21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Pile in your many thousands into poorly ventilated unspacious shopping malls for hours at a time, and wander about gawping aimlessly to no real purpose. Before buying some tat you'll barely ever use, or gift to someone you don't even really like. This is many times more popular than partying in my experience. Utterly mystifying way to spend a day, even without a pandemic on.
Yet the rise in cases in the south east started well before the shops reopening could have affected the numbers. The shops are going to make it worse, but there was something else going on.
It’s called ‘schooling.’
Or at least, schooling during a pandemic with some laughably inept attempts at health and safety and a strict policy of not sending people home even if they’ve been sitting for six hours in the same unventilated room as somebody who has just tested positive.
That does seem to be behind the rise in cases. I really think the schools need to be put online until the Christmas wave passes or have an extended holiday. We seem to keep making the same stupid public health messaging mistakes.
The smart move would have been to shut them last Wednesday, which would have made little difference educationally but would have brought cases down substantially by Christmas. Failing that, the next most sensible thing would be to reopen them in mid-January by which time the worst effects should be over.
Neither will happen. So we could have a disaster on our hands at the start of February.
I am amazed we’ve got this far, to be truthful, but I will be still more amazed if we reach March without a crisis.
Yep. New lockdown in late December or January. Wheee.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Because the government gave the country the green light to pretend that we're safe from Covid-19 at Christmas, and the country took that as a sign that we're safe from Covid-19 at all times.
The nation that has a majority of people who think pineapple is an acceptable topping on pizza has really shite judgment, who knew?
We are still letting people go away for Christmas break abroad as well...shakes head.
It's ok to let them go, it's the coming back that's the problem.
And just signalled to the population that you don't need to isolate for as long, so people will starting bending the rules even earlier.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
My immediate question would be are different racial demographic have different likelihood / make up of these genes i.e. could it be one of the reasons why we are seeing differences within different ethnicities?
It is possible, as diseases such a sickle cell and thalassemia certainly are genetically-based with clear racial linkages. But my suspicion is that in the case of COVID, racial disparities in morbidity and mortality have more to do with social and economic status - overcrowded housing, access to private transport, access to quality healthcare, nutrition etc...
Presumably the immune markers you carry help to determine who actually gets COVID bad and dies - which is what has just been reported - but that is a different issue from being systematically exposed to it in the first place?
My understanding is that generally when there are markers for a genetic disease which correlates to race, there is an evolutionary benefit to the genetic disorder. In the case of both thalassemia and sick cell, these conditions confer some benefit in malaria-endemic zones.
The mutation referred to in the paper relates to the body's interferon response. I guess it is possible for this variant of the interferon gene to have arisen to give advantage vis a vis another virus, but it is equally likely that it is - outside of a COVID pandemic - a neutral variant of the gene. I haven't had enough time to read the paper to form a view yet.
Ossof and Warnock winning Goergia might halt it for a while but the long term senate position when the parties are equally strong massively favours the GOP. Effectively the Senate controls the judiciary and also through the GOP being far more willing to gerrymander, the house long term isn't Democrat either. I can see a court expansion coming from the right when all bar Thomas are deemed to be at the behest of the Democrats. Eventually a democrat will win the presidency again, and something or other like this TX nonsense will come up before SCOTUS and it will be heard and decided in favour of the GOP. The damage US democracy has suffered thus far this election is the gravest injury to the republic since the Civil War, but it looks to me that the future GOP will have more Paxtons and Cruzs, and perhaps less Romneys and dare I say it even the likes of Mike Pence.
I'm wondering if the current SCOTUS, which is very conservative but not completely mad might want to take on the TX case to put forward an opinion that shreds Paxton to pieces; the more conservative members of the court might see it as a chance to affirm states' rights in elections.
With the GOP clearly a present and current danger to the republic, Democrats should be thankful for the 2nd amendment and load up with as many guns and ammo as they can find.
Making up to 20m illegals citizens will help. Plus renewed mass immigration.
Renewed mass immigration is an American tradition, the Dems are honouring The Founding Fathers.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....THEN FOR BEERS....AND ALL BACK TO MINE....seems to be the level of a lot of people's thinking.
Maybe I’m just in a bad mood, went to dinner with the wife and the hotel is full of damn British tourists, who clearly started with brunch at midday and were still very much ‘on it’ at 10:30, still dressed for the beach.
Ossof and Warnock winning Goergia might halt it for a while but the long term senate position when the parties are equally strong massively favours the GOP. Effectively the Senate controls the judiciary and also through the GOP being far more willing to gerrymander, the house long term isn't Democrat either. I can see a court expansion coming from the right when all bar Thomas are deemed to be at the behest of the Democrats. Eventually a democrat will win the presidency again, and something or other like this TX nonsense will come up before SCOTUS and it will be heard and decided in favour of the GOP. The damage US democracy has suffered thus far this election is the gravest injury to the republic since the Civil War, but it looks to me that the future GOP will have more Paxtons and Cruzs, and perhaps less Romneys and dare I say it even the likes of Mike Pence.
I'm wondering if the current SCOTUS, which is very conservative but not completely mad might want to take on the TX case to put forward an opinion that shreds Paxton to pieces; the more conservative members of the court might see it as a chance to affirm states' rights in elections.
With the GOP clearly a present and current danger to the republic, Democrats should be thankful for the 2nd amendment and load up with as many guns and ammo as they can find.
Making up to 20m illegals citizens will help. Plus renewed mass immigration.
Renewed mass immigration is an American tradition, the Dems are honouring The Founding Fathers.
I'm just looking at the numbers, not the morality.
Whatever the Supreme court decides or doesn;t decide, the repubs are in serious trouble for the Georgia run-offs in both cases.
The party is hopelessly split. Trump voters despise the Romney/McCainites more than they do the dems. No way are they going to turn out fully loaded for Mr and Ms Lukewarm.
2024? Nope. 3024? maybe.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Georgia elections sees attempted fraud on a massive scale. After all apparently a lot of Republicans seem to think its easy.
Also are there any deadlines for seating the senators after the election? If Dems win, maybe they will just delay certification for ever?
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Pile in your many thousands into poorly ventilated unspacious shopping malls for hours at a time, and wander about gawping aimlessly to no real purpose. Before buying some tat you'll barely ever use, or gift to someone you don't even really like. This is many times more popular than partying in my experience. Utterly mystifying way to spend a day, even without a pandemic on.
Yet the rise in cases in the south east started well before the shops reopening could have affected the numbers. The shops are going to make it worse, but there was something else going on.
It’s called ‘schooling.’
Or at least, schooling during a pandemic with some laughably inept attempts at health and safety and a strict policy of not sending people home even if they’ve been sitting for six hours in the same unventilated room as somebody who has just tested positive.
That does seem to be behind the rise in cases. I really think the schools need to be put online until the Christmas wave passes or have an extended holiday. We seem to keep making the same stupid public health messaging mistakes.
The smart move would have been to shut them last Wednesday, which would have made little difference educationally but would have brought cases down substantially by Christmas. Failing that, the next most sensible thing would be to reopen them in mid-January by which time the worst effects should be over.
Neither will happen. So we could have a disaster on our hands at the start of February.
I am amazed we’ve got this far, to be truthful, but I will be still more amazed if we reach March without a crisis.
Yep. New lockdown in late December or January. Wheee.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
Yep, the lockdown should have carried on until the 23rd if they were insistent on this Christmas thing. But Tory backbenchers going to be insane.
Put of interest, what have the Dems said about Puerto Rico’s renewed bid for statehood, if anything?
Some interesting quotes on wikipedia. Apparetly Mitch McConnell has come out against it and would not bring it to a vote in the Senate, saying it was 'another example of government overreach', which seems like a really bizarre reason to be in favour or opposition to the idea. But not much from that many Dems.
