"Canada was expecting four million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the end of March, and—despite mounting evidence that such a number probably won't be reached—the feds are sticking with it. Multiple sources across various levels of government confirmed that the true number will be closer to 3.5 million—about 500,000 short.
The situation has gotten serious enough that Pfizer has requested Health Canada approve administrators squeezing six injections out of each vial of vaccine instead of five. But Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin insists Pfizer is still planning to fulfill its complete promise come springtime.
Meanwhile, Canada has dropped several places globally in per-capita vaccine distribution: we now rank 20th, behind Bahrain, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the United Arab Emirates, among others. According to an analysis by The Economist, Canada won't see widespread vaccination until mid-2022."
The funny bit is that, while the EU isn't doing very well, it isn't doing that badly either. It's just that the UK has done so well that is driving them insane.
No, the EU is doing badly.
Canada, according to my source (friend in Alberta whom I talk to weekly) is a shitshow - but according to latest available stats its vaccination rate is 2.41 per 100 people. The EU average is 2.50, and the best performing of the large EU states, Italy, is at 3.0.
Only five countries in the world have rates of 10 or above. The US, Serbia and Malta are now over 5. Everybody else is still stuck on the floor.
How is Nicola Sturgeon's love affair with the EU going then
You're quite petulant under the harmless old chuff veneer, ain't you?
How're the in-laws descended from 300 generations of fisherfolk doing with BJ's fantastic deal for fishing?
You have not answered my question
And 23 million now for the fishing industry loses, plus 100 million investment to develop UK wide fishing over the next five years is far better than being in the CFP and under the ridiculous EU, who have trashed their brand in a way that was totally unexpected
Ask a non dumb question and I might answer it. That would be like me asking how's you're 'principled' stand that Boris is not fit to lead the country or the Tory party going?
The newspaper that has served the NE of Scotland and the fishing industry for decades obviously doesn't have your level of expertise I know, but...
Anyone else starting to feel like how the Greeks felt according to Varoufakis?
Varoufakis - a smart guy - was one of the few senior EU politicians who said he understood Brexit and thought it justifiable, even though he preferred Britain to Reman
His book on the eurocrisis is rather good, and revealing
Hmmmm: I know several people who worked at the IMF, and their views on Varoufakis are unprintable.
I know a guy who worked with him at Valve...
If I ever make it back to London, we should go for a drink and I'll introduce you my friend. You guys can swap Varoufakis stories. In summary, she thinks he's not just an idiot, but also a cunt, and that his attempts to play "game theory" with the IMF were ... not good.
The most encouraging aspect of today's figures is the reduction of the numbers in hospital which is the lagging indicator from the numbers of cases which have halved from the worst part of this phase of the virus.
29,000 new positives is still a big number compared with what was being reported in the summer when admittedly the tracing regime isn't what it is now but it shows the lockdown restrictions are having the desired effect.
I noticed on my lunchtime constitutional the local testing centre with plenty waiting to test and nobody being tested. Perhaps this is another indication of a falling case load as no one is coming through with symptoms.
We are moving in the right direction but there's still a way to go yet.
Anyone else starting to feel like how the Greeks felt according to Varoufakis?
No.
Because unlike the Greeks, who the the EU had over a barrel, we're in pole position as we have the vaccines (and many more to come) - And the EU knows it!
The most encouraging aspect of today's figures is the reduction of the numbers in hospital which is the lagging indicator from the numbers of cases which have halved from the worst part of this phase of the virus.
29,000 new positives is still a big number compared with what was being reported in the summer when admittedly the tracing regime isn't what it is now but it shows the lockdown restrictions are having the desired effect.
I noticed on my lunchtime constitutional the local testing centre with plenty waiting to test and nobody being tested. Perhaps this is another indication of a falling case load as no one is coming through with symptoms.
We are moving in the right direction but there's still a way to go yet.
29k is more than 25% down week on week despite a 14% increase in number of tests - this week the percentage decline has been accelerating off the very stable path it had been on - good reason to be optimistic we're seeing the vaccine start to have an impact.
"Canada was expecting four million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the end of March, and—despite mounting evidence that such a number probably won't be reached—the feds are sticking with it. Multiple sources across various levels of government confirmed that the true number will be closer to 3.5 million—about 500,000 short.
