Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Billy Jean King]

Less than that down my way. Over 1000 tests, one positive 

I'm pretty sure the figures widely reported in Ayrshire might well be shite given the overall figures posted by the SG for the project. They are posting a full breakdown next week apparently that may well show that for the 98th time out of 100 the Ayrshire Post website(run by the DR) was posting utter crap. Just at average they would have discovered 30 cases in 1000 tests in Girvan, can't see how it possible can be 1 but time will tell.

[Billy Jean King]

I don't blame her, anyone who goes on holiday during the summer holidays and doesn't have kids mental I'm sure she'll be enjoying a month off mid September/October when the flights are no longer rammed with families.
In fact I'm all for local and international travel banned during school holidays.

Those of us unfortunate enough to have set leave periods or be married to someone in that position for starters.

Never my 1st choice nowadays but unfortunately outwith our control and this summer we have the dreaded Glasgow Fair fortnight so double meh.

I will be flying (already booked).

When and in what context did NS make the "don't be booking travel abroad next summer" statement ?

[Billy Jean King]

How will the council identify the families whose income would make them eligible for the £100 but they have not provided their details to the council as getting free meals anyway.

You need to apply so no doubt the application process asks. Councils have access to all DWP benefit systems to check in these circumstances. The free school meals issue is a misnomer, it's irrelevant you just need to be in receipt of the qualifying benefits as that in turn means you would be eligiblefor FSM. It merely excludes those in receipt of free school meals who's parents don't receive the relevant benefits. It might be construed as a FSM uptake exercise I suppose.

 

[101]

2 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

Those of us unfortunate enough to have set leave periods or be married to someone in that position for starters.

Never my 1st choice nowadays but unfortunately outwith our control and this summer we have the dreaded Glasgow Fair fortnight so double meh.

I will be flying (already booked).

When and in what context did NS make the "don't be booking travel abroad next summer" statement ?

Can you not break your "leg" every September?

It wasn't in her speech so I guess it was a question from a journalist and to be honest what did they expect her to say "I canny wait to get away" no chance she is saying that when there is still some uncertainty because come July and families can't get to every country in the world it will be brought up as "First Minister fires the starting gun on summer holidays"

[Billy Jean King]

Not seeing anything on LA site, they are doing payments for free school meal kids but don’t know if that’s different.

Purely as a guide, DONT APPLY HERE UNLESS YOU LIVE IN THE ABERDEEN CITY LA AREA, I have posted their link

https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/coronavirus-covid-19/applying-scottish-government-ps100-covid-hardship-grant-children

[welshbairn]

This is interesting, if we could have closed the borders at the end of lockdown Scotland could have been like New Zealand by last summer.

Quote

A striking observation was that following the first lockdown, the majority of virus lineages that had been circulating in the population in Scotland appeared to become extinguished. Very few lineages persisted over the summer. This supports the idea that it is possible to eradicate the virus from a country when stringent public health measures are in place. What was then observed going into the second wave is that disease was caused by new lineages that has been introduced into the country, many of which could be traced to introductions from countries outside of the UK. Summer holidays and other travel abroad taken at a time when disease was under control in Scotland, but less so elsewhere, has had a predictable outcome.

https://www.cogconsortium.uk/news_item/two-new-reports-to-sage-on-the-genomic-analysis-of-epidemic-waves-of-covid-19-in-scotland-and-wales/

Edited December 9, 2020 by welshbairn

[Theroadlesstravelled]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

Absolute NAP that the 'ahve got asma* tho' brigade latch onto today's advice on allergies to try and get their way out of a nip in the arm, just like the highly dangerous requirement to wear a face covering in an enclosed public area.

More truncheons to the face needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*95% of which being just fat chain-smokers

The vaccine has been out for 3 days. Give it another couple of weeks of bad publicity and no one will want it.

[FuzzyBear]

1 minute ago, Billy Jean King said:

40 minutes ago, FuzzyBear said:

How will the council identify the families whose income would make them eligible for the £100 but they have not provided their details to the council as getting free meals anyway.