Ossof and Warnock winning Goergia might halt it for a while but the long term senate position when the parties are equally strong massively favours the GOP. Effectively the Senate controls the judiciary and also through the GOP being far more willing to gerrymander, the house long term isn't Democrat either. I can see a court expansion coming from the right when all bar Thomas are deemed to be at the behest of the Democrats. Eventually a democrat will win the presidency again, and something or other like this TX nonsense will come up before SCOTUS and it will be heard and decided in favour of the GOP. The damage US democracy has suffered thus far this election is the gravest injury to the republic since the Civil War, but it looks to me that the future GOP will have more Paxtons and Cruzs, and perhaps less Romneys and dare I say it even the likes of Mike Pence.
I'm wondering if the current SCOTUS, which is very conservative but not completely mad might want to take on the TX case to put forward an opinion that shreds Paxton to pieces; the more conservative members of the court might see it as a chance to affirm states' rights in elections.
With the GOP clearly a present and current danger to the republic, Democrats should be thankful for the 2nd amendment and load up with as many guns and ammo as they can find.
SCOTUS is running out of time to hear the Texas case before the Electoral College votes on Monday.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....THEN FOR BEERS....AND ALL BACK TO MINE....seems to be the level of a lot of people's thinking.
Maybe I’m just in a bad mood, went to dinner with the wife and the hotel is full of damn British tourists, who clearly started with brunch at midday and were still very much ‘on it’ at 10:30, still dressed for the beach.
Madinat Jumeriah?
About a mile out to sea from there, on the palm island.
MJ is for the slightly more discerning British tourist
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Ossof and Warnock winning Goergia might halt it for a while but the long term senate position when the parties are equally strong massively favours the GOP. Effectively the Senate controls the judiciary and also through the GOP being far more willing to gerrymander, the house long term isn't Democrat either. I can see a court expansion coming from the right when all bar Thomas are deemed to be at the behest of the Democrats. Eventually a democrat will win the presidency again, and something or other like this TX nonsense will come up before SCOTUS and it will be heard and decided in favour of the GOP. The damage US democracy has suffered thus far this election is the gravest injury to the republic since the Civil War, but it looks to me that the future GOP will have more Paxtons and Cruzs, and perhaps less Romneys and dare I say it even the likes of Mike Pence.
I'm wondering if the current SCOTUS, which is very conservative but not completely mad might want to take on the TX case to put forward an opinion that shreds Paxton to pieces; the more conservative members of the court might see it as a chance to affirm states' rights in elections.
With the GOP clearly a present and current danger to the republic, Democrats should be thankful for the 2nd amendment and load up with as many guns and ammo as they can find.
SCOTUS is running out of time to hear the Texas case before the Electoral College votes on Monday.
They must (I hope) surely just be deciding on the best way to reject it, and unanimously. I wonder if the dispute is that some want the whole case to be dissected in detail (as opposed to a simply one liner "reject") but doing so might jeopardise the 9-0 vote.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Pile in your many thousands into poorly ventilated unspacious shopping malls for hours at a time, and wander about gawping aimlessly to no real purpose. Before buying some tat you'll barely ever use, or gift to someone you don't even really like. This is many times more popular than partying in my experience. Utterly mystifying way to spend a day, even without a pandemic on.
Yet the rise in cases in the south east started well before the shops reopening could have affected the numbers. The shops are going to make it worse, but there was something else going on.
It’s called ‘schooling.’
Or at least, schooling during a pandemic with some laughably inept attempts at health and safety and a strict policy of not sending people home even if they’ve been sitting for six hours in the same unventilated room as somebody who has just tested positive.
That does seem to be behind the rise in cases. I really think the schools need to be put online until the Christmas wave passes or have an extended holiday. We seem to keep making the same stupid public health messaging mistakes.
Or we could send the vaccine to the schools, where there'd be hundreds of jabs in a day. Though have any of the vaccines been tested on children?
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Although they have said they will go with teacher assessment, because it was such a dazzling success last year and didn’t cause any controversy whatsoever. So they have wasted the opportunity they had to come up with a decent substitute.
I agree with @alex_ though. In the unlikely event they go ahead, all these exams would show is who was luckiest in terms of fewest Covid contacts. I’ve got one year 11 student who has actually only been in school for four days since half term. Meanwhile the school I went to has been barely affected.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
Ossof and Warnock winning Goergia might halt it for a while but the long term senate position when the parties are equally strong massively favours the GOP. Effectively the Senate controls the judiciary and also through the GOP being far more willing to gerrymander, the house long term isn't Democrat either. I can see a court expansion coming from the right when all bar Thomas are deemed to be at the behest of the Democrats. Eventually a democrat will win the presidency again, and something or other like this TX nonsense will come up before SCOTUS and it will be heard and decided in favour of the GOP. The damage US democracy has suffered thus far this election is the gravest injury to the republic since the Civil War, but it looks to me that the future GOP will have more Paxtons and Cruzs, and perhaps less Romneys and dare I say it even the likes of Mike Pence.
I'm wondering if the current SCOTUS, which is very conservative but not completely mad might want to take on the TX case to put forward an opinion that shreds Paxton to pieces; the more conservative members of the court might see it as a chance to affirm states' rights in elections.
With the GOP clearly a present and current danger to the republic, Democrats should be thankful for the 2nd amendment and load up with as many guns and ammo as they can find.
Making up to 20m illegals citizens will help. Plus renewed mass immigration.
There is no way that would get through Congress - even in the event that the Dems won both Senate races.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Pile in your many thousands into poorly ventilated unspacious shopping malls for hours at a time, and wander about gawping aimlessly to no real purpose. Before buying some tat you'll barely ever use, or gift to someone you don't even really like. This is many times more popular than partying in my experience. Utterly mystifying way to spend a day, even without a pandemic on.
Yet the rise in cases in the south east started well before the shops reopening could have affected the numbers. The shops are going to make it worse, but there was something else going on.
It’s called ‘schooling.’
Or at least, schooling during a pandemic with some laughably inept attempts at health and safety and a strict policy of not sending people home even if they’ve been sitting for six hours in the same unventilated room as somebody who has just tested positive.
That does seem to be behind the rise in cases. I really think the schools need to be put online until the Christmas wave passes or have an extended holiday. We seem to keep making the same stupid public health messaging mistakes.
The smart move would have been to shut them last Wednesday, which would have made little difference educationally but would have brought cases down substantially by Christmas. Failing that, the next most sensible thing would be to reopen them in mid-January by which time the worst effects should be over.
Neither will happen. So we could have a disaster on our hands at the start of February.
I am amazed we’ve got this far, to be truthful, but I will be still more amazed if we reach March without a crisis.
Yep. New lockdown in late December or January. Wheee.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
Yep, the lockdown should have carried on until the 23rd if they were insistent on this Christmas thing. But Tory backbenchers going to be insane.
Be interesting to see the tier review reaction. Signalling, when it was introduced, was very much that many places would be moving down tiers. Can't see much of that. Can see plenty moving up. Very much not what was implied to buy off the last rebellion.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....THEN FOR BEERS....AND ALL BACK TO MINE....seems to be the level of a lot of people's thinking.
Maybe I’m just in a bad mood, went to dinner with the wife and the hotel is full of damn British tourists, who clearly started with brunch at midday and were still very much ‘on it’ at 10:30, still dressed for the beach.
Madinat Jumeriah?
About a mile out to sea from there, on the palm island.
MJ is for the slightly more discerning British tourist
I've had Friday brunch at the Al Qasr (which was excellent by the way), but lots of people do seem to use it as an excuse to drink for about seven hours straight.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
Depends on the air currents. Sitting for three hours straight downwind of the index case ...
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
It’s not just about the exam, or that could be fudged. It’s about how many lessons they’ve missed.