The situation has gotten serious enough that Pfizer has requested Health Canada approve administrators squeezing six injections out of each vial of vaccine instead of five. But Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin insists Pfizer is still planning to fulfill its complete promise come springtime.
Meanwhile, Canada has dropped several places globally in per-capita vaccine distribution: we now rank 20th, behind Bahrain, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the United Arab Emirates, among others. According to an analysis by The Economist, Canada won't see widespread vaccination until mid-2022."
The funny bit is that, while the EU isn't doing very well, it isn't doing that badly either. It's just that the UK has done so well that is driving them insane.
No, the EU is doing badly.
Canada, according to my source (friend in Alberta whom I talk to weekly) is a shitshow - but according to latest available stats its vaccination rate is 2.41 per 100 people. The EU average is 2.50, and the best performing of the large EU states, Italy, is at 3.0.
Only five countries in the world have rates of 10 or above. The US, Serbia and Malta are now over 5. Everybody else is still stuck on the floor.
Let me turn it around, microstates, Israel, the UK and the US are doing well.
Then there are a bunch of countries in that 2-3 doses per 100 people, the EU, Canada, Switzerland, Norway. Then there are countries like Japan, Russia and China that are doing even less well.
My point is that if we weren't doing (relatively) well, then there would be a lot less pressure on the EU.
Hang on, did the Commission not at least run it by him first?
That is utterly stupefying. I presume they didn't tell Irish-American president Biden either, that the EU is gonna build a wall around Ulster, after all
“Plus, sorry Joe but we’ve decided to interfere with your flagship vaccine policy and prevent you hitting your numbers, whilst cosying up to China - you’ll still be best friends with us in the EU though right?”
Sorry but there's just no way that Joe Biden is going to side with us against the EU. Not a hope. We are on our own, and that's fine. Let's just get on with.
The real test for the EU is whether heads roll at the top: if the European Parliament is able to secure some resignations from those responsible, that would be a positive step.
If, on the other hand, failure is ignored and waved away, then that bodes ill.
Given the likely possibility that the UK death rate at the end of all this will still be higher than most if not all EU members, and everyone's love of simplistic analysis, I suspect that alone will mean the failings of the vaccination phase will be downplayed in the halls of the Commission. Someone close by will be worse overall, therefore nothing to see here.
We're pretty much in the same pack as Italy, France & Spain - given current Vaccine trends it's not unreasonable to predict this is a 14 month plague for us and a 20 month plague for them - would be quite surprised if that doesn't feed in to the end result.
I think a six month gap is way too pessimistic. Every month global vaccine production rises. Every month more vaccines are approved.
I think we're "done" (as in the number of vaccinations starts to drop and cases are sub 1,000/day) by the end of April, and I expect the EU to be broadly there by the end of June/July.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Seeking to Duck Responsibility
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is trying to get out of the firing line as anger grows over the EU's botched vaccine rollout. It's not the first time in her career that she has sought to evade responsibility.
That makes her seem like the German version of Boris. She goes into a job, promises a whole bunch of grandiose sounding bullshit, fucks it all up and then let's the next person fix everything.
Yes, but she's classier, so it's all good.
Remember all those tweets comparing their appearances?
Lesson seems to be that small offshore members of the EU (say with populations of c.5m) stand to be shafted when the EU big boys are inconvenienced.
Where's Carnyx and Union Divvie when you need them?
Switzerland and Norway both had the financial wherewithal to go the Israeli (or British) route, but did not. Their politicians will likely pay the price.
I presume the NYT will penning a article shortly explaining to their American readers how the total balls up by the EU over vaccine procurement is all the UKs fault.
Hang on, did the Commission not at least run it by him first?
That is utterly stupefying. I presume they didn't tell Irish-American president Biden either, that the EU is gonna build a wall around Ulster, after all
“Plus, sorry Joe but we’ve decided to interfere with your flagship vaccine policy and prevent you hitting your numbers, whilst cosying up to China - you’ll still be best friends with us in the EU though right?”
Sorry but there's just no way that Joe Biden is going to side with us against the EU. Not a hope. We are on our own, and that's fine. Let's just get on with.
I'm sure he won't comment but can't imagine JB will be very impressed by the EU's actions in Ireland...
I presume the NYT will penning a article shortly explaining to their American readers how the total balls uo by the EU over vaccine procurement is all the UKs fault.