You need to apply so no doubt the application process asks. Councils have access to all DWP benefit systems to check in these circumstances. The free school meals issue is a misnomer, it's irrelevant you just need to be in receipt of the qualifying benefits. It merely excludes those in receipt of free school meals who's parents don't receive the relevant benefits.

 

3 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

41 minutes ago, FuzzyBear said:

How will the council identify the families whose income would make them eligible for the £100 but they have not provided their details to the council as getting free meals anyway.

You need to apply so no doubt the application process asks. Councils have access to all DWP benefit systems to check in these circumstances. The free school meals issue is a misnomer, it's irrelevant you just need to be in receipt of the qualifying benefits. It merely excludes those in receipt of free school meals who's parents don't receive the relevant benefits.

They have to be on the appropriate computer system as receiving free school meals - for non universal provision reasons. Good luck identifying them, inviting applications, processing applications and then paying the£100 before xmas if the numbers I have been told are correct.

[welshbairn]

The Russians are saying you shouldn't drink alcohol for a couple of months after taking their one. That's their herd immunity prospects fucked.

[Todd_is_God]

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/nicola-sturgeon-scotland-holidays-abroad-19426760.amp?__twitter_impression=true

I don't understand the reasoning behind the "oh but there might be more covid elsewhere" argument here.

If (and I appreciate it is an if) we in Scotland have vaccinated enough of the population to feel that we can relax restrictions on people mixing here, then it makes no difference if the people you are mixing with were in Motherwell the week before or Marbella.

Floating the idea that you may not be able to go on holiday fully seven months after we have starting vaccinating people (and beyond the point where we can reasonably expect to have vaccinated everyone they plan to) is a concern for me. There is a cautious approach, and there is a hysterical nonsense approach. This feels very much towards the latter.

I'm not in favour of vaccine passports, but the tightest acceptable restriction that should even be in the same room as the table would be the option to choose between a period of self isolation on return, or be vaccinated prior to travel.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Todd_is_God

[invergowrie arab]

5 hours ago, dirty dingus said:

PTTGOYN for this shit but Guy Incognito wasn't Homer so this meme is almost always used incorrectly. 

[101]

6 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/nicola-sturgeon-scotland-holidays-abroad-19426760.amp?__twitter_impression=true

I don't understand the reasoning behind the "oh but there might be more covid elsewhere" argument here.

If (and I appreciate it is an if) we in Scotland have vaccinated enough of the population to feel that we can relax restrictions on people mixing here, then it makes no difference if the people you are mixing with were in Motherwell the week before or Marbella.

Floating the idea that you may not be able to go on holiday fully seven months after we have starting vaccinating people (and beyond the point where we can reasonably expect to have vaccinated everyone they plan to) is a concern for me. There is a cautious approach, and there is a hysterical nonsense approach. This feels very much towards the latter.

I'm not in favour of vaccine passports, but the tightest acceptable restriction that should even be in the same room as the table would be the option to choose between a period of self isolation on return, or be vaccinated prior to travel.

To me that seems 100% spot on the sort of advice that the leader of a county should be giving people in response to a fairly daft question - I would ask it again in March and then actually pay attention to what she says.

[Billy Jean King]

They have to be on the appropriate computer system as receiving free school meals - for non universal provision reasons. Good luck identifying them, inviting applications, processing applications and then paying the£100 before xmas if the numbers I have been told are correct.

What I was told today was the free school meals issue is basically a red herring. That came straight from an LA head of Benefits. As long as the parents of the child are receiving the qualifying benefits they will qualify. FSM only relevance is where a child receives them via general provision but their parents don't receive the qualifying benefit. DWP systems will tell the council re benefits. As for deadlines etc, not my bag I'm afraid but the person I was speaking too today didn't mention any issues so far. I'm only passing on info for anyone reading who thinks the might qualify and on that front it's very straightforward, not interested in Councils various issues beyond that.