Last year, we should have kept exams going by hook or crook. Send the other year groups home, cancel AS, put all the teachers in a class with just 9/10 children and get them through somehow. It was too late to make that call as there was no way anything could have been done to replace what was there, however deeply flawed.
This year, so much time has been lost the exams have gone from unreliable to totally meaningless. It is actually ridiculous to think they will be of use to employers, universities or even statisticians. So why bother?
Year 13 are a different matter and could still be salvaged, but only a total retard doing hard drugs would keep GCSEs this year.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
All my exams are online. You have to use your laptop's webcam to film the entire room before you start and the webcam must remain on the entire time. Oh and you're not allowed to move unless the virtual invigilator tells you that you can. It's a right faff on.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Although they have said they will go with teacher assessment, because it was such a dazzling success last year and didn’t cause any controversy whatsoever. So they have wasted the opportunity they had to come up with a decent substitute.
I agree with @alex_ though. In the unlikely event they go ahead, all these exams would show is who was luckiest in terms of fewest Covid contacts. I’ve got one year 11 student who has actually only been in school for four days since half term. Meanwhile the school I went to has been barely affected.
But didn't we discuss the teacher assessment thing at the time? It could possibly work, reasonably, if done properly, well planned and with genuine third party control oversight. Or in theory anyway.
But that requires deciding now, and putting in place proper plans with full consultation and guidance about how it is going to happen. Not panicking and doing it at the last minute and completely left to the whims of individual teachers and schools' approaches.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Although they have said they will go with teacher assessment, because it was such a dazzling success last year and didn’t cause any controversy whatsoever. So they have wasted the opportunity they had to come up with a decent substitute.
I agree with @alex_ though. In the unlikely event they go ahead, all these exams would show is who was luckiest in terms of fewest Covid contacts. I’ve got one year 11 student who has actually only been in school for four days since half term. Meanwhile the school I went to has been barely affected.
I thought it was the exam board algorithm that was the problem relative to teacher assessment?
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
I don't think the taking of the exams themselves are the issue.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Although they have said they will go with teacher assessment, because it was such a dazzling success last year and didn’t cause any controversy whatsoever. So they have wasted the opportunity they had to come up with a decent substitute.
I agree with @alex_ though. In the unlikely event they go ahead, all these exams would show is who was luckiest in terms of fewest Covid contacts. I’ve got one year 11 student who has actually only been in school for four days since half term. Meanwhile the school I went to has been barely affected.
But didn't we discuss the teacher assessment thing at the time? It could possibly work, reasonably, if done properly, well planned and with genuine third party control oversight. Or in theory anyway.
But that requires deciding now, and putting in place proper plans with full consultation and guidance about how it is going to happen. Not panicking and doing it at the last minute and completely left to the whims of individual teachers and schools' approaches.
It will have to be teacher assessment in some form, as you say, with oversight and evidence. But AIUI Scotland are just doing what happened last year all over again.
Well, as @DavidL has rightly pointed out, everyone is now just going to predict a top grade. Why bother with anything else?
AZ Dem 1.04 GA Dem 1.06 MI Dem 1.05 NV Dem 1.04 PA Dem 1.05 WI Dem 1.05
Trump to leave before end of term NO 1.1 Trump exit date 2021 1.09
Those last two are intriguing.
Do we think there’s a 10% chance he walks after the electoral college vote, heads for Christmas in Mar-A-Lago and leaves Pence running the show for a few weeks?
It is certainly possible Trump will resign and let Pence run the show for a few weeks but even if he did, the timing might depend on what Pence asks for. If I were tempted to bet, I'd run a quick search for anything Pence-related in the last few days.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Pile in your many thousands into poorly ventilated unspacious shopping malls for hours at a time, and wander about gawping aimlessly to no real purpose. Before buying some tat you'll barely ever use, or gift to someone you don't even really like. This is many times more popular than partying in my experience. Utterly mystifying way to spend a day, even without a pandemic on.
Yet the rise in cases in the south east started well before the shops reopening could have affected the numbers. The shops are going to make it worse, but there was something else going on.
It’s called ‘schooling.’
Or at least, schooling during a pandemic with some laughably inept attempts at health and safety and a strict policy of not sending people home even if they’ve been sitting for six hours in the same unventilated room as somebody who has just tested positive.
That does seem to be behind the rise in cases. I really think the schools need to be put online until the Christmas wave passes or have an extended holiday. We seem to keep making the same stupid public health messaging mistakes.
The smart move would have been to shut them last Wednesday, which would have made little difference educationally but would have brought cases down substantially by Christmas. Failing that, the next most sensible thing would be to reopen them in mid-January by which time the worst effects should be over.
Neither will happen. So we could have a disaster on our hands at the start of February.
I am amazed we’ve got this far, to be truthful, but I will be still more amazed if we reach March without a crisis.
Yep. New lockdown in late December or January. Wheee.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
Yep, the lockdown should have carried on until the 23rd if they were insistent on this Christmas thing. But Tory backbenchers going to be insane.
Be interesting to see the tier review reaction. Signalling, when it was introduced, was very much that many places would be moving down tiers. Can't see much of that. Can see plenty moving up. Very much not what was implied to buy off the last rebellion.
Good thing the PM hasn't got anything else controversial coming up next week, eh?
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Pile in your many thousands into poorly ventilated unspacious shopping malls for hours at a time, and wander about gawping aimlessly to no real purpose. Before buying some tat you'll barely ever use, or gift to someone you don't even really like. This is many times more popular than partying in my experience. Utterly mystifying way to spend a day, even without a pandemic on.
Yet the rise in cases in the south east started well before the shops reopening could have affected the numbers. The shops are going to make it worse, but there was something else going on.
It’s called ‘schooling.’
Or at least, schooling during a pandemic with some laughably inept attempts at health and safety and a strict policy of not sending people home even if they’ve been sitting for six hours in the same unventilated room as somebody who has just tested positive.
That does seem to be behind the rise in cases. I really think the schools need to be put online until the Christmas wave passes or have an extended holiday. We seem to keep making the same stupid public health messaging mistakes.
Or we could send the vaccine to the schools, where there'd be hundreds of jabs in a day. Though have any of the vaccines been tested on children?
No, none are authorised for under 18s as I understand it, and bluntly we don't have enough doses right now. The JVCI are correct to prioritise over 80s, since the 4m jabs we get by the end of the year should cover them. That cuts mortality by 40% and probably has a similar effect on hospitalisations.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Although they have said they will go with teacher assessment, because it was such a dazzling success last year and didn’t cause any controversy whatsoever. So they have wasted the opportunity they had to come up with a decent substitute.
I agree with @alex_ though. In the unlikely event they go ahead, all these exams would show is who was luckiest in terms of fewest Covid contacts. I’ve got one year 11 student who has actually only been in school for four days since half term. Meanwhile the school I went to has been barely affected.
But didn't we discuss the teacher assessment thing at the time? It could possibly work, reasonably, if done properly, well planned and with genuine third party control oversight. Or in theory anyway.
But that requires deciding now, and putting in place proper plans with full consultation and guidance about how it is going to happen. Not panicking and doing it at the last minute and completely left to the whims of individual teachers and schools' approaches.
It will have to be teacher assessment in some form, as you say, with oversight and evidence. But AIUI Scotland are just doing what happened last year all over again.
Well, as @DavidL has rightly pointed out, everyone is now just going to predict a top grade. Why bother with anything else?
Butd Scotland used the algorithm thing and then scrubbed it - not being repeated this year?
An American friend has pointed out a potential 'fun' issue if Trump does end up in prison.
As a former POTUS Donald Trump is entitled to lifelong Secret Service protection. So does that mean the Secret Service get to guard Trump inside prison?
If not Trump might have to get used to tossing the salad.
Lettuce hope so.
The former Caesar won't find it as nice as the Waldorf.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Although they have said they will go with teacher assessment, because it was such a dazzling success last year and didn’t cause any controversy whatsoever. So they have wasted the opportunity they had to come up with a decent substitute.