Should be easy, the EU Justice Commissioner has already explained that the problem is the UK wants a vaccine war because it won't show solidarity.
Anyone else starting to feel like how the Greeks felt according to Varoufakis?
Varoufakis - a smart guy - was one of the few senior EU politicians who said he understood Brexit and thought it justifiable, even though he preferred Britain to Reman
His book on the eurocrisis is rather good, and revealing
Hmmmm: I know several people who worked at the IMF, and their views on Varoufakis are unprintable.
I know a guy who worked with him at Valve...
If I ever make it back to London, we should go for a drink and I'll introduce you my friend. You guys can swap Varoufakis stories. In summary, she thinks he's not just an idiot, but also a cunt, and that his attempts to play "game theory" with the IMF were ... not good.
Now apparently its "an incredible act of hostility"
DUP really fucked up over BREXIT when they overplayed their hand.
Except that the DUP had no power to do it, and the UK Government didn't give them what they wanted. It is the position of the UK Government that is relevant to the situation.
Of course, if the Commission invokes these serious measures on a whim then, having taken the mickey out of the terms of the protocol, it arms the British Government with permission to act in kind.
I think it unlikely that it will come to that; however, if there is any question of food supplies to Northern Ireland being disrupted then that is a far more urgent and pressing matter than the theoretical prospect of dastardly clandestine British agents smuggling EU-made vaccines from Dundalk to Newry in the back of an unmarked van.
"Bye bye Irish Sea border. Emergency and all that. Sorry Ursula."
Lesson seems to be that small offshore members of the EU (say with populations of c.5m) stand to be shafted when the EU big boys are inconvenienced.
Where's Carnyx and Union Divvie when you need them?
Switzerland and Norway both had the financial wherewithal to go the Israeli (or British) route, but did not. Their politicians will likely pay the price.
Switzerland has got a very good vaccine book but it's regulator seems to be interminable in its checks, which seems ridiculous given that both Pfizer and Moderna have been approved by the MHRA and FDA.
I presume the NYT will penning a article shortly explaining to their American readers how the total balls up by the EU over vaccine procurement is all the UKs fault.
It's incredible. Why don't they understand that vaccine producers aren't purposely inventing supply problems. The way forward is to work with them, assist with money if necessary, to increase overall supply for the common good.
Not effectively shut the whole thing down, or at least prevent expansion of supply. Why do they think things would work better by nationalising them???
The EU invoked Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol which allows parts of the deal to be unilaterally overridden.
In a new regulation the European Commission states: "This is justified as a safeguard measure pursuant to Article 16 of that Protocol in order to avert serious societal difficulties due to a lack of supply threatening to disturb the orderly implementation of the vaccination campaigns in the Member States.
It's incredible. Why don't they understand that vaccine producers aren't purposely inventing supply problems. The way forward is to work with them, assist with money if necessary, to increase overall supply for the common good.
Not effectively shut the whole thing down, or at least prevent expansion of supply. Why do they think things would work better by nationalising them???
It like they think they are dealing with a heavily unionized construction workforce deliberately on a go slow.
(We are all still here aren't we? Nobody been Raptured?)
I don't think we would be prime candidates for noticing the rapture as en event.
As for how far things could now go, the problem is the EU seems to be increasing escalation, not deescalating. As they are the only ones doing any escalating, only they can calm the f*ck down, but they seem to be feeding off...something that is ratcheting everything up.
How is Nicola Sturgeon's love affair with the EU going then
You're quite petulant under the harmless old chuff veneer, ain't you?
How're the in-laws descended from 300 generations of fisherfolk doing with BJ's fantastic deal for fishing?
You have not answered my question
And 23 million now for the fishing industry loses, plus 100 million investment to develop UK wide fishing over the next five years is far better than being in the CFP and under the ridiculous EU, who have trashed their brand in a way that was totally unexpected
23 million? You've got individual firms losing business worth thousands each WEEK.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
29k is more than 25% down week on week despite a 14% increase in number of tests - this week the percentage decline has been accelerating off the very stable path it had been on - good reason to be optimistic we're seeing the vaccine start to have an impact.
It may be the vaccine - it may be lockdown restrictions having an impact.
The transport use numbers are informative - car traffic about half of pre-Covid levels, tube passenger numbers 15% of pre-Covid levels, national rail passenger numbers 13% of pre-Covid levels.
