing through a nomination.
There is one - Roberts. Thomas and Alito ? You’re joking. Kavanaugh clearly doesn’t give much of a damn about public opinion; Gorsuch, unlikely, but time will tell.
If the Republicans seat another Justice after what they pulled with Garland, because it’s ‘within their rights’, I think it almost certain a Democratic Senate majority will expand the court, since that is equally ‘within their rights’.
Doubt Dems would get 50 senators lined up on that.
I think it's a pretty simple decision for a man with no scruples. Mitch is going to make sure there's a conservative majority.
Why do you doubt that? Seems to be an increasingly mainstream view in the Democratic Party. The GOP has been trampling on conventions for years, now its time for the Dems to play dirty otherwise their legislative agenda will just be picked apart by the court for years to come.
Oh I agree that the democrats *should* wake up and realize they are playing by rules the other side have been ignoring for years. But they aren't going to.
Biden said he wouldn't try it last year. Even if he changes his mind, they would need to win the Senate AND have basically all Democratic senators on board. The likes of Joe Manchin are just not going to go along with it.
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Do you know of anyone introduced as life long conservative campaigner and party member?
It is happening on the BBC across the political divide
Never heard it name a few then
It is happening on the the BBC under the new DG and I expect it to become common in the media, as it should
The one that is a life long conservative and vice chairman of his constituency association?
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
FFS you think I want more people to die! My whole point about masks was that we had got into an excellent position with Covid, deaths were minimal as were infections, then we made the big change to mask wearing and since then infections have started increasing.
We were in lockdown you Muppet. Did you want us to remain in lockdown forever?
Lockdown again is a waste of time. Compliance will be nowhere near what it was in the last one. That much is obvious from one weekend of the North East “lockdown”. Everyone is just getting on with it, ignoring the rules but being careful.
On a similar theme we came back from Europe via the tunnel yesterday. 48 hours before arriving we were required to each complete a Passenger Locator form on line, receive an email confirmation and code and and this had to be printed out or available on the phone and be produced before arriving in the UK. The Government website said that anyone who had failed to do this could expect a lengthy delay.
To cut a long story short we sailed through and nobody even mentioned it let alone asked to see it. I also know that we are required to quarantine for 14 days but again nobody mentioned this or provided any information telling us what that actually meant. In short we could have waltzed back into the UK without even being aware there was a pandemic in progress.
Seems typical of the government's handling of the virus from start to finish. Lots of fine words and sod all delivery.
I've been saying this for a while. Checking is minimal with a lot of people able to just walk through. The absolute minimal thing we could do is a check at the border. Every person entering the UK (except via ROI) has to show their passport. "Can I see your Passenger Locator form" has to be the question asked every single time. Its so simple. Yet Shitty Patel can't even manage that.
Electronic gates can’t ask you for PLF
It seems every single electronic gate I ever go through has a human standing next to it explaining its use, so they could be repurposed, or multitasked.
It's irrelevant and becoming boring. It won't be filled before Nov 3rd. The vetting and approval process takes months and involves endless wrangling and compromise...
It really doesn’t ; that is just convention. And what does that matter to McConnell ? With a pre-vetted candidate (anyone already on the circuit court) the process could be done in a fortnight.
It’s also possible the process will start before the election and finish during the lame duck session.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
In May/June one hunter gatherer from each household tentatively braved the supermarket. On arrival we queued for half a mile at 2 metre intervals. We could not go to pubs and restaurants and our children were off school.
Here in Wales mask wearing became mandatory two weeks ago. So prior to that date we were all partying down the pub like England, but mask-free. The current Covid situation remains similar to England.
So what difference did not wearing masks in Wales make?
You are now conveniently arguing from the diametrically opposed point of view. Wear a mask because it is one strand of a suite of precautions we need to take to keep ourselves and others safe. Mask wearing is not the magic bullet on its own.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
FFS you think I want more people to die! My whole point about masks was that we had got into an excellent position with Covid, deaths were minimal as were infections, then we made the big change to mask wearing and since then infections have started increasing.
