Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[stanton]

2 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

I'm shocked that the Tories would try and bury this news on a Saturday evening. Even more shocked that it's been leaked to the press first.

Maybe there wasn't a memo to tell them not to leak it to the press 

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 minute ago, welshbairn said:

Do you honestly think that's what's happening? Westminster doesn't have an election for 4 years, the sooner it's over the better for them politically, lessons learnt and forgotten about.

I wouldn't rule it out. I don't think it's a particularly well thought out strategy. The senior politicians might want it ended, but there will be plenty at all levels of Government and administration won't like being in the spotlight when it settles down.

[Gaz]

Telling the press in advance is quite common to be honest, it's not just Tories Torying. It gives the press time to prepare questions.

[Rob1885]

The cynic in me suggests that this new strain (of which there have been loads already) is being used as an excuse to cancel the Christmas plans, which the governments have been increasingly criticised for, in a bid to undo a decision that they never should have made without looking weak or indecisive.  Will people, with less than a week to go and food already bought and plans made, actually stick to it?  Probably not enough, and then when we got shoved into yet another lockdown (Lockdown 7: Mission to Wuhan?) the finger will be pointed at individual's actions rather than governments' (and I mean both WM and the SG) inability to see beyond lockdown, rinse and repeat.  Begs the question, what would happen if the vaccines couldn't be found or didn't work...what would the exit strategy be? Or do we think we already know the answer to that...
 
I fully expect to still be in class on Monday morning btw...

My thoughts summed up to a tee.

[Marshmallo]

8 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

I'm shocked that the Tories would try and bury this news on a Saturday evening. Even more shocked that it's been leaked to the press first.

Yeah no one will notice this you'd imagine

[101]

2 minutes ago, Gaz said:

Telling the press in advance is quite common to be honest, it's not just Tories Torying. It gives the press time to prepare questions.

Absolutely right this is common, the press should be told once the governments have had their meetings.

The Tory pipe into the Telegraph on the otherhand is not how government should work.

[Paco]

Wednesday: ‘inhuman’ to cancel Christmas

Saturday: cancels Christmas

What a fucking trumpet.

[strichener]

5 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Ok so they did have Cove, Inverurie and Formartine are right beside Aberdeen so get back in yer box. 

Policeman playing fast and loose with facts and then doubling down with a "right beside" exaggeration.

[Detournement]

Hospitality being open in London was never going to end well. 

[The Stig]

With the 578 cases reported today it brings the 7 day average in Scotland to the lowest figure since 06 October and the % positive to near enough below the 5% target set by the WHO to say it is under control.  that would suggest that the people of Scotland have followed the requirements set out by the Scottish government in order to contain the spread and how will be rewarded?

A telling off about a new strain and possibly another lockdown.  

Merry f**king christmas.

[JMDP]

I like how they have leaked the news via a Sunday Times journalist who is locked out of her own twitter account as she has lost her password and has released it via a first name and loads of number second account. 

Utterly incompetent. 

[pandarilla]

I've got to say i won't be changing plans at this late notice, and i don't think I'll be alone.

What a ridiculous climbdown. The number of u-turns over the course of this pandemic is quite incredible.

[Ron Aldo]

With the 578 cases reported today it brings the 7 day average in Scotland to the lowest figure since 06 October and the % positive to near enough below the 5% target set by the WHO to say it is under control.  that would suggest that the people of Scotland have followed the requirements set out by the Scottish government in order to contain the spread and how will be rewarded?
A telling off about a new strain and possibly another lockdown.  
Merry f**king christmas.

I'd be shocked and very disappointed if Scotland was out into another lockdown based on our numbers over the last few weeks. Taking it at face value, we're the only one of the 4 UK nations that appears to have a degree of control.

Regardless of this "new strain", I think the rest of the UK are trying to us this as justification to bring in tougher restrictions. In Scotland I think (hope) that the government are using it to keep people on their toes to stick with the current restrictions.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

32 minutes ago, strichener said:

Policeman playing fast and loose with facts and then doubling down with a "right beside" exaggeration.

Im a member of the public, if a minor mistake (i thought cove were still highland league because i dont pay attention to leagues ive no real interest in). Out of interest what do you do? Just so i can bring that up in posts when its of absolutely no relevance? 

[mizfit]

I'd be shocked and very disappointed if Scotland was out into another lockdown based on our numbers over the last few weeks. Taking it at face value, we're the only one of the 4 UK nations that appears to have a degree of control.

Regardless of this "new strain", I think the rest of the UK are trying to us this as justification to bring in tougher restrictions. In Scotland I think (hope) that the government are using it to keep people on their toes to stick with the current restrictions.

If this had happened 2-3 weeks ago I think we’d have seen Christmas cancelled up here.

As if stands I think we’ll see them ask people with no solid plans to not arrange anything and ask people in Scotland not to travel to the tier 4 areas in England.

[101]

Has this happened to any of the old dears that have taken it yet?

[Raven]

6 minutes ago, 101 said:

Has this happened to any of the old dears that have taken it yet?

I was in no particular rush for the vaccine, but this is interesting.

[vikingTON]

9 minutes ago, Ron Aldo said:

I'd be shocked and very disappointed if Scotland was out into another lockdown based on our numbers over the last few weeks. Taking it at face value, we're the only one of the 4 UK nations that appears to have a degree of control.

Regardless of this "new strain", I think the rest of the UK are trying to us this as justification to bring in tougher restrictions. In Scotland I think (hope) that the government are using it to keep people on their toes to stick with the current restrictions.

Most likely bet is that they'll ratchet everyone up one tier across the board on the 29th IMO. Go for the caution new strain blah blah excuse while not applying a uniform nationwide lockdown which is clearly (even for them) unnecessary right now.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

8 minutes ago, 101 said:

Has this happened to any of the old dears that have taken it yet?

Had worse  tbf.

[LongTimeLurker]

3 minutes ago, Ron Aldo said:

I'd be shocked and very disappointed if Scotland was out into another lockdown based on our numbers over the last few weeks. Taking it at face value, we're the only one of the 4 UK nations that appears to have a degree of control...

Having a consistent set of policies is the more sensible way to go rather than alternating between stricter and laxer rules like the other three British nations have. It's moronic to expect to be able to reverse an unfolding epidemic peak doing that with schools and workplaces still open in the absence of mass vaccination to achieve herd immunity. Having the numbers all too obviously going the wrong way with OxfordAZ not approved yet to enable a massive ramp up in vaccination locations means BJ messed up his carefully choreographed saving Christmas script. I guess putting Kent into lockdown helps clear space for all the stranded lorries though.