People ARE staying home and following the guidelines and inevitably that is reducing contacts and therefore transmissions. Is the vaccine having an impact? I'd argue not as many of those vaccinated were effectively shielding,
The more worrying story is how the second wave was fuelled by employers dragging staff back to offices and only paying lip service to Covid related health and hygiene guidelines.
This nonsense, perpetrated by Johnson among others, was seized on by companies with weak or non-existent remote IT capability, to compel workers back into offices.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
No, the EU want AZN to redirect UK made vaccines to them. The contracts signed don't support this claim. Pfizer contracts say the UK are entitled to x doses. It isn't who needs it, it is what the legal agreements state. The UK paid upfront for access early, while the EU were dicking around and still won't pay in advance.
The UK was late signing with Moderna, the EU is getting their doses of that vaccines, we aren't getting any yet. And that is perfectly reasonable, and nobody is screeching that it is unfair and that the EU should be forcing any of those doses into the UK supply chain.
29k is more than 25% down week on week despite a 14% increase in number of tests - this week the percentage decline has been accelerating off the very stable path it had been on - good reason to be optimistic we're seeing the vaccine start to have an impact.
It may be the vaccine - it may be lockdown restrictions having an impact.
The transport use numbers are informative - car traffic about half of pre-Covid levels, tube passenger numbers 15% of pre-Covid levels, national rail passenger numbers 13% of pre-Covid levels.
People ARE staying home and following the guidelines and inevitably that is reducing contacts and therefore transmissions. Is the vaccine having an impact? I'd argue not as many of those vaccinated were effectively shielding,
The more worrying story is how the second wave was fuelled by employers dragging staff back to offices and only paying lip service to Covid related health and hygiene guidelines.
This nonsense, perpetrated by Johnson among others, was seized on by companies with weak or non-existent remote IT capability, to compel workers back into offices.
There was a constant rate of decline for the first 2 weeks of lockdown and now, 3 weeks after the vaccine effort ramped up, it has accelerated -
Seems rather unlikely that lockdown compliance has suddenly increased when cases were already falling. Combined with the hospital admissions falling much faster for over 85s than unders, I think we can see what is happening.
Nice to see the LDs getting a bonus from MoE once in a while.
Noone really disagrees with the LDs - their charm and curse. When they get 0% (near as it is) then you almost want to jump up and down and wave their banner. However they've won some seats that have cost me a lot of money. Predictably crap is something I have a sympathy with, arsing about and using local connections to run up the rails - I disapprove!
How is Nicola Sturgeon's love affair with the EU going then
You're quite petulant under the harmless old chuff veneer, ain't you?
How're the in-laws descended from 300 generations of fisherfolk doing with BJ's fantastic deal for fishing?
You have not answered my question
And 23 million now for the fishing industry loses, plus 100 million investment to develop UK wide fishing over the next five years is far better than being in the CFP and under the ridiculous EU, who have trashed their brand in a way that was totally unexpected
23 million? You've got individual firms losing business worth thousands each WEEK.
Further - some are losing a MILLION a week in turnover. Not the same thing as net losses, but still it's a lot when we add it up over, say, three months. That's of the order of 10-20% of the entire 23m for one firm.
Still think the London Tories give a shit for the fisherfolk now thet have their Brexit? I don't.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
That some posters are hypocrites
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
(We are all still here aren't we? Nobody been Raptured?)
I don't think we would be prime candidates for noticing the rapture as en event.
As for how far things could now go, the problem is the EU seems to be increasing escalation, not deescalating. As they are the only ones doing any escalating, only they can calm the f*ck down, but they seem to be feeding off...something that is ratcheting everything up.
I've just been reading the Guardian write up on the export control exempt list.
On list: Syria, Belarus, Libya Off list: UK, US, Canada
They're essentially willing to ship this stuff to Assad, Lukashenko and an anarchic war zone with no questions asked, but not to their three principal Western allies.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
That some posters are hypocrites
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
IMO Vaccine Nationalism is bad no ifs no buts
This isn't even vaccine nationalism, it's vaccine stealing.
Lesson seems to be that small offshore members of the EU (say with populations of c.5m) stand to be shafted when the EU big boys are inconvenienced.
Where's Carnyx and Union Divvie when you need them?
Isn't a person allowed to have his dinner?
Burgy's lot (ie actual Scotch SCon yoons) are pretty thin on the ground, he's pulling double shifts and expects everyone else to do the same.