I agree with @alex_ though. In the unlikely event they go ahead, all these exams would show is who was luckiest in terms of fewest Covid contacts. I’ve got one year 11 student who has actually only been in school for four days since half term. Meanwhile the school I went to has been barely affected.
I thought it was the exam board algorithm that was the problem relative to teacher assessment?
The problem was that rather than attempt some semblance of quality control, they used an algorithm that had been warned wouldn’t work.
This year, they seem to just want the grades and push shit out.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....MUST GO PRIMARK.....THEN FOR BEERS....AND ALL BACK TO MINE....seems to be the level of a lot of people's thinking.
Maybe I’m just in a bad mood, went to dinner with the wife and the hotel is full of damn British tourists, who clearly started with brunch at midday and were still very much ‘on it’ at 10:30, still dressed for the beach.
Madinat Jumeriah?
About a mile out to sea from there, on the palm island.
MJ is for the slightly more discerning British tourist
I've had Friday brunch at the Al Qasr (which was excellent by the way), but lots of people do seem to use it as an excuse to drink for about seven hours straight.
Al Qasr brunch is fantastic, possibly the biggest selection of food in one place I’ve ever seen.
The ‘problem’ with it, if there is one, is that’s it’s the best brunch in town, so almost everyone there is at a birthday party or a leaving do. At £125, it’s not the one you just go to because it’s Friday!
Incredible (in a sane world). Trump doesn't actually care whether the vaccine works or not. He doesn't expect most of his supporters to take it. He will do nothing to encourage people to take it. In fact i suspect if he is prized out of office he will actually agitate against it. He just wants to take the credit for its existence. And that's it.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Seriously, why can’t people just behave themselves?
Vaccines are coming but, to too many people, partying now is more important than stopping the spread of a nasty virus.
Wear masks, don’t meet friends indoors, get takeaways rather than eating in restaurants, it really isn’t difficult.
Pile in your many thousands into poorly ventilated unspacious shopping malls for hours at a time, and wander about gawping aimlessly to no real purpose. Before buying some tat you'll barely ever use, or gift to someone you don't even really like. This is many times more popular than partying in my experience. Utterly mystifying way to spend a day, even without a pandemic on.
Yet the rise in cases in the south east started well before the shops reopening could have affected the numbers. The shops are going to make it worse, but there was something else going on.
It’s called ‘schooling.’
Or at least, schooling during a pandemic with some laughably inept attempts at health and safety and a strict policy of not sending people home even if they’ve been sitting for six hours in the same unventilated room as somebody who has just tested positive.
That does seem to be behind the rise in cases. I really think the schools need to be put online until the Christmas wave passes or have an extended holiday. We seem to keep making the same stupid public health messaging mistakes.
Or we could send the vaccine to the schools, where there'd be hundreds of jabs in a day. Though have any of the vaccines been tested on children?
No, none are authorised for under 18s as I understand it, and bluntly we don't have enough doses right now. The JVCI are correct to prioritise over 80s, since the 4m jabs we get by the end of the year should cover them. That cuts mortality by 40% and probably has a similar effect on hospitalisations.
Once teachers, vulnerable parents and grandparents are vaccinated, and vulnerable children are provided with additional protection, there is no reason to isolate every contact for significant lengths of time, which is what is causing chaos now. This disease as far as I can see in the many cases I have come across is not serious in children, and I believe the data backs me up on that. So the risk is reduced from chronic to acceptable.
Sovereignty fans. What's your view of this text that requires the UK to go to war at the whim of another country, normally a sovereign prerogative of a nation state, if that country is attacked even when the attack does not affect the UK?
“The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.”
It was a rule we signed up to and agreed to. So there is no loss of sovereignty. It is not possible for NATO to introduce new rules without unanimity. That is the crucial difference. In the EU we could and did have laws imposed on the UK that our elected Government did not agree with.
Incredible (in a sane world). Trump doesn't actually care whether the vaccine works or not. He doesn't expect most of his supporters to take it. He will do nothing to encourage people to take it. In fact i suspect if he is prized out of office he will actually agitate against it. He just wants to take the credit for its existence. And that's it.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
It’s not just about the exam, or that could be fudged. It’s about how many lessons they’ve missed.
Last year, we should have kept exams going by hook or crook. Send the other year groups home, cancel AS, put all the teachers in a class with just 9/10 children and get them through somehow. It was too late to make that call as there was no way anything could have been done to replace what was there, however deeply flawed.
This year, so much time has been lost the exams have gone from unreliable to totally meaningless. It is actually ridiculous to think they will be of use to employers, universities or even statisticians. So why bother?
Year 13 are a different matter and could still be salvaged, but only a total retard doing hard drugs would keep GCSEs this year.
Alas, the decision lies with the DfE...
Yup. The "candidate vs. exam" competition could still work, and I get the arguments about needing a focus and the flaws of other ways of awarding grades.
But the "candidate vs. candidate" competition is set to be so lopsided this year as to be farcical. Go on Gav, admitting defeat now will be better than admitting defeat earlier.
(Meanwhile, one of mine is at a school that has gone from fully open Thursday to fully closed Monday. The other's school is hanging by a thread. This isn't working.)
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
Will Donald and Hunter Biden end up sharing a cell?
Post Brexit, look to see the Deutsche Bank investigation, in the UK, restarted.
They have been a naughty bank, in a number of ways.
What's worse, they have been naughty and incompetent. If you're going to be bad, at least be bad and profitable.
They'll be looked at in a weak way.
The expert witnesses will be incompetent, the jury will be worse, and the barristers hopeless on the issues. There's a real problem that you can't talk about these things. I will say that on jury service I have been excluded from a trial because I had expertise in the (rather arcane) area - which is clearly insane. (Admittedly I thank my lucky stars)
An American friend has pointed out a potential 'fun' issue if Trump does end up in prison.
As a former POTUS Donald Trump is entitled to lifelong Secret Service protection. So does that mean the Secret Service get to guard Trump inside prison?
If not Trump might have to get used to tossing the salad.
Hey, I had to look that up!
Sod you. I just finished a nice meal and was dumb enough to look that up.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
It’s not just about the exam, or that could be fudged. It’s about how many lessons they’ve missed.
Last year, we should have kept exams going by hook or crook. Send the other year groups home, cancel AS, put all the teachers in a class with just 9/10 children and get them through somehow. It was too late to make that call as there was no way anything could have been done to replace what was there, however deeply flawed.
This year, so much time has been lost the exams have gone from unreliable to totally meaningless. It is actually ridiculous to think they will be of use to employers, universities or even statisticians. So why bother?
Year 13 are a different matter and could still be salvaged, but only a total retard doing hard drugs would keep GCSEs this year.
Alas, the decision lies with the DfE...
Yup. The "candidate vs. exam" competition could still work, and I get the arguments about needing a focus and the flaws of other ways of awarding grades.
But the "candidate vs. candidate" competition is set to be so lopsided this year as to be farcical. Go on Gav, admitting defeat now will be better than admitting defeat earlier.
(Meanwhile, one of mine is at a school that has gone from fully open Thursday to fully closed Monday. The other's school is hanging by a thread. This isn't working.)
At this moment, a large proportion of the National Year 11 are at roughly the stage they should have reached by the start of June this year.
So they are, in effect, four and half months behind. That’s about a quarter or their effective teaching time. And only in a tiny handful of subjects has content been reduced at all.
If somebody can explain how three more weeks and a few after school sessions could close down that time, I would be grateful as I have no clue how to do it.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
An American friend has pointed out a potential 'fun' issue if Trump does end up in prison.
As a former POTUS Donald Trump is entitled to lifelong Secret Service protection. So does that mean the Secret Service get to guard Trump inside prison?
If not Trump might have to get used to tossing the salad.