If people had followed the rules you may have kept infections down, nothing to do with masks in fact they should have been mandated for everyone in all public spaces indoors and outdoors.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
FFS you think I want more people to die! My whole point about masks was that we had got into an excellent position with Covid, deaths were minimal as were infections, then we made the big change to mask wearing and since then infections have started increasing.
Johnson encouraged us to go to the pub and the office and we went on foreign holidays, which we were not doing in May and June.
Strictly, the statement that No 10 says was “wrong” is the one that said he landed at the airport at 2 pm. Easy to see how that could support a Clinton-denial.
Though is either of the parents RC? Mixing up the Abbey and Cathedral feels like the sort of mistake made by someone who doesn't frequent either. (Though the idea that Boris's exhaustion is due to diligent preparation for reception into the Holy Mother Church is a cheering one.)
LOL.
Don't Churches of England (etc) keep a record of baptisms any more.
Recently found a very interesting, and informative, one which has solved an ancestral mystery for two families..
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
It's happening because a significant number of idiots, no doubt including yourself, don't bother with mask wearing and pack out pubs, don't wear a mask on public transport and go on pub crawls from South Wales to Doncaster etc etc.
The virus is being spread by the selfish sods who ignore the rules not by the people who are doing their best to comply with what they are being asked.. If you really can't see that then you really are extremely dim. Your arguments have been torn to shreds on numerous occasions yet you bounce back with the same old drivel.
Strictly, the statement that No 10 says was “wrong” is the one that said he landed at the airport at 2 pm. Easy to see how that could support a Clinton-denial.
Though is either of the parents RC? Mixing up the Abbey and Cathedral feels like the sort of mistake made by someone who doesn't frequent either. (Though the idea that Boris's exhaustion is due to diligent preparation for reception into the Holy Mother Church is a cheering one.)
LOL.
Don't Churches of England (etc) keep a record of baptisms any more.
Recently found a very interesting, and informative, one which has solved an ancestral mystery for two families..
All churches do - so there should be paperwork.
Unless the priest did the baptism in a different church (say a private chapel in Italy).
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
FFS you think I want more people to die! My whole point about masks was that we had got into an excellent position with Covid, deaths were minimal as were infections, then we made the big change to mask wearing and since then infections have started increasing.
Read back as that was exactly what you were arguing for - things needed to change to allow what is left of the economy to continue - that means masks as it's the best solution for what is otherwise an unfixable problem
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
FFS you think I want more people to die! My whole point about masks was that we had got into an excellent position with Covid, deaths were minimal as were infections, then we made the big change to mask wearing and since then infections have started increasing.
But the two facts aren't mutually inclusive. At the same time we were told to wear masks we were told to do "dangerous" stuff like use public transport and send our children to school.
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Do you know of anyone introduced as life long conservative campaigner and party member?
It is happening on the BBC across the political divide
Never heard it name a few then
It is happening on the the BBC under the new DG and I expect it to become common in the media, as it should
Guido has a long-running thread on guests introduced by very misleading titles of omission. The TV media are getting slowly better at it, but still a long way to go.
It’s quite amazing how many people now working as ‘head of a think tank’ stood for Parliament at the last election.
I wonder if the people saying that have any idea what that means other than something-something-less-restrictions, right? After all, they never specify what restrictions they think we should or should not have.
Watching that Tegnell interview with Andrew Neil was illuminating. Key points to takeaway:
- Would you say Sweden has done well? (Neil lists the death rates). Answer: No-one has done well. Each country has had different challenges and different responses.
- Why didn't the UK follow the Swedish route? They were doing it originally Answer: In the UK, the infections, hospitalisations, and deaths were going up sharply. In Sweden, they weren't, allowing them to follow a route of gentler restrictions.
