Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Wee Bully]

Are there any other organisations where the 'customer' is made up primarily of 60+ people who vote?
EDIT: I realise this was (nominally at least) a non-political judgement but does anyone honestly think that if churches were attended by folk in their 20s the same judgement would have been made?

As hot takes go, suggesting the Court has made a political decision based on whether people are likely to vote is right up there with August pronouncements that “this is over as a public health emergency”.

[Dunning1874]

15 minutes ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

That is genuinely baffling. Fucking disgraceful tbh and surely that means numerous challenges from all sectors affected will start now.

The judgment seemingly concludes that restrictions aren't necessarily unconstitutional but these restrictions are because they're disproportionate? So total closure of other sectors could still be argued to be proportionate and therefore legal while it isn't for churches.

https://www.judiciary.scot/home/sentences-judgments/judgments/2021/03/24/success-of-churches-in-court-of-session-action

[DMCs]

14 minutes ago, EdinburghPar1975 said:

I certainly hope so but based on the briefing i'm watching the EU seems intent to control exports if Countries are doing well with their vaccination rates, that by extension would mean the UK. 

I thought i'd read that little of the AZ vaccine was coming from the EU anyway - is that right?

Yes some AZ that we've had has come up from the EU. About 10 million doses supposedly.

AZ isn't the real issue here. The issue is that his briefing doc goes further than that and talks about blocking Pfizer too. Which would be a disaster for staying on track with our second doses. Ok if first doses have to be slower but this is worse.

Pfizer themselves have pushed back on any export ban as they know that they need materials from UK for their own production in the EU.

[Gaz]

8 minutes ago, Wee Bully said:

As hot takes go, suggesting the Court has made a political decision based on whether people are likely to vote is right up there with August pronouncements that “this is over as a public health emergency”.
 

Do you think this same decision would have been made if churches were full of folk in their 20s?

[tamthebam]

1 hour ago, 101 said:

I would say private schools might get in on the act but it would need them to say they can't provide an education from home which might get chucked out, I suspect most reasonable people thought you could practice your religion from home it appears not.

You can practice your religion from home but what if you start, I dunno, thinking for yourself without a priest or pastor to set you right ..

[Billy Jean King]

Surely a group challenging lockdown and winning would be received favourably on here or does it only really matter in a selfish "only if it benefits me" type way ?

At least religious groups had the gumption to galvanise themselves and actually challenge the decrees which is a hang of a lot more than the other main sectors affected have done. Fair play to them for pushing back.

[tamthebam]

4 hours ago, LargsTON said:

Sorry if it's been posted already but I think the holiday ban and accompanying fine is for reasons far more obvious than we think.  The UK government simply want us to reinvest in our own economy and flood our own holiday resorts.

Or they don't want folk finding out just yet when they leave their airport that having a nice shiny new black UK passport now means you stand at passport control in the non-EU queue for hours while Paddy from Dublin whistles past through the EU queue giving you two fingers and gets to the bar first.

[Turkmenbashi]

3 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

Surely a group challenging lockdown and winning would be received favourably on here or does it only really matter in a selfish "only if it benefits me" type way ?

At least religious groups had the gumption to galvanise themselves and actually challenge the decrees which is a hang of a lot more than the other main sectors affected have done. Fair play to them for pushing back.

My problem about is this line

He added: "It is impossible to measure the effect of those restrictions on those who hold religious beliefs.

"It goes beyond mere loss of companionship and an inability to attend a lunch club."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56511585

the loss companionship for myself and probably even more so for many other people is probably far greater than the loss for people not being able to attend religious services. While yes I think we should be opening, I really resent the idea that religion getting special treatment or that is more important than other things.

 

 

[Billy Jean King]

My problem about is this line

He added: "It is impossible to measure the effect of those restrictions on those who hold religious beliefs.