Hey, I had to look that up!
Sod you. I just finished a nice meal and was dumb enough to look that up.
I thought the whole point was that you don’t fully sodomise?
The "Loser of the Year" trails by 7,060,000 votes according to CBS this evening.
Alaska, Colorado, Illinois and Rhode Island are the four states showing a 99% count.
In Alaska, ED30, which covers the area to the west of the town of Soldotna is only 67.8% counted which seems extraordinary.
Very few votes left to count in Colorado. In Illinois, most counties still have votes to count - the worst is Jackson, in the south of the state on the border with Missouri which has counted 83.7% to date.
Finally, Rhode Island and a few votes to come in from some of the smaller rural counties, four of whom are at 95%.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
Anecdotally there's real trouble brewing on the vaccination front. GP surgeries are increasingly seeing the requirements as unworkable (huge amount of form filling and requirements for consent before issuing the jab, and socially distanced recovery periods of 15 minutes afterwards) and will significantly impact on wider patient care.
They are used to doing 2-3 mass flu clinics every year which are hugely organisational efforts but only temporarily disruptive. Surgeries involved in the jabs are going to find this dominates everything else for months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
Well, @NerysHughes told us earlier his surgery was offering Covid vaccine jabs from next Monday but I've not heard anything similar anywhere else.
Obviously, between the legions of cranes and the sleeping council officers there won't be a huge initial take-up.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
But we started FIRST, that's all that matters.... Isn't it?
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
I'm old enough to remember certain people on here saying it was all going to be a piece of piss and that we'd easily be doing 100ks a week before Christmas based on the flu vaccine procedure. Hmm.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
Anecdotally there's real trouble brewing on the vaccination front. GP surgeries are increasingly seeing the requirements as unworkable (huge amount of form filling and requirements for consent before issuing the jab, and socially distanced recovery periods of 15 minutes afterwards) and will significantly impact on wider patient care.
They are used to doing 2-3 mass flu clinics every year which are hugely organisational efforts but only temporarily disruptive. Surgeries involved in the jabs are going to find this dominates everything else for months.
Yeah the Graun had an article about a significant number opting out. Which is understandable given the requirements are quite stringent. I have some sympathy for smaller surgeries who are going to struggle to do the sort of mass delivery required. The bigger delivery groups of multiple surgeries though really need to be strongarmed a bit. Not my usual MO when it comes to medics but this is really rather important.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
All my exams are online. You have to use your laptop's webcam to film the entire room before you start and the webcam must remain on the entire time. Oh and you're not allowed to move unless the virtual invigilator tells you that you can. It's a right faff on.
Yes, I did one like that at home in September. I had to slowly film the whole room, including the ceiling and under the desk (having already cleared the room of clutter including all books etc.), then film myself, including in both ears, then train the phone on myself, as well as having an exam app running on my PC which recorded both what i did onscreen and audio and video facing me as I did the exam. It took an age to get the results, presumably because some poor invigilator has to watch and listen to every student individually. The instructions were specific about behaviours to avoid during the exam, such as looking away from the screen for too long, or talking.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
But we started FIRST, that's all that matters.... Isn't it?
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
Anecdotally there's real trouble brewing on the vaccination front. GP surgeries are increasingly seeing the requirements as unworkable (huge amount of form filling and requirements for consent before issuing the jab, and socially distanced recovery periods of 15 minutes afterwards) and will significantly impact on wider patient care.
They are used to doing 2-3 mass flu clinics every year which are hugely organisational efforts but only temporarily disruptive. Surgeries involved in the jabs are going to find this dominates everything else for months.
From what I've heard, if I didn't know better it appears Matt Hancock has appointed Dido Harding and Chris Grayling to be in charge of the vaccine rollout.
Considering the vaccine will be like gold, the government appears to have not made any provision for security at plenty of surgeries when they are shut.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
Well, @NerysHughes told us earlier his surgery was offering Covid vaccine jabs from next Monday but I've not heard anything similar anywhere else.
Obviously, between the legions of cranes and the sleeping council officers there won't be a huge initial take-up.
The one near my parents is offering them but not the one near my grandmother which is a bit of a pain. I really hope they can solve this one.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
The primary issue is that over time pretty much regardless of the rules mostly everything has settled to a very similar level of what you can and can't actually do. The tier system is fiddling on the edge more than it is a genuine distinction of what is possible and what is not. You have to work reasonably hard to work out what you are now allowed to do or not do if your region changes tier.
That in itself means that if you actually want to do anything that isn't just sitting in the house for 9 months, you basically, um, just have to get on and do it.
Having made everything just shades of grey rather than black and white, the slightly different grey of "national lockdown" isn't really the same threat any more, I don't think.
The irony is the "new normal" genuinely is the new normal.
It is all well and good saying that "vaccines are coming", and they are, but the same people who are saying the vaccines are coming are also the same people who are saying "but this doesn't mean the restrictions are going anywhere any time soon".
So sitting in the house and sucking it up till start of April suddenly no longer seems particularly attractive if you're going to get to then and despite a decent-sized vaccination campaign you're still fairly curtailed in what you can and can't do. You might as well just get on with living your life as best you can now than hang about.
It's never going to happen, but you'd get far better compliance today if you could tell people that on X date - approximately, at least - that pretty much most restrictions will drop away. Telling them "well we might have a bit more freedom by the spring but it's still going to be pretty disrupted for a good period beyond that" is not a particularly enticing remedy for compliance now.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
The increase in cases is very much a London and SE issue. Plus Wales.
Whereas they are stable or still falling in northern England.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Is the public to blame? I live in a high tier 2 area that might be moved to tier 3, yet so far as I can see, people are wearing masks in shops and keeping their distance. (This is another reason I suspect schoolchildren are the asymptomatic superspreaders but that is a separate question.)
And the rules are not really that straightforward. As a pb regular I'm probably better informed than most but had to refer back to the guidelines to help a friend judge whom he could and could not invite round, what with different tiers, and different limits for inside and out, and bubbles and households, and quarantine and voluntary tests.
But most of all people have been told that they should use their common sense. In other words, override scientific and medical advice, government guidelines and regulations with whatever suits them best. And that has been the line since Dominic Cummings' eye test. You know, the one that didn't change anything. Well that is what it changed.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
I'm old enough to remember certain people on here saying it was all going to be a piece of piss and that we'd easily be doing 100ks a week before Christmas based on the flu vaccine procedure. Hmm.
That's the problem it isn't anything like the flu vaccine injection, see Alex_'s post of 8.11pm.
21,672 new cases.....and only a couple of weeks away from hall pass...all going the wrong direction.
Tier 3 for all beckons
Conwy CBC has sent an urgent e mail to all primary school parents closing their schools onTuesday afternoon to the new year
Wales is in a very dangerous position and Drakeford will not go into lockdown before Christmas, when he should and did not restrict coming out of the 'once and for all' fire break when he should, and I did make this point at the time
I really do fear that if the NHS is going to crash anywhere due to Covid, it is going to be in Wales in the next few weeks.
The lesson appears to be that duration is more significant than severity in terms of lockdown effect. Probably because people will observe more modest restrictions for longer and flout more severe ones more readily.
At least Wales have taken the precaution of cancelling all their school exams next year giving them time to put serious alternative assessment methods in place. You just wait until Williamson ends up cancelling England exams sometime around March, and we repeat the farce of last year.
Scots have cancelled their exams too. Not sure about NI.
Surely an exam hall is the textbook example of a large group of people practising social distancing?
It’s not just about the exam, or that could be fudged. It’s about how many lessons they’ve missed.
Last year, we should have kept exams going by hook or crook. Send the other year groups home, cancel AS, put all the teachers in a class with just 9/10 children and get them through somehow. It was too late to make that call as there was no way anything could have been done to replace what was there, however deeply flawed.