(Side bar on care homes, where both we and Sweden messed up hugely, discussion on data)
- What does it mean to follow the Swedish model? Answer: Get a level of restrictions that works and sustain it in the long term. No chopping and changing.
Well, that provides an answer. If we follow the Swedish model, we need tougher restrictions than we had in August and early September (as that wasn't a level that works). When we reach a level of restrictions that works to bring it down, we keep them going for the foreseeable future.
Following the Swedish model means that the Rule of Six, at the very least, is here to stay.
I wonder if that's what those advocating "following the Swedish model" think they're saying? Increase restrictions a bit and hold them there for a prolonged period.
Allowing people to go on foreign holidays over the summer is now looking like an enormous mistake. It may have been crowd-pleasing but it will end up costing the government far more than it would have to simply prop up the travel industry for a few months.
So from the date that masks were introuduced in shops the percentage of positive cases started increasing
You would but then you’re an idiot.
An idiot eh, everything I said that would happen has happened.
That's not true. And there's mounting evidence that due to masks people are getting weak infections due to lower viral load so are recovering and not dying from the illness.
In July I said that infections would rise because people would feel they were invincible and would stop socially distancing. Thats exactly what has happened. Compare a supermarket now to May/June.
Is it better to high a slightly higher infection rate but low death rate (due to reduced viral load) or a lower infection rate but higher death rate.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
FFS you think I want more people to die! My whole point about masks was that we had got into an excellent position with Covid, deaths were minimal as were infections, then we made the big change to mask wearing and since then infections have started increasing.
If people had followed the rules you may have kept infections down, nothing to do with masks in fact they should have been mandated for everyone in all public spaces indoors and outdoors.
Yes, how the hell is this still contentious?
The only reason for not mandating mask wearing in oublic was back in March and April when every mask the country could get their hands on was needed for key workers. Now there’s no longer a supply problem they need to be made mandatory outside your home.
Interesting that John Ashton going on another rant against Boris on Sky just mentioned the Perugia allegaton and Kay Burley immediately interupted him and stopped him and said that's been denied and there is no evidence for that.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
Do you know of anyone introduced as life long conservative campaigner and party member?
It is happening on the BBC across the political divide
Never heard it name a few then
It is happening on the the BBC under the new DG and I expect it to become common in the media, as it should
Guido has a long-running thread on guests introduced by very misleading titles of omission. The TV media are getting slowly better at it, but still a long way to go.
It’s quite amazing how many people now working as ‘head of a think tank’ stood for Parliament at the last election.
Since when has Guido been the go-to for non-partisanship?
If you are convinced that the virus remains a great enough threat to public health that drastic action is needed the only policy that makes sense to me is to make University teaching online and virtual and ask students to stay home rather than going to their new accommodation over the next couple of weeks. If they go we will not see an R rate below 1 this side of Christmas, no matter what else we do.
The consequence of this is that the largest part of the price will be paid by those least at risk. This strikes me as unfair and unreasonable but, let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time. I can see our scientists making this case, possibly even today.
The young getting infected builds herd immunity and so fewer infections later on among vulnerable groups.
So, if 0.8% at least of tests are false positives, that implies we had a sustained period of -0.2% as the real figure.
I'm really not sure how that could even work.
IIUC when the infection rate is low the false positive rate is also low, because false positives tend to come from somebody contaminating a negative sample with somebody else's positive sample, and you can't do that unless you have positive samples.
* Unless you count people as false positive if they correctly detected positive with the virus but the detected virus was mostly dead, ie they're infected but potentially cured
Strictly, the statement that No 10 says was “wrong” is the one that said he landed at the airport at 2 pm. Easy to see how that could support a Clinton-denial.
Though is either of the parents RC? Mixing up the Abbey and Cathedral feels like the sort of mistake made by someone who doesn't frequent either. (Though the idea that Boris's exhaustion is due to diligent preparation for reception into the Holy Mother Church is a cheering one.)
LOL.
