Steven W

Bollocks - I've never at any point wanted him sacked. Questioned some of his tactics / lack of subs - yes. But sacked? No

Until such a time as NS decrees case numbers as irrelevant (which should happen at some stage), then case numbers on their own will still carry weight.

I bet there is. There must be surely? I just don't think they're allowed to speak up

I'm beginning to think their stategy / policy is all over the shop to be honest.

Whether you're for it or not, surely the only means of getting to zero-covid (or thereabouts) would need an actual proper lockdown, with nigh on everything shut. 1100 cases yesterday (over six weeks into it now) is a damning indictment of this half arsed lockdown.

Missed much of this this morning. See this group of 19 that have been asked about Scotland's strategy - When were they asked? Cause surely the horse has already bolted on adopting NZ style approach (1100 new cases yesterday). Even if we are to adopt a NZ style strategy, dunno how we'll get there - you'd never know we're in'Lockdown' going by the traffic volumes

When challenged on how we were going to pay for MM's sacking (and therefore Frail too) and the hiring of a new manager + his assistant, the answer was invariably that we can't afford to get relegated. And yet here we are having not sacked them, having not spent a fortune to do so, and probably, in most people's estimations, only one more win away from safety. There really was some proper moon howling a fortnight ago.

Spot on. Yesterday's infection numbers are testament to this lockdown being half arsed. But you're quite correct - and @Todd_is_God said it a couple of weeks ago now, new case numbers will become irrelevant at some stage. Or at least they certainly should

True. But it does flag up something interesting. There must surely be some dissenting back bench voices within SG re lockdown exit strategy. Yet you never hear a thing - how is that? Are they told to keep quiet? Scared to speak up?

Yep - I'd bite your hand off for a day at the races / football. The weather would be immaterial - couldn't care less if it snowed,rained or shined

Agreeing with you again. Its no bad thing at all this surely? Back in September my son's childminder tested positive. I found it bizarre he wasn't entitled to a test until he displayed symptoms.

BBC website. Troubles me that I'm agreeing with Tories on a more frequent basis. But - correct me if I'm wrong - where's this kind of chat from SG? The UK is "going to have to live with some level" of Covid infection and deaths in the future, according to the Conservative chair of the Science and Technology Committee. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World at One after hearing evidence from scientists earlier today, MP Greg Clark said: “I don’t think you’re ever going to have a precise figure [for acceptable levels], just as we don’t target a figure for road deaths. But the key insight from that is that it’s not zero.” “If we’re going to live with Covid... then we are going to have to live with some level of infection, and not pursue policies that are predicated on completely eradicating it, which is likely to be impossible.” “It is for Parliament and leaders to indicate through the policy decisions they make, what kind of tolerance they have. "It’s clearly not zero, otherwise we wouldn’t be driving cars, and we wouldn’t be going out in the winter for fear of flu.”

I've been - and what you're saying is quite correct. But that shouldn't mean that a wet Wednesday afternoon meeting at, say, Kelso couldn't go ahead with a crowd.

Correct - especially the last bit.

As is sports events. As is the live music industry. Also mass running events (and on the back of that to a fair degree charities). I really fear for the future of these industries. Worth remembering that these are all things people do for enjoyment. What kind of life are heading towards.....

Bye bye football. Bye bye concerts. Bye bye nightclubs. These industries face a future of no discernible income, and I can't see how they can survive without such.

Day after Johnson's lol

Can only echo your thoughts on Traveling Tabby. Really quite remarkable what that lad is putting together on a daily basis. You can be sure the politicians of the country are casting their eye on it too. And if not, they most certainly should be.

Correct. And yet more open ended language. What does "foreseeable" even mean. It could mean anything from a couple months to several years. Any politician worth their salt would tell to f**k off and come back with something more specific.

The success of the lockdown will be reflected in the dates we release restrictions. There are essentially three measurements of the virus numbers - new cases, hospitalisations and deaths. Ms Sturgeon will only ease restrictions if all three are where she would want them to be. At present new cases have plateaued at roughly 800-900 a day, although, granted, hospitalisations (noticeably) and deaths (a bit) have fallen. I like to think when deciding what parts of society were to close there was some modelling done. I doubt those models would have shown the numbers initially tumbling from 2500 a day (nationally) in early January, to fizzle out and stagnate at 800-900 a day in mid February. As such, and at present the lockdown is not delivering on all three measurements, and therefore is arguably failing.

Eh lockdown has been a failure. Don't you read the Superbigal posts ? What do you think has caused those sustained falls if not the measures in place ? f**k me. Can't you read? "although bringing them down from a very high level". There's no getting away from it - nationally the numbers have platuaued at a high level (in fact yesterdays is significantly higher than last Saturday). I'm pretty confident that isn't the aim of the lockdown. Locally some areas have done exceptional, but it would seem that SG are going to be basing decisions nationally

As indeed your daily posts show (great effort btw). But this just makes it even more frustrating as the mood music seems to be that they're edging towards looking at numbers nationally again. Feels like we're just going to be stuck in lockdown limbo for months.

Can see them rowing back on P1-3 return to school. Is there any explanation as to why the numbers have platuaued (perhaps even potentially rising again) at such a high level. These numbers would suggest that this lockdown, although bringing them down from a very high level, has on the whole been a failure. And with that mind where do we go next with this? I get the feeling it could this half arsed lockdown through to May or even June.

Nothing concrete about it at all. To be confirmed on Tuesday. And if Leitch's hint yesterday and the front page of one paper today is anything to go by, it may even be withdrawn.