I've been struck with a loss of confidence that some of the soi-disant Scotch Yoons on PB are actuall resident north of Lamberton Toll, or even Gretna, after one of them started complaining the other day that Ms Sturgeon was travelling between different Tiers daily. That's a bit like DavidL talking about the accused rather than the pannel ... not that he would, that's the point, we all know he comes from Yes City.
(We are all still here aren't we? Nobody been Raptured?)
I don't think we would be prime candidates for noticing the rapture as en event.
As for how far things could now go, the problem is the EU seems to be increasing escalation, not deescalating. As they are the only ones doing any escalating, only they can calm the f*ck down, but they seem to be feeding off...something that is ratcheting everything up.
I've just been reading the Guardian write up on the export control exempt list.
On list: Syria, Belarus, Libya Off list: UK, US, Canada
They're essentially willing to ship this stuff to Assad, Lukashenko and an anarchic war zone with no questions asked, but not to their three principal Western allies.
How is Nicola Sturgeon's love affair with the EU going then
You're quite petulant under the harmless old chuff veneer, ain't you?
How're the in-laws descended from 300 generations of fisherfolk doing with BJ's fantastic deal for fishing?
You have not answered my question
And 23 million now for the fishing industry loses, plus 100 million investment to develop UK wide fishing over the next five years is far better than being in the CFP and under the ridiculous EU, who have trashed their brand in a way that was totally unexpected
23 million? You've got individual firms losing business worth thousands each WEEK.
Further - some are losing a MILLION a week in turnover. Not the same thing as net losses, but still it's a lot when we add it up over, say, three months. That's of the order of 10-20% of the entire 23m for one firm.
Still think the London Tories give a shit for the fisherfolk now thet have their Brexit? I don't.
As it happens I agree it is a sh!tshow. Only saving grace is that the alternative, the welcoming arms of the EU & CFP, isn't exactly looking terribly attractive just now.
One element of the current shitshow from the EU is how much potential it has to enhance Boris. Brexit - easier to argue it was the right thing to do. Vaccine role out - so good, it is driving the EU crazy to the point they want to disrupt it/steal it. All whilst he stands above the fray, looking like a statesman.
How is Nicola Sturgeon's love affair with the EU going then
You're quite petulant under the harmless old chuff veneer, ain't you?
How're the in-laws descended from 300 generations of fisherfolk doing with BJ's fantastic deal for fishing?
You have not answered my question
And 23 million now for the fishing industry loses, plus 100 million investment to develop UK wide fishing over the next five years is far better than being in the CFP and under the ridiculous EU, who have trashed their brand in a way that was totally unexpected
23 million? You've got individual firms losing business worth thousands each WEEK.
Further - some are losing a MILLION a week in turnover. Not the same thing as net losses, but still it's a lot when we add it up over, say, three months. That's of the order of 10-20% of the entire 23m for one firm.
Still think the London Tories give a shit for the fisherfolk now thet have their Brexit? I don't.
As it happens I agree it is a sh!tshow. Only saving grace is that the alternative, the welcoming arms of the EU & CFP, isn't exactly looking terribly attractive just now.
Hmmm Except that they'd have been buying the fish and still are, if the fish are brought into Denmark. Which is more than Mr J is doing. Shame about the processors.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
That some posters are hypocrites
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
IMO Vaccine Nationalism is bad no ifs no buts
I don't think anyone here has been advocating export bans, just what to do with the stock we've bought and paid for.
The hostility on here addressed to you by your fellow Conservatives, just because you consider Brexit and PM Johnson to both be monumental errors, is becoming quite unpleasant.
We seem to be losing a few anti-Johnson, anti-Brexit posters, which is a shame. I can see why. If the only acceptable opinion becomes pro-Johnson and anti -EU the site is diminished, and it has always been a great site.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
That some posters are hypocrites
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
29k is more than 25% down week on week despite a 14% increase in number of tests - this week the percentage decline has been accelerating off the very stable path it had been on - good reason to be optimistic we're seeing the vaccine start to have an impact.
It may be the vaccine - it may be lockdown restrictions having an impact.
The transport use numbers are informative - car traffic about half of pre-Covid levels, tube passenger numbers 15% of pre-Covid levels, national rail passenger numbers 13% of pre-Covid levels.