Don't Churches of England (etc) keep a record of baptisms any more.
Recently found a very interesting, and informative, one which has solved an ancestral mystery for two families..
All churches do - so there should be paperwork.
Unless the priest did the baptism in a different church (say a private chapel in Italy).
Even then, I'd expect records somewhere. I got married in my college chapel, and we had to borrow the register from the parish church.
Like the was he at the airport question, the records exist and would be hard to be confused about.
Strictly, the statement that No 10 says was “wrong” is the one that said he landed at the airport at 2 pm. Easy to see how that could support a Clinton-denial.
Though is either of the parents RC? Mixing up the Abbey and Cathedral feels like the sort of mistake made by someone who doesn't frequent either. (Though the idea that Boris's exhaustion is due to diligent preparation for reception into the Holy Mother Church is a cheering one.)
LOL.
Don't Churches of England (etc) keep a record of baptisms any more.
Recently found a very interesting, and informative, one which has solved an ancestral mystery for two families..
All churches do - so there should be paperwork.
Unless the priest did the baptism in a different church (say a private chapel in Italy).
Even then, I'd expect records somewhere. I got married in my college chapel, and we had to borrow the register from the parish church.
Like the was he at the airport question, the records exist and would be hard to be confused about.
It's a typical Boris lie, works until you step back and think about it for two second by which time he's run to hide in the freezer or whatever other private space is available.
The funny bit is that the registers are public documents, if the baptism is a lie the truth will be revealed by midday.
So, if 0.8% at least of tests are false positives, that implies we had a sustained period of -0.2% as the real figure.
I'm really not sure how that could even work.
IIUC when the infection rate is low the false positive rate is also low, because false positives tend to come from somebody contaminating a negative sample with somebody else's positive sample, and you can't do that unless you have positive samples.
* Unless you count people as false positive if they correctly detected positive with the virus but the detected virus was mostly dead, ie they're infected but potentially cured
From the SAGE report on PCR testing and false results:
"What causes false positives? • Cross reactions with other genetic material. Other sources of DNA or RNA may have cross reactive genetic material that can be amplified by the RT-PCR test. False positives were observed unexpectedly in norovirus assays in patients with enterocolitis, due to unusually high levels of human DNA in samples [1] • Contamination during sampling. This may happen if the swab head accidently contacts, or is placed on a contaminated surface (e.g. latex gloves, hospital surface). • Contamination during swab extraction. Viral RNA is extracted from swabs in solution; accidental aerosolization of liquid can cause cross contamination between samples. • Contamination with PCR amplicon. The PCR amplification process generates millions of copies of the DNA target (amplicon) that can cause false positives in subsequent PCR reactions. If a testing lab is accidently contaminated with amplicon it can lead to sporadic false positives. • Contamination of PCR laboratory consumables. Contamination can spread from a post-PCR lab into a pre-PCR lab by transfer of equipment, chemicals, people or aerosol. Even experienced national labs can be affected. In early-March 2020, COVID-19 RT-PCR assays produced by the CDC were withdrawn after many showed false positives due to contaminated reagents. "
I didn't know Lebedev had a dog named after our prime minister, although when you consider how the Tory party is awash with Roubles it's not surprising.
Comments
That the whole lot of them went off to Italy for a day doesn’t really seem credible.
Could this be them setting out their case for a hard lockdown before tomorrow the PM says notwithstanding that, he is applying a more nuanced policy?
You may say that we could tolerate a certain percentage of people getting the virus and a smaller percentage dying, but with a virus that grows exponentially and has a two week delay achieving that is difficult.
An additional little snippet is that Bozo’s ill fated zoom call to MPs, where his WiFi kept breaking up, falls on the afternoon after his purported sighting arriving in Perugia.
Also worth noting that the first published claim that Bozo had been there came not from some random individual, but in an official press release issued by Perugia Airport.
Very little is known about these long term side effects, but in younger people such cases reported so far do seem pretty rare.