This year, so much time has been lost the exams have gone from unreliable to totally meaningless. It is actually ridiculous to think they will be of use to employers, universities or even statisticians. So why bother?
Year 13 are a different matter and could still be salvaged, but only a total retard doing hard drugs would keep GCSEs this year.
Alas, the decision lies with the DfE...
Yup. The "candidate vs. exam" competition could still work, and I get the arguments about needing a focus and the flaws of other ways of awarding grades.
But the "candidate vs. candidate" competition is set to be so lopsided this year as to be farcical. Go on Gav, admitting defeat now will be better than admitting defeat earlier.
(Meanwhile, one of mine is at a school that has gone from fully open Thursday to fully closed Monday. The other's school is hanging by a thread. This isn't working.)
At this moment, a large proportion of the National Year 11 are at roughly the stage they should have reached by the start of June this year.
So they are, in effect, four and half months behind. That’s about a quarter or their effective teaching time. And only in a tiny handful of subjects has content been reduced at all.
If somebody can explain how three more weeks and a few after school sessions could close down that time, I would be grateful as I have no clue how to do it.
In fact, on reviewing the figures carefully, I think I have made an error in my timings. Four and a half months isn’t a quarter of their time.
I did call the food plan. Mail telling patriotic Brits to not eat foreign muck like Cod or Pizza and instead enjoy Mutton, Peas, and of course that favourite dish Toast and Chips.
An American friend has pointed out a potential 'fun' issue if Trump does end up in prison.
As a former POTUS Donald Trump is entitled to lifelong Secret Service protection. So does that mean the Secret Service get to guard Trump inside prison?
If not Trump might have to get used to tossing the salad.
Hey, I had to look that up!
Sod you. I just finished a nice meal and was dumb enough to look that up.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
Anecdotally there's real trouble brewing on the vaccination front. GP surgeries are increasingly seeing the requirements as unworkable (huge amount of form filling and requirements for consent before issuing the jab, and socially distanced recovery periods of 15 minutes afterwards) and will significantly impact on wider patient care.
They are used to doing 2-3 mass flu clinics every year which are hugely organisational efforts but only temporarily disruptive. Surgeries involved in the jabs are going to find this dominates everything else for months.
Yeah the Graun had an article about a significant number opting out. Which is understandable given the requirements are quite stringent. I have some sympathy for smaller surgeries who are going to struggle to do the sort of mass delivery required. The bigger delivery groups of multiple surgeries though really need to be strongarmed a bit. Not my usual MO when it comes to medics but this is really rather important.
If it's unworkable it's unworkable. Even the largest surgeries will struggle to cope with the requirements as they currently appear to be. Apparently before taking the jab an administrative procedure has to be followed requiring over 20 clicks on a keyboard. Including asking for vaccine history, allergies, informed consent everything.
This is not a flu clinic that processes huge numbers of people at a rate of 1 every couple of minutes.
I did call the food plan. Mail telling patriotic Brits to not eat foreign muck like Cod or Pizza and instead enjoy Mutton, Peas, and of course that favourite dish Toast and Chips.
The Daily Mail need to listen to Messrs Casino Royale and Philip Thompson.
An American friend has pointed out a potential 'fun' issue if Trump does end up in prison.
As a former POTUS Donald Trump is entitled to lifelong Secret Service protection. So does that mean the Secret Service get to guard Trump inside prison?
If not Trump might have to get used to tossing the salad.
Retired prezes get Secret Service protection by act of Congress. In 1996 it was limited to just ten years from leaving office but was put back to life-time in 2013. Congress could chose to enact that it is forfeited under certain conditions. The rationale for the protection is to prevent the country from being blackmailed through terroristic threats to its former leaders, so Congress could certainly argue that that doesn't apply if the potential target is under lock and key.
Does that apply to relatives?
Only spouses and children under 16 apparently.
So if Mrs Trump No. 3 gets a divorce, she’s tossing the lettuce in terms of security?
And does it apply to mental age, or only birth certificates? If the former, Kushner should be Ok.
Both Kushner and Blair played a special role in the Middle East
In terms of countries signing peace treaties with Israel that’s 3-0 to Kushner
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
I'm old enough to remember certain people on here saying it was all going to be a piece of piss and that we'd easily be doing 100ks a week before Christmas based on the flu vaccine procedure. Hmm.
Um, we’re four days in. A lot of people doubted we’d get vaccines, let alone in 2020. Have a bit of patience.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
I'm old enough to remember certain people on here saying it was all going to be a piece of piss and that we'd easily be doing 100ks a week before Christmas based on the flu vaccine procedure. Hmm.
Um, we’re four days in. A lot of people doubted we’d get vaccines, let alone in 2020. Have a bit of patience.
My comment was in reference to @TheScreamingEagles's comment: "From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco."
Nice to see a conversion to the idea it is crazy to have different election rules in different parts of the country. I wonder why they only just noticed it.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
I'm old enough to remember certain people on here saying it was all going to be a piece of piss and that we'd easily be doing 100ks a week before Christmas based on the flu vaccine procedure. Hmm.
Um, we’re four days in. A lot of people doubted we’d get vaccines, let alone in 2020. Have a bit of patience.
My comment was in reference to @TheScreamingEagles's comment: "From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco."
Well it's only a comment so far. We don't know if the optimists or the pessimists are right, so it's a bit early to be taking the piss about those who were optimists.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
I'm old enough to remember certain people on here saying it was all going to be a piece of piss and that we'd easily be doing 100ks a week before Christmas based on the flu vaccine procedure. Hmm.
Um, we’re four days in. A lot of people doubted we’d get vaccines, let alone in 2020. Have a bit of patience.
My comment was in reference to @TheScreamingEagles's comment: "From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco."
Well it's only a comment so far. We don't know if the optimists or the pessimists are right, so it's a bit early to be taking the piss about those who were optimists.
It's never too early to take the piss! Are you not British?
A handy guide to food post Brexit in the Daily Mail
That's a really stupid graphic. The two immediate idiocies that spring to mind are:
We don't import bananas or avocados from the EU so there is no reason for them to be affected by the type of Brexit we have. Indeed the vast majority of avocados are imported from Israel and we already have a trade deal signed with them which will reduce tariffs compared to the current EU tariffs.
Norway and Iceland are not in the EU and particularly are not in the Customs Union so do not have to abide by any EU/UK tariff regime. More to the point the UK, Iceland and Norway have already signed a deal to continue to trade in exactly the same way as they do now until a proper trade deal is concluded next year.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
Like wot I said, logistics really do matter and the priority list should be based on wherever there are large numbers of people already -- so at the top end, no change, care homes and hospitals. But after that, look to workplaces, universities and the like, rather than go by age which means having to coordinate people living far apart to make appointments then turn up.
A handy guide to food post Brexit in the Daily Mail
That's a really stupid graphic. The two immediate idiocies that spring to mind are:
We don't import bananas or avocados from the EU so there is no reason for them to be affected by the type of Brexit we have. Indeed the vast majority of avocados are imported from Israel and we already have a trade deal signed with them which will reduce tariffs compared to the current EU tariffs.
Norway and Iceland are not in the EU and particularly are not in the Customs Union so do not have to abide by any EU/UK tariff regime. More to the point the UK, Iceland and Norway have already signed a deal to continue to trade in exactly the same way as they do now until a proper trade deal is concluded next year.
Except that if Brexit does block the ports then the ports will be blocked for imports from everywhere, not just the EU.
A handy guide to food post Brexit in the Daily Mail
That's a really stupid graphic. The two immediate idiocies that spring to mind are:
We don't import bananas or avocados from the EU so there is no reason for them to be affected by the type of Brexit we have. Indeed the vast majority of avocados are imported from Israel and we already have a trade deal signed with them which will reduce tariffs compared to the current EU tariffs.
