Steven W

That'll be about it. He'll pad it out with ten minutes of waffle, but the nuts and bolts of it will be no change from where we are at the minute.

Well like I said, I'm puzzled as to why he said what he said. But he did say that the results (as Jacksgranda says possibly premliminary results?) would be out "any day now".

Most of the scientific evidence is inconclusive so far - even this one - it hasn't been completed yet. I've merely repeated what I saw on TV this morning and posted a link to a report on it from the Irish Times. I'm guessing you never saw the piece this morning, but chap mentioned several times that he didn't think that children were able to spread the virus. As I said, this allied with the Swiss study is of significance I'd have thought. You seem to be quite dismissive of it.

Chap from Belfast University on Sky News this morning. They've been doing studies into children and Covid-19. Their results will be out "any day now", (they've been sent to a journal for publication) but he hinted several times that children don't spread it in the same way as adults. That allied with the fact they seemingly almost never suffer badly from it, should you would think have an enormous bearing on how we proceed with this. It should also be remebered that a Swiss study a couple of months ago found the same thing. Meanwhile Swinney will take the stage today and deliver meaningless drivel, and our kids will go back to school in August on a part time basis for an indefinite peroid of time. I can't find the story on Sky News, but the Irish Times are running it; https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/06/23/news/queen-s-university-belfast-team-lead-major-trial-to-discover-children-s-immunity-to-coronavirus-1982144/ I should add I'm a little puzzled by the "results any day now" the man on Sky said, given the research is still on going. But say it he did.

Meaningless drivel of course. He should be telling us what the numbers need to be at to get the kids in school full time. He won't.

From BBC; In response to a follow up question from Mr Fraser, Benny Higgins outlines that almost 700,000 jobs may be under threat in Scotland. I was lampooned for a particularly gloomy forcecast I made several weeks ago. I was spot on. 700,000!! Thats basically everyone outside of public sector surely?

Can't say I'm too bothered to see him go. But a little concerned that there's something going on in the background at United (no idea what). We seem to have let him go very easily

It's in the same thread as the one about fucking our economy over leading to unemployment levels the likes of haven't been seen in decades.

I agree with you on all fronts. I just wonder after the week they've had, stemming from Swinney's ridiculous comments last Sunday, maybe the penny might drop soon. Changing the 2M. rule at the same time as England would at long last show some desire to return to normal. I'm not holding my breath though.

England to review the 2M. rule witihin days. Will we hear similar at today's briefing?

If Boris Johnson came out with that he'd be getting (and rightly so) ridiculed from all and sundry. You breathe differently in a pub? f**k me....

I fucking despair.

Still doing better than us

Their favourite phrase

I think it's irrelevant really. The longer we stay like this, the longer they go without having to make some meaningful decisions. I think the will and the desire to get back to normal at the soonest possiblity just isn't there. Going into lockdown was an easy decision - coming out of it is the hard part. There's Oliver Dowden talking about grassroots level sport from July and some fans back in stadiums in time for the new season down there. This might prove reckless, who knows. At least it's on the agenda down there. These things just aren't being spoken about here. And, to my mind, because the SG are afraid to make the big decisions necessary.

Based on her track record so far I imagine she will. However, this may well be when she begins to feel a bit of a backlash to her (overly) safe and cautious plan. If we're seeing on TV England getting on with things and the rule reduced to 1M. and meanwhile we've barely edged forward at all, I reckon a lot of opinions will change.

Aye, but let's face it, there's no danger of us doing that

Here, I'm not saying it's right. I'm not even saying it's good. But I am saying (and I'm confident that I'm in the majority) that it's better than nothing. You are entitled to your viewpoint, if you prefer no crowd noise over crowd noise.

The crowd noise being added, however artificial, is infinitely better than full monotony of hearing the players shouting for a pass from their teammates. I suspect, deep down you think the same yourself. You said the same last week, but here you are tuning in once again.

To be fair the SFA are just as culpable here. Their efforts into this level of the game have been non existent. They were quick enough to lobby the government to let the Premier league sides train this week. From that level down though it's been pathetic (I give issueing a guideline to phase 1 grassroots football late yesterday, a full two weeks after going into phase 1). However, I don't disagree with the point you're making. I only hope that, what is essentially mass gatherings, pass without an increase in infections and can then be used as a means to get fans back at sport at all levels sooner rather than later.

I'd be amazed if we were to manage that. The disease was rampant here, unlike NZ. We are next door to, with no border at all, to one of the globe's greatest Covid-19 hotspots. I'd be amazed if we were able to achieve the same as NZ any time this year really (maybe not even next year)

You may or not be right on this one. But in any event there has to be some signicance to the 15th July date. A signicance that has not been explained to us

Excellent post. Agreed on all fronts. It's interesting to note that there's more and more coming round to thinking along these lines. I also note that Nicola Sturgeon has triumphantly retweeted Glenn Campbell saying that Scotland has one of the lowest (possibly THE lowest) R rate of any of the UK nation's. She's right obviously that this is a good thing, but there'd be something wrong if we didn't!

1 - cause you said I was ignorant 2 - I readily accept that's a failing on my part, but I'd be certain I was in the majority. I find it odd that in a time of economic collapse, Fiona Hyslop hasn't been more prominent in these daily briefings. (again, maybe I've missed her). I've seen it mentioned here that the SNP doesn't have much 'strength in depth'. They have a high quality leader (although I question some of her judgements just now) but after her there's not much. Maybe that's why I, and most of those in Tesco tonight, haven't heard of Fiona Hyslop?

Bollocks. I'm not for a second suggesting I'm some political expert. But tell you what, get yersel to Tesco tonight and ask everyone there "Who's the Scottish Business Secretary" and by and large you'll be met with blank faces. Guaranteed.