[Billy Jean King]

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/nicola-sturgeon-scotland-holidays-abroad-19426760.amp?__twitter_impression=true
I don't understand the reasoning behind the "oh but there might be more covid elsewhere" argument here.
If (and I appreciate it is an if) we in Scotland have vaccinated enough of the population to feel that we can relax restrictions on people mixing here, then it makes no difference if the people you are mixing with were in Motherwell the week before or Marbella.
Floating the idea that you may not be able to go on holiday fully seven months after we have starting vaccinating people (and beyond the point where we can reasonably expect to have vaccinated everyone they plan to) is a concern for me. There is a cautious approach, and there is a hysterical nonsense approach. This feels very much towards the latter.
I'm not in favour of vaccine passports, but the tightest acceptable restriction that should even be in the same room as the table would be the option to choose between a period of self isolation on return, or be vaccinated prior to travel.

In the context quoted it all depends on uptake and speed of roll out. A poor uptake or slow roll out (eg supply issues, ineffectiveness) would definitely hinder resumption of international travel. As these remain unknowns it's probably a sensible answer to that question. We simply don't know if enough people will be vaccinated here or if it's as effective as hoped, by the time summer comes. I'm not sure what other answer she could give 1 day into the vaccine program.

I think you know as well as I do that if it all goes as hoped the narrative on issues like this will change but right now, today, neither NS nor anyone else can say that travel will be normal by June. We all hope it will be and I have been confident enough to book for July but no way can any political leader say to the public "start your engines" when it comes to issues like this right now.

[FuzzyBear]

16 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

33 minutes ago, FuzzyBear said:

They have to be on the appropriate computer system as receiving free school meals - for non universal provision reasons. Good luck identifying them, inviting applications, processing applications and then paying the£100 before xmas if the numbers I have been told are correct.

What I was told today was the free school meals issue is basically a red herring. That came straight from an LA head of Benefits. As long as the parents of the child are receiving the qualifying benefits they will qualify. FSM only relevance is where a child receives them via general provision but their parents don't receive the qualifying benefit. DWP systems will tell the council re benefits. As for deadlines etc, not my bag I'm afraid but the person I was speaking too today didn't mention any issues so far. I'm only passing on info for anyone reading who thinks the might qualify and on that front it's very straightforward, not interested in Councils various issues beyond that.

I would respectfully suggest your Head of Benefits may be incorrect.  It is very far from straightforward.

[Detournement]

42 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

This is interesting, if we could have closed the borders at the end of lockdown Scotland could have been like New Zealand by last summer.

https://www.cogconsortium.uk/news_item/two-new-reports-to-sage-on-the-genomic-analysis-of-epidemic-waves-of-covid-19-in-scotland-and-wales/

That was pretty fucking obvious. There was no Covid here by the middle of June.

I said ages ago foreign holidays were a crazy idea. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Detournement

[renton]

https://www.cogconsortium.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/9th-December-2020-COG-UK-Report-Scotland-SARS-CoV-2-a-genomics-perspective-SAGE.pdf

Interesting report on the genetic diversity and lineage of the Covid virus in Scotland.

Seems to conclude the vast majority of strains present in Scotland were suppressed and/or eradicated by July, and that the second wave strains are a majority import from other countries - mostly Europe.

[Szamo's_Ammo]

CNN managed to find the most quintessential, jolly old British chap on earth to discuss receiving their vaccination.

Some great lines in this.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Szamo's_Ammo

[dirty dingus]

7 minutes ago, Detournement said:

That was pretty fucking obvious. There was no Covid here by the middle of June.

I said ages ago foreign holidays were a crazy idea. 

What about all the travel within the UK? The report seems to say Wales got hit from travellers from UK as well as International. We had pretty much got it down to zero but England still had 400+ cases per day throughout the summer. Would a full lockdown of Scottish borders been accepted by Westminster and the opposition up here?

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

42 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

PTTGOYN for this shit but Guy Incognito wasn't Homer so this meme is almost always used incorrectly. 

Mr Snrub is a more appropriate meme.