On the long term effects
And before evening cocktails?
I keep seeing Airbus A380s flying circuits around DWC airport - they need to fly planes and pilots occasionally anyway, to stop both going rusty!
Arf
Virus news ... Johnson to address the nation tomorrow night. I hope we're not heading for lockdown. If people were more careful to follow the guidelines we might yet avoid it but it's astonishing how (deliberately) dumb some people are.
We know fully well what the long term effects are and so do you, so stop being disingenuous.
It's a vicious virus. The US has just passed the 200,000 deaths mark and you mock the fact that some people like Sean thought deaths would be in the millions?
You just wait until this winter has passed before spouting such inappropriate hubris.
Have a good day everyone. Stay safe.
1. Whitty and Vallance being sent out on their own to berate us. If it's received badly or goes wrong, they will simply be thrown under the bus and replaced by Dildo. Cabinet demonstrating that they are gutless yellow cowards
2. Shagger's mystery trip to Italy. All kinds of scandalous potential for what he was doing there with whom...
Up to the American voters to determine which is worse: a POTUS candidate who said the wrong word by mistake, or a POTUS who dismissed the virus as a hoax, has undermined medical advice throughout and now have 200,000 dead, with now more per capita dead than in the UK despite them having a population density a tiny fraction of what we have.
What the government are going to have to do now is decide what they want the railway system to deliver. They have been micromanaging for years - this franchise will assume x passenger growth running services y using rolling stock z. Now they get to decide on the big stuff - is it a commuter railway, a freight railway, a leisure travel railway?
The consequence of this is that the largest part of the price will be paid by those least at risk. This strikes me as unfair and unreasonable but, let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time. I can see our scientists making this case, possibly even today.
Funny how John Ashton keeps coming on the media being introduced as "Former Public Health Director" and never introduced as "lifelong Socialist, campaigner and Labour Party member".
https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1307933782889107456?s=09
Though is either of the parents RC? Mixing up the Abbey and Cathedral feels like the sort of mistake made by someone who doesn't frequent either.
(Though the idea that Boris's exhaustion is due to diligent preparation for reception into the Holy Mother Church is a cheering one.)
The circumstances are not remotely comparable.
To cut a long story short we sailed through and nobody even mentioned it let alone asked to see it. I also know that we are required to quarantine for 14 days but again nobody mentioned this or provided any information telling us what that actually meant. In short we could have waltzed back into the UK without even being aware there was a pandemic in progress.
Seems typical of the government's handling of the virus from start to finish. Lots of fine words and sod all delivery.
Anyhow, Bozo planning his little escapade will have made absolutely sure Italy wasn’t going onto the quarantine list (and indeed may explain why the EU ‘air corridors’ were introduced so rapidly after the initial universal quarantine policy). So it’s not all bad.
@NerysHughes you seem to prefer less infections but more deaths.
The son has recently been appointed by Johnson to the House of Lords.
This week we also find out that Putins former deputy finance minister, married to Lubov Chernukhin who paid the Tory party £160k to play tennis with Johnson and Cameron (and another £1.5m for other reasons), received $8m from another Russian oligarch with ties to Putin.
Here in Wales mask wearing became mandatory two weeks ago. So prior to that date we were all partying down the pub like England, but mask-free. The current Covid situation remains similar to England.
Biden said he wouldn't try it last year. Even if he changes his mind, they would need to win the Senate AND have basically all Democratic senators on board. The likes of Joe Manchin are just not going to go along with it.
https://iowastartingline.com/2019/07/05/joe-biden-interview-talk-about-the-future-in-dem-primary/
With a pre-vetted candidate (anyone already on the circuit court) the process could be done in a fortnight.
It’s also possible the process will start before the election and finish during the lame duck session.
Johnson encouraged us to go to the pub and the office and we went on foreign holidays, which we were not doing in May and June.
Will they back the government on emergency powers, or support Brady & Co? They may well have the balance of power here.