Norway and Iceland are not in the EU and particularly are not in the Customs Union so do not have to abide by any EU/UK tariff regime. More to the point the UK, Iceland and Norway have already signed a deal to continue to trade in exactly the same way as they do now until a proper trade deal is concluded next year.
Portsmouth Council owns one of the largest banana importers and I believe they arrive, with varying degrees of bendiness, without transiting the EU.
To the PB braintrust, my sister and I have inherited a property with both commercial and residential units. We'd like to sell them individually, is it possible for us to set it up as a share of freehold with each of the six units owning a share and then selling those on separately as our dad would like to buy the two commercial units but we don't want to be left managing a freeholding company and have no interest in being residential landlords. It's turning out to be such a gigantic headache. All we want to do is sell shares of freehold to 4 arm's length individual buyers and the 2 shares of freehold of the commercial property to our dad who is interested in buying them for reasons beyond my understanding.
Right now we've been told we have to set up a freeholding company and then sell the shares of that company to the buyers of create 999 year leases and keep the freeholding company. Again, we have no interest in doing that because neither of us has the wherewithal to be freeholders and run a management company, basically we want to see the back of all 6 units and be able to sell the 2 commercial properties to our dad as a share of freehold.
I fucking hate property.
Edit - all I want to know is if this is possible and which firm I can contact to get them to do it, cost isn't an issue we're happy to pay whatever it takes to achieve the stated aim up to £20k.
Put of interest, what have the Dems said about Puerto Rico’s renewed bid for statehood, if anything?
Some interesting quotes on wikipedia. Apparetly Mitch McConnell has come out against it and would not bring it to a vote in the Senate, saying it was 'another example of government overreach', which seems like a really bizarre reason to be in favour or opposition to the idea. But not much from that many Dems.
I did call the food plan. Mail telling patriotic Brits to not eat foreign muck like Cod or Pizza and instead enjoy Mutton, Peas, and of course that favourite dish Toast and Chips.
When will they start closing down French and Italian restaurants or dragging patrons out to be sent for re-education.
Will Donald and Hunter Biden end up sharing a cell?
Post Brexit, look to see the Deutsche Bank investigation, in the UK, restarted.
They have been a naughty bank, in a number of ways.
What's worse, they have been naughty and incompetent. If you're going to be bad, at least be bad and profitable.
Sir Desmond Glazebrook: They've broken the rules. Sir Humphrey: What, you mean the insider trading regulations? Sir Desmond Glazebrook: No. Sir Humphrey: Oh. Well, that's one relief. Sir Desmond Glazebrook: I mean of course they've broken those, but they've broken the basic, the basic rule of the City. Sir Humphrey: I didn't know there were any. Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Just the one. If you're incompetent you have to be honest, and if you're crooked you have to be clever. See, if you're honest, then when you make a pig's breakfast of things the chaps rally round and help you out. Sir Humphrey: If you're crooked? Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Well, if you're making good profits for them, chaps don't start asking questions; they're not stupid. Well, not that stupid. Sir Humphrey: So the ideal is a firm which is honest and clever. Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Yes. Let me know if you ever come across one, won't you.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
I'm old enough to remember certain people on here saying it was all going to be a piece of piss and that we'd easily be doing 100ks a week before Christmas based on the flu vaccine procedure. Hmm.
Um, we’re four days in. A lot of people doubted we’d get vaccines, let alone in 2020. Have a bit of patience.
My comment was in reference to @TheScreamingEagles's comment: "From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco."
Well it's only a comment so far. We don't know if the optimists or the pessimists are right, so it's a bit early to be taking the piss about those who were optimists.
It's never too early to take the piss! Are you not British?
A handy guide to food post Brexit in the Daily Mail
That's a really stupid graphic. The two immediate idiocies that spring to mind are:
We don't import bananas or avocados from the EU so there is no reason for them to be affected by the type of Brexit we have. Indeed the vast majority of avocados are imported from Israel and we already have a trade deal signed with them which will reduce tariffs compared to the current EU tariffs.
Norway and Iceland are not in the EU and particularly are not in the Customs Union so do not have to abide by any EU/UK tariff regime. More to the point the UK, Iceland and Norway have already signed a deal to continue to trade in exactly the same way as they do now until a proper trade deal is concluded next year.
By far the best Avocados on British shelves come from Spain.
From what I can see reopening the shops has been catastrophic. People shopping whilst wearing masks and distancing? Would be OK. But I've both seen and had reports from mates across the NE and those of us not wanting the pox watch agog as people swarm into shops like we haven't seen since the January sales, crush in and largely ignore at least some of the rules.
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
It now seems likely but not certain London will go into Tier 3 next week. I said back in August if we went into a second national lockdown the public would only have themselves to blame.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
Further to that. Did anyone answer the question are there any government figures of vaccinations per day? Probably the most important stat going forward.
From what I'm hearing the rollout of the vaccine is going to be a bit of a fiasco.
Like wot I said, logistics really do matter and the priority list should be based on wherever there are large numbers of people already -- so at the top end, no change, care homes and hospitals. But after that, look to workplaces, universities and the like, rather than go by age which means having to coordinate people living far apart to make appointments then turn up.
We had a brief discussion here the other day when I raised some of the logistical challenges. The management and organisation of the whole thing really will be critical. Although I doubt Bozo will maintain his interest long enough to trouble himself with any oversight. .
Will Donald and Hunter Biden end up sharing a cell?
Post Brexit, look to see the Deutsche Bank investigation, in the UK, restarted.
They have been a naughty bank, in a number of ways.
What's worse, they have been naughty and incompetent. If you're going to be bad, at least be bad and profitable.
Sir Desmond Glazebrook: They've broken the rules. Sir Humphrey: What, you mean the insider trading regulations? Sir Desmond Glazebrook: No. Sir Humphrey: Oh. Well, that's one relief. Sir Desmond Glazebrook: I mean of course they've broken those, but they've broken the basic, the basic rule of the City. Sir Humphrey: I didn't know there were any. Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Just the one. If you're incompetent you have to be honest, and if you're crooked you have to be clever. See, if you're honest, then when you make a pig's breakfast of things the chaps rally round and help you out. Sir Humphrey: If you're crooked? Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Well, if you're making good profits for them, chaps don't start asking questions; they're not stupid. Well, not that stupid. Sir Humphrey: So the ideal is a firm which is honest and clever. Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Yes. Let me know if you ever come across one, won't you.
Trouble is that when I read this I see Slartibartfast.
Comments
Tier 3 simply isn't enough if people can't follow the basic rules.
The mutation referred to in the paper relates to the body's interferon response. I guess it is possible for this variant of the interferon gene to have arisen to give advantage vis a vis another virus, but it is equally likely that it is - outside of a COVID pandemic - a neutral variant of the gene. I haven't had enough time to read the paper to form a view yet.
Also are there any deadlines for seating the senators after the election? If Dems win, maybe they will just delay certification for ever?
MJ is for the slightly more discerning British tourist
I agree with @alex_ though. In the unlikely event they go ahead, all these exams would show is who was luckiest in terms of fewest Covid contacts. I’ve got one year 11 student who has actually only been in school for four days since half term. Meanwhile the school I went to has been barely affected.
Can't see much of that. Can see plenty moving up.
Very much not what was implied to buy off the last rebellion.
Last year, we should have kept exams going by hook or crook. Send the other year groups home, cancel AS, put all the teachers in a class with just 9/10 children and get them through somehow. It was too late to make that call as there was no way anything could have been done to replace what was there, however deeply flawed.
This year, so much time has been lost the exams have gone from unreliable to totally meaningless. It is actually ridiculous to think they will be of use to employers, universities or even statisticians. So why bother?
Year 13 are a different matter and could still be salvaged, but only a total retard doing hard drugs would keep GCSEs this year.
Alas, the decision lies with the DfE...