People ARE staying home and following the guidelines and inevitably that is reducing contacts and therefore transmissions. Is the vaccine having an impact? I'd argue not as many of those vaccinated were effectively shielding,
The more worrying story is how the second wave was fuelled by employers dragging staff back to offices and only paying lip service to Covid related health and hygiene guidelines.
This nonsense, perpetrated by Johnson among others, was seized on by companies with weak or non-existent remote IT capability, to compel workers back into offices.
There was a constant rate of decline for the first 2 weeks of lockdown and now, 3 weeks after the vaccine effort ramped up, it has accelerated -
Seems rather unlikely that lockdown compliance has suddenly increased when cases were already falling. Combined with the hospital admissions falling much faster for over 85s than unders, I think we can see what is happening.
Deaths finally updated...modest downward trend slightly stronger than yesterday:
deaths peaked on the 19th, 1 day after max hospital occupancy - just the reporting is mega lagged but the way hospital numbers are falling a continued fall in deaths is now baked in thankfully
The hostility on here addressed to you by your fellow Conservatives, just because you consider Brexit and PM Johnson to both be monumental errors, is becoming quite unpleasant.
We seem to be losing a few anti-Johnson, anti-Brexit posters, which is a shame. I can see why. If the only acceptable opinion becomes pro-Johnson and anti -EU the site is diminished, and it has always been a great site.
There are plenty of anti Johnson and anti Brexit posters on here who are excellent contributors and their leaving would be a real loss to the site.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
That some posters are hypocrites
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
IMO Vaccine Nationalism is bad no ifs no buts
This isn't even vaccine nationalism, it's vaccine stealing.
Presumably "we"or Pfizer have a plan B to get "our" 2nd Pfizer vaccines on time.
Or maybe we dont need a plan B
I see vaccine minister nadhim zahawi said only yesterday he is confident there will be no disruption
(We are all still here aren't we? Nobody been Raptured?)
I don't think we would be prime candidates for noticing the rapture as en event.
As for how far things could now go, the problem is the EU seems to be increasing escalation, not deescalating. As they are the only ones doing any escalating, only they can calm the f*ck down, but they seem to be feeding off...something that is ratcheting everything up.
I've just been reading the Guardian write up on the export control exempt list.
On list: Syria, Belarus, Libya Off list: UK, US, Canada
They're essentially willing to ship this stuff to Assad, Lukashenko and an anarchic war zone with no questions asked, but not to their three principal Western allies.
At this rate NATO will be dead in a week.
Hey, we're the new axis of evil.
And Australia - they must hate the English speaking world.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
That some posters are hypocrites
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
IMO Vaccine Nationalism is bad no ifs no buts
This isn't even vaccine nationalism, it's vaccine stealing.
Presumably "we"or Pfizer have a plan B to get "our" 2nd Pfizer vaccines on time.
Or maybe we dont need a plan B
I see vaccine minister nadhim zahawi said only yesterday he is confident there will be no disruption
Fear not, @HYUFD is already making preparations for a blockade run.
(We are all still here aren't we? Nobody been Raptured?)
I don't think we would be prime candidates for noticing the rapture as en event.
As for how far things could now go, the problem is the EU seems to be increasing escalation, not deescalating. As they are the only ones doing any escalating, only they can calm the f*ck down, but they seem to be feeding off...something that is ratcheting everything up.
I've just been reading the Guardian write up on the export control exempt list.
On list: Syria, Belarus, Libya Off list: UK, US, Canada
They're essentially willing to ship this stuff to Assad, Lukashenko and an anarchic war zone with no questions asked, but not to their three principal Western allies.
At this rate NATO will be dead in a week.
I'm sure Eastern European countries will have thoughts about possible consequences.
This is a bad day for the EU but it is not fatal. And is probably less of a potential threat than during the Greek financial crisis.
But it should be a fatal day (jobs wise) for some of the individuals representing the EU who are not serving their organisation or their citizens well.
29k is more than 25% down week on week despite a 14% increase in number of tests - this week the percentage decline has been accelerating off the very stable path it had been on - good reason to be optimistic we're seeing the vaccine start to have an impact.
It may be the vaccine - it may be lockdown restrictions having an impact.
The transport use numbers are informative - car traffic about half of pre-Covid levels, tube passenger numbers 15% of pre-Covid levels, national rail passenger numbers 13% of pre-Covid levels.