Don't Churches of England (etc) keep a record of baptisms any more.
Recently found a very interesting, and informative, one which has solved an ancestral mystery for two families..
The virus is being spread by the selfish sods who ignore the rules not by the people who are doing their best to comply with what they are being asked.. If you really can't see that then you really are extremely dim. Your arguments have been torn to shreds on numerous occasions yet you bounce back with the same old drivel.
I doubt Bozzo is good with the virtual backgrounds etc and if he was in an odd location, I am sure at least one MP won't be able to resist saying so.
So, if 0.8% at least of tests are false positives, that implies we had a sustained period of -0.2% as the real figure.
I'm really not sure how that could even work.
Unless the priest did the baptism in a different church (say a private chapel in Italy).
Interesting times.
--AS
It’s quite amazing how many people now working as ‘head of a think tank’ stood for Parliament at the last election.
I wonder if the people saying that have any idea what that means other than something-something-less-restrictions, right? After all, they never specify what restrictions they think we should or should not have.
Watching that Tegnell interview with Andrew Neil was illuminating. Key points to takeaway:
- Would you say Sweden has done well? (Neil lists the death rates).
Answer: No-one has done well. Each country has had different challenges and different responses.
- Why didn't the UK follow the Swedish route? They were doing it originally
Answer: In the UK, the infections, hospitalisations, and deaths were going up sharply. In Sweden, they weren't, allowing them to follow a route of gentler restrictions.
(Side bar on care homes, where both we and Sweden messed up hugely, discussion on data)
- What does it mean to follow the Swedish model?
Answer: Get a level of restrictions that works and sustain it in the long term. No chopping and changing.
Well, that provides an answer. If we follow the Swedish model, we need tougher restrictions than we had in August and early September (as that wasn't a level that works). When we reach a level of restrictions that works to bring it down, we keep them going for the foreseeable future.
Following the Swedish model means that the Rule of Six, at the very least, is here to stay.
I wonder if that's what those advocating "following the Swedish model" think they're saying? Increase restrictions a bit and hold them there for a prolonged period.
Hands washed...for 20 seconds.
The only reason for not mandating mask wearing in oublic was back in March and April when every mask the country could get their hands on was needed for key workers. Now there’s no longer a supply problem they need to be made mandatory outside your home.
* Unless you count people as false positive if they correctly detected positive with the virus but the detected virus was mostly dead, ie they're infected but potentially cured
Like the was he at the airport question, the records exist and would be hard to be confused about.
The funny bit is that the registers are public documents, if the baptism is a lie the truth will be revealed by midday.
So it wasn't secret then; other people knew about it!
"What causes false positives?
• Cross reactions with other genetic material. Other sources of DNA or RNA may have cross
reactive genetic material that can be amplified by the RT-PCR test. False positives were
observed unexpectedly in norovirus assays in patients with enterocolitis, due to unusually high
levels of human DNA in samples [1]
• Contamination during sampling. This may happen if the swab head accidently contacts, or is
placed on a contaminated surface (e.g. latex gloves, hospital surface).
• Contamination during swab extraction. Viral RNA is extracted from swabs in solution;
accidental aerosolization of liquid can cause cross contamination between samples.
• Contamination with PCR amplicon. The PCR amplification process generates millions of copies
of the DNA target (amplicon) that can cause false positives in subsequent PCR reactions. If a
testing lab is accidently contaminated with amplicon it can lead to sporadic false positives.
• Contamination of PCR laboratory consumables. Contamination can spread from a post-PCR lab
into a pre-PCR lab by transfer of equipment, chemicals, people or aerosol. Even experienced
national labs can be affected. In early-March 2020, COVID-19 RT-PCR assays produced by the
CDC were withdrawn after many showed false positives due to contaminated reagents.
"
I didn't know Lebedev had a dog named after our prime minister, although when you consider how the Tory party is awash with Roubles it's not surprising.