But that requires deciding now, and putting in place proper plans with full consultation and guidance about how it is going to happen. Not panicking and doing it at the last minute and completely left to the whims of individual teachers and schools' approaches.
Well, as @DavidL has rightly pointed out, everyone is now just going to predict a top grade. Why bother with anything else?
Bugger.
This year, they seem to just want the grades and push shit out.
They should at least ask for a sample of papers.
The "rules" aren't very difficult in all honesty and bolstered by a little common sense should be adequate so what has gone wrong? I see a lot of people with no masks almost defying the virus to make them change how they live their lives. I see it a lot among men in particular and it defies my clearly limited masculinity but it seems the thought process is "this virus can do its worst, I'll be all right, I'm just going to live as I always have".
Part of that is, I think, a reaction to the events of March and April which saw the initial fear replaced quite quickly (helped by the capriciously good weather) of a sense of frustration and resentment. As others on here have alluded, the mental health (let alone the physical and economic wellbeing) of millions was adversely affected by the confinement.
The desire for normality was and is understandable and perhaps overwhelming and in the summer we could all enjoy the outdoor life in relative safety and people don't want to go back to that spring experience and those feelings.
Even the second "lockdown" was a compromise - it was nowhere near as stringent as the first confinement and thus the case numbers haven't fallen to the levels of July and August (albeit with much improved testing to identify the cases).
The irony is a fairly permanent resolution to this is in sight - clearly we won't get 10 million vaccinated before Christmas as one or two asserted in the euphoria of the initial Pfizer announcement but we will get there over the next weeks and months.
The ‘problem’ with it, if there is one, is that’s it’s the best brunch in town, so almost everyone there is at a birthday party or a leaving do. At £125, it’s not the one you just go to because it’s Friday!
Incredible (in a sane world). Trump doesn't actually care whether the vaccine works or not. He doesn't expect most of his supporters to take it. He will do nothing to encourage people to take it. In fact i suspect if he is prized out of office he will actually agitate against it. He just wants to take the credit for its existence. And that's it.
And rounded to the nearest percentage...
Is 52-48.
What a farce.
But the "candidate vs. candidate" competition is set to be so lopsided this year as to be farcical. Go on Gav, admitting defeat now will be better than admitting defeat earlier.
(Meanwhile, one of mine is at a school that has gone from fully open Thursday to fully closed Monday. The other's school is hanging by a thread. This isn't working.)
Probably the most important stat going forward.
The expert witnesses will be incompetent, the jury will be worse, and the barristers hopeless on the issues. There's a real problem that you can't talk about these things. I will say that on jury service I have been excluded from a trial because I had expertise in the (rather arcane) area - which is clearly insane. (Admittedly I thank my lucky stars)
So they are, in effect, four and half months behind. That’s about a quarter or their effective teaching time. And only in a tiny handful of subjects has content been reduced at all.
If somebody can explain how three more weeks and a few after school sessions could close down that time, I would be grateful as I have no clue how to do it.
The "Loser of the Year" trails by 7,060,000 votes according to CBS this evening.
Alaska, Colorado, Illinois and Rhode Island are the four states showing a 99% count.
In Alaska, ED30, which covers the area to the west of the town of Soldotna is only 67.8% counted which seems extraordinary.
Very few votes left to count in Colorado. In Illinois, most counties still have votes to count - the worst is Jackson, in the south of the state on the border with Missouri which has counted 83.7% to date.
Finally, Rhode Island and a few votes to come in from some of the smaller rural counties, four of whom are at 95%.
They are used to doing 2-3 mass flu clinics every year which are hugely organisational efforts but only temporarily disruptive. Surgeries involved in the jabs are going to find this dominates everything else for months.
Obviously, between the legions of cranes and the sleeping council officers there won't be a huge initial take-up.
(Not necessarily.)
Considering the vaccine will be like gold, the government appears to have not made any provision for security at plenty of surgeries when they are shut.
That in itself means that if you actually want to do anything that isn't just sitting in the house for 9 months, you basically, um, just have to get on and do it.
Having made everything just shades of grey rather than black and white, the slightly different grey of "national lockdown" isn't really the same threat any more, I don't think.
The irony is the "new normal" genuinely is the new normal.
It is all well and good saying that "vaccines are coming", and they are, but the same people who are saying the vaccines are coming are also the same people who are saying "but this doesn't mean the restrictions are going anywhere any time soon".
So sitting in the house and sucking it up till start of April suddenly no longer seems particularly attractive if you're going to get to then and despite a decent-sized vaccination campaign you're still fairly curtailed in what you can and can't do. You might as well just get on with living your life as best you can now than hang about.
It's never going to happen, but you'd get far better compliance today if you could tell people that on X date - approximately, at least - that pretty much most restrictions will drop away. Telling them "well we might have a bit more freedom by the spring but it's still going to be pretty disrupted for a good period beyond that" is not a particularly enticing remedy for compliance now.
Jersey now up to 667 cases, with 27 in hospital, and 19 in care homes.
Both islands start vaccination next week.
https://twitter.com/steve_vladeck/status/1337443032636010508?s=19
Whereas they are stable or still falling in northern England.
Perhaps tier 3 is the key spot.
And the rules are not really that straightforward. As a pb regular I'm probably better informed than most but had to refer back to the guidelines to help a friend judge whom he could and could not invite round, what with different tiers, and different limits for inside and out, and bubbles and households, and quarantine and voluntary tests.
But most of all people have been told that they should use their common sense. In other words, override scientific and medical advice, government guidelines and regulations with whatever suits them best. And that has been the line since Dominic Cummings' eye test. You know, the one that didn't change anything. Well that is what it changed.
It’s more like a third.
This is not a flu clinic that processes huge numbers of people at a rate of 1 every couple of minutes.
We tried this last year. Labour weren't just not interested, they actively targeted resources to help keep the Tories in power.
In terms of countries signing peace treaties with Israel that’s 3-0 to Kushner
Nice to see a conversion to the idea it is crazy to have different election rules in different parts of the country. I wonder why they only just noticed it.
Are you not British?
We don't import bananas or avocados from the EU so there is no reason for them to be affected by the type of Brexit we have. Indeed the vast majority of avocados are imported from Israel and we already have a trade deal signed with them which will reduce tariffs compared to the current EU tariffs.
Norway and Iceland are not in the EU and particularly are not in the Customs Union so do not have to abide by any EU/UK tariff regime. More to the point the UK, Iceland and Norway have already signed a deal to continue to trade in exactly the same way as they do now until a proper trade deal is concluded next year.
Right now we've been told we have to set up a freeholding company and then sell the shares of that company to the buyers of create 999 year leases and keep the freeholding company. Again, we have no interest in doing that because neither of us has the wherewithal to be freeholders and run a management company, basically we want to see the back of all 6 units and be able to sell the 2 commercial properties to our dad as a share of freehold.
I fucking hate property.
Edit - all I want to know is if this is possible and which firm I can contact to get them to do it, cost isn't an issue we're happy to pay whatever it takes to achieve the stated aim up to £20k.
Far more damaging than Trump.
Sir Humphrey: What, you mean the insider trading regulations?
Sir Desmond Glazebrook: No.
Sir Humphrey: Oh. Well, that's one relief.
Sir Desmond Glazebrook: I mean of course they've broken those, but they've broken the basic, the basic rule of the City.
Sir Humphrey: I didn't know there were any.
Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Just the one. If you're incompetent you have to be honest, and if you're crooked you have to be clever. See, if you're honest, then when you make a pig's breakfast of things the chaps rally round and help you out.
Sir Humphrey: If you're crooked?
Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Well, if you're making good profits for them, chaps don't start asking questions; they're not stupid. Well, not that stupid.
Sir Humphrey: So the ideal is a firm which is honest and clever.
Sir Desmond Glazebrook: Yes. Let me know if you ever come across one, won't you.
.
It's surely 52% to 48%