"It goes beyond mere loss of companionship and an inability to attend a lunch club."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56511585

the loss companionship for myself and probably even more so for many other people is probably far greater than the loss for people not being able to attend religious services. While yes I think we should be opening, I really resent the idea that religion getting special treatment or that is more important than other things.

 

 

I wasn't really passing comment on the nuances of the ruling just the fact that a group have actually pushed back against the lockdown and that pushback has been successful. It shows it can be achieved.

[G51]

 

minter for merkel

[Jamie_B]

Only three deaths registered today. That's the lowest on a Wednesday for a long time. It was 12 last Wednesday, 20 the previous week, 35 the week before, and 47 the previous week. It's the lowest daily figure this year that wasn't released on a Sunday/Monday/Bank Holiday when the registrations are always lower.

 

Edited March 24, 2021 by Jamie_Beatson

[realmadrid]

52 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

My techophobe mum has embraced watching  live streams of the services from her local church. The only part she misses by not attending in person is the tea, cake and gossip they all have afterwards

That is not going to come back for a long time, even when the buildings open. (From this weekend)

Kinnoull Church in Perth do the after church social catch up part by zoom every week, so its something your Mum's church could do.

[realmadrid]

2 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

I wasn't really passing comment on the nuances of the ruling just the fact that a group have actually pushed back against the lockdown and that pushback has been successful. It shows it can be achieved.

In time football clubs may need to do the same if they don't allow fans back in next season.

[Elixir]

4 hours ago, LargsTON said:

Sorry if it's been posted already but I think the holiday ban and accompanying fine is for reasons far more obvious than we think.  The UK government simply want us to reinvest in our own economy and flood our own holiday resorts.

You think?

4 hours ago, madwullie said:

Whitty mewling about VArIaNtS! What a loser. 

^^^ anti-vaxxer found

3 hours ago, Ross. said:

Scotland aiming for zero covid when we have what is basically an open border with a country not going for zero covid is just fucking stupid. It is completely unachievable in those circumstances.

It's unachievable in all circumstances.

[madwullie]

26 minutes ago, Dunning1874 said:

The judgment seemingly concludes that restrictions aren't necessarily unconstitutional but these restrictions are because they're disproportionate? So total closure of other sectors could still be argued to be proportionate and therefore legal while it isn't for churches.

https://www.judiciary.scot/home/sentences-judgments/judgments/2021/03/24/success-of-churches-in-court-of-session-action

Says in there 800k people regularly attend church in scotland. Have to say I'm surprised it''s that high

[Wee Bully]

Do you think this same decision would have been made if churches were full of folk in their 20s?

To be clear, I don’t agree with the decision.

However, your take is so far off beam it’s scary. It is a court decision. Courts do not care about whether you are likely to vote or not.

The defendants were the Government, who ironically do care.

Unless you are suggesting they deliberate “threw it”, I have no idea what your thought process is here.

[Jan Vojáček]

- 3 new reported deaths of people who tested positive  

- 692 new cases reported (3.1% of tests)

- 321 people in hospital (-20)

- 31 people are in ICU (+3)

As mentioned above, that's a real drop in the number of deaths for a Wednesday. Shame to see the ICU number rise a little, but it remains low, and good to see hospital numbers continuing to show a solid drop. 

I know "we just can't be sure" if vaccines are working, but they quite clearly are.

[Elixir]

4 minutes ago, G51 said:

 

minter for merkel

I'm surprised at how much she has lost it. She was saying Germany was facing a 'new virus' and 'new pandemic' yesterday because of the 'British variant', which is obviously nonsense language to use, as well as factually incorrect.

[Ross.]

1 minute ago, Elixir said:

It's unachievable in all circumstances.

I would tend to agree. There was a very small window in which it may have been just an unrealistic option, but at this stage anyone suggesting that in Scotland is for the watching if you ask me.

[Billy Jean King]

In time football clubs may need to do the same if they don't allow fans back in next season.

Exactly and it's that angle that sees this in a positive light.