People ARE staying home and following the guidelines and inevitably that is reducing contacts and therefore transmissions. Is the vaccine having an impact? I'd argue not as many of those vaccinated were effectively shielding,
The more worrying story is how the second wave was fuelled by employers dragging staff back to offices and only paying lip service to Covid related health and hygiene guidelines.
This nonsense, perpetrated by Johnson among others, was seized on by companies with weak or non-existent remote IT capability, to compel workers back into offices.
There was a constant rate of decline for the first 2 weeks of lockdown and now, 3 weeks after the vaccine effort ramped up, it has accelerated -
Seems rather unlikely that lockdown compliance has suddenly increased when cases were already falling. Combined with the hospital admissions falling much faster for over 85s than unders, I think we can see what is happening.
Indeed. ONS survey came in flat today, but they had a big increase in cases where the viral load was so low they couldn't work out if it was the new strain or not - which suggests they were just getting new 'positives' from people who were infected a few weeks back and are basically recovered now.
(We are all still here aren't we? Nobody been Raptured?)
I don't think we would be prime candidates for noticing the rapture as en event.
As for how far things could now go, the problem is the EU seems to be increasing escalation, not deescalating. As they are the only ones doing any escalating, only they can calm the f*ck down, but they seem to be feeding off...something that is ratcheting everything up.
I've just been reading the Guardian write up on the export control exempt list.
On list: Syria, Belarus, Libya Off list: UK, US, Canada
They're essentially willing to ship this stuff to Assad, Lukashenko and an anarchic war zone with no questions asked, but not to their three principal Western allies.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
Even if someone on here did, are you actually suggesting that random yahoos mouthing off on a forum has equivalence with the might of the EU Commission deciding to actually do so?
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
That some posters are hypocrites
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
IMO Vaccine Nationalism is bad no ifs no buts
This isn't even vaccine nationalism, it's vaccine stealing.
Presumably "we"or Pfizer have a plan B to get "our" 2nd Pfizer vaccines on time.
Or maybe we dont need a plan B
I see vaccine minister nadhim zahawi said only yesterday he is confident there will be no disruption
Fear not, @HYUFD is already making preparations for a blockade run.
Comments
Canada, according to my source (friend in Alberta whom I talk to weekly) is a shitshow - but according to latest available stats its vaccination rate is 2.41 per 100 people. The EU average is 2.50, and the best performing of the large EU states, Italy, is at 3.0.
Only five countries in the world have rates of 10 or above. The US, Serbia and Malta are now over 5. Everybody else is still stuck on the floor.
The newspaper that has served the NE of Scotland and the fishing industry for decades obviously doesn't have your level of expertise I know, but...
https://twitter.com/pressjournal/status/1354867603726995456?s=20
He (BoJo not Uncle Joe) sure looks like he needs 'em.
The most encouraging aspect of today's figures is the reduction of the numbers in hospital which is the lagging indicator from the numbers of cases which have halved from the worst part of this phase of the virus.
29,000 new positives is still a big number compared with what was being reported in the summer when admittedly the tracing regime isn't what it is now but it shows the lockdown restrictions are having the desired effect.
I noticed on my lunchtime constitutional the local testing centre with plenty waiting to test and nobody being tested. Perhaps this is another indication of a falling case load as no one is coming through with symptoms.
We are moving in the right direction but there's still a way to go yet.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northern-ireland-dup-article-16-b1783221.html
Now apparently its "an incredible act of hostility"
DUP really fucked up over BREXIT when they overplayed their hand.
Because unlike the Greeks, who the the EU had over a barrel, we're in pole position as we have the vaccines (and many more to come) - And the EU knows it!
Then there are a bunch of countries in that 2-3 doses per 100 people, the EU, Canada, Switzerland, Norway. Then there are countries like Japan, Russia and China that are doing even less well.
My point is that if we weren't doing (relatively) well, then there would be a lot less pressure on the EU.
I think we're "done" (as in the number of vaccinations starts to drop and cases are sub 1,000/day) by the end of April, and I expect the EU to be broadly there by the end of June/July.
Of course, if the Commission invokes these serious measures on a whim then, having taken the mickey out of the terms of the protocol, it arms the British Government with permission to act in kind.
I think it unlikely that it will come to that; however, if there is any question of food supplies to Northern Ireland being disrupted then that is a far more urgent and pressing matter than the theoretical prospect of dastardly clandestine British agents smuggling EU-made vaccines from Dundalk to Newry in the back of an unmarked van.
"Bye bye Irish Sea border. Emergency and all that. Sorry Ursula."
RIP, EU FDI
I don't believe it. I know things are pretty shit at the moment but this doesn't feel quite like the End Times...
(We are all still here aren't we? Nobody been Raptured?)
Not effectively shut the whole thing down, or at least prevent expansion of supply. Why do they think things would work better by nationalising them???
The EU invoked Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol which allows parts of the deal to be unilaterally overridden.
In a new regulation the European Commission states: "This is justified as a safeguard measure pursuant to Article 16 of that Protocol in order to avert serious societal difficulties due to a lack of supply threatening to disturb the orderly implementation of the vaccination campaigns in the Member States.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-55864442
This is justified, not that it will be justified.
Weren't some PBers in favour of export bans of AZ earlier in the week because we needed it first.
But a Pfizer export ban for exactly the same reason by the EU is tantamount to WWIII
https://twitter.com/jamesrbuk/status/1355246099762708482
As for how far things could now go, the problem is the EU seems to be increasing escalation, not deescalating. As they are the only ones doing any escalating, only they can calm the f*ck down, but they seem to be feeding off...something that is ratcheting everything up.
https://twitter.com/GeorginaEWright/status/1355246168960364547?s=20
Seriously, I don't even know what point you are trying to make.
Dick
The transport use numbers are informative - car traffic about half of pre-Covid levels, tube passenger numbers 15% of pre-Covid levels, national rail passenger numbers 13% of pre-Covid levels.
People ARE staying home and following the guidelines and inevitably that is reducing contacts and therefore transmissions. Is the vaccine having an impact? I'd argue not as many of those vaccinated were effectively shielding,
The more worrying story is how the second wave was fuelled by employers dragging staff back to offices and only paying lip service to Covid related health and hygiene guidelines.
This nonsense, perpetrated by Johnson among others, was seized on by companies with weak or non-existent remote IT capability, to compel workers back into offices.
The UK was late signing with Moderna, the EU is getting their doses of that vaccines, we aren't getting any yet. And that is perfectly reasonable, and nobody is screeching that it is unfair and that the EU should be forcing any of those doses into the UK supply chain.
https://twitter.com/BristOliver/status/1355187197180334084
Seems rather unlikely that lockdown compliance has suddenly increased when cases were already falling. Combined with the hospital admissions falling much faster for over 85s than unders, I think we can see what is happening.
https://supervalu.ie/real-food/cooking/recipe/vegan-mushroom-and-hazelnut-burgers
https://twitter.com/JustinWelby/status/1355249805941993474
Still think the London Tories give a shit for the fisherfolk now thet have their Brexit? I don't.
https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-drives-scottish-seafood-crisis-not-happier-fish/
In favour of Vaccine Nationalism when it benefits "us"
Against vaccine Nationalism when it favours "them"
IMO Vaccine Nationalism is bad no ifs no buts
On list: Syria, Belarus, Libya
Off list: UK, US, Canada
They're essentially willing to ship this stuff to Assad, Lukashenko and an anarchic war zone with no questions asked, but not to their three principal Western allies.
At this rate NATO will be dead in a week.
https://twitter.com/Oldfirmfacts1/status/1355250494395060226?s=20
All in the week he apologised for 100,000 dead.
Damn, it's been 5 days to remember.
https://twitter.com/lukemcgee/status/1355234102186827780
We seem to be losing a few anti-Johnson, anti-Brexit posters, which is a shame. I can see why. If the only acceptable opinion becomes pro-Johnson and anti -EU the site is diminished, and it has always been a great site.
https://twitter.com/DevanSinha/status/1355180664782548995
Then there is Scott n paste....
Or maybe we dont need a plan B
I see vaccine minister nadhim zahawi said only yesterday he is confident there will be no disruption
But it should be a fatal day (jobs wise) for some of the individuals representing the EU who are not serving their organisation or their citizens well.
https://twitter.com/LouHaigh/status/1355225436159160321
Then you've got the EU cosying up to China: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/31/china-eu-trade-deal-beijing-wants-more-agreements-after-europe-deal.html - while refusing to condemn them over Hong Kong or the Uighurs.
The EU have abandoned the western alliance.