Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Michael W]

As I've said before on India, the variant wasn't a variant of concern until long after it was red listed. Yes cases were rising there at the time, but the overall level of cases were lower than much of Europe once you factored in population. If we're going to red list countries every time there's a variant then we might as well shut over travel industry down now and drop the pretence. 

Vaccination rates in countries are supposed to be a factor as well in red list decisions. I've no idea if rates in India were much higher than other countries that were red listed prior to Indian's red listing. There are of course clear political aims at play too. 

There are also rather a lot of Indians or people of Indian descent that are British nationals and/or residents. It's not like those that did come back here didn't have good reason, much as the 'stop the flights!!!' moaners might like to pretend otherwise. They'd just come via Qatar or Frankfurt instead if we had done so, of course. And, crucially, every single one of them presented a negative test before being allowed into the UK. That 4% of them subsequently tested positive after arrival is something worthy of investigation. I imagine it gives fuel to those that want arrivals punted into quarantine in all cases, which isn't all that effective either - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-57425917

Now of course that variant is here and is now dominant. But, really - so what? We've reopened a bit and expected cases and hospitalisations to rise, which they have. Hospitalisations aren't rising at the same rate as cases because we have effictive vaccines and more than 40% of the population is fully vaccinated. They are being demonstrated in real time to be effective. They work against this variant. In which case, we really should be able to just deal with this now, including variants. There is no reason people shouldn't be allowed quarantine free travel to Europe at least -  If you do get Covid there you'll only get the Kent variant and not the oh so terrible one we're now wringing our hands about. 

The issue we have here is that the UK government went all in on VaRiAnTs when things kicked off last year, in particular suddenly unveiling the Kent variant when cases got to high levels despite it comprising c25% of all cases in areas of England as early as September. They did this to cover their arses for a series of abject failures with the tiers and embarrassing battles with glorified transport transport commissioners like Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, which they came out of looking fucking daft despite Manchester and London leading the infection charts. They are therefore keeping up appearances about variants by casting doom on them any time one appears, not to mention the reprehensible Portugal amber listing on the flimsiest of excuses. 

The vaccines work against these variants. Drop the pretence and stop elevating them to some sort of danger status that they don't deserve. It is a pathetic excuse from the government and no more. 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Michael W

[vikingTON]

27 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

It's fine to ignore the rules, but it's the things you can't control that are fucking folk.

I've not been able to get a doctors appointment for 2 weeks, and if I do it'll be an over the phone appointment despite it being something a doctor needs to see.

I'm not anticipating it being anything serious, but there's absolutely plenty of folk with major issues who aren't getting seen in time because of this.

'The rules' are not preventing GPs from seeing patients. 

[Abdul_Latif]

Linda Bauld saying on the radio this morning that 10 weeks and the fear pushing is not what Jason Leitch really meant…

Seems like he may be getting reined in a wee bit by others at the trough.

[Gaz]

38 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

That 10 weeks chat has had two impacts on me. Firstly it's put the lingering feeling of misery that followed me about for most of the past year back into the back of my mind. The feeling of dread waiting on an update from the Government on what you can't do now. And that's exhausting.

This is me exactly.

My mental (and physical) health has taken an absolute shoeing over the past year. I'm now double-jagged, most of my mates are now jagged at least once (and will be double-jagged over the next few weeks). I was looking forward to being able to go to the football and spontaneously decide to go for a game of pool or a few pints.

Another ten weeks? Over summer? I don't think I can take much more.

[anotherchance]

8 minutes ago, Abdul_Latif said:

Linda Bauld saying on the radio this morning that 10 weeks and the fear pushing is not what Jason Leitch really meant…

Seems like he may be getting reined in a wee bit by others at the trough.

Clownshoes should have been taken off the PR role months ago.

[trainspotter]

11 hours ago, oaksoft said:

I hope Andrew Lloyd Webber follows through on his threat to open up his theatre fully next week.

Has everyone not suffered enough from all of this?

[Forest_Fifer]

Just heard Prof Sikora make exactly that point on GB News.
He reckons we should take to the streets and do our own thing.

Why am I not surprised that you watch GB News...

[SweeperDee]

That’s me pfizered out my tits for the 2nd time. Arm is already hurting and the nurse said side effects might be more pronounced this time around. Work will be fun.

[Billy Jean King]

Anyone kidding on they are listening to these advisors and living to their rules  is either doing it for politically motivated reasons or is a fanny. As I said yesterday I was in a boozer for the game with no one following any guidlines except probably washing their hands after a pish, place was well over capacity, no polis chapping the door or Helen Lovejoy types protesting outside. The govt have to protect their own back so they have to take a doom and gloom approach with their messaging but they know adhering to the rules has been pretty much binned by the public outside of wearing a mask on transport or in shops. I feel for businesses who are getting it tight but kidding on we are in lockdown or under some sort of forced restrictions is on the individual not the general public now. 

You clearly were not in Glasgow city centre pre match or last night. Everywhere following the table service and capacity rules. Queues outside a lot of places because of it. Then BTP on the last train confiscating booze and enforcing masks !!!

Only slight positive is that the mask police at Hampden were universally getting told to GTF and they then reverted to 5 minute interval tannoy announcements which were roundly ignored too thankfully.

[Left Back]

1 hour ago, dirty dingus said:

Anyone kidding on they are listening to these advisors and living to their rules  is either doing it for politically motivated reasons or is a fanny. As I said yesterday I was in a boozer for the game with no one following any guidlines except probably washing their hands after a pish, place was well over capacity, no polis chapping the door or Helen Lovejoy types protesting outside. The govt have to protect their own back so they have to take a doom and gloom approach with their messaging but they know adhering to the rules has been pretty much binned by the public outside of wearing a mask on transport or in shops. I feel for businesses who are getting it tight but kidding on we are in lockdown or under some sort of forced restrictions is on the individual not the general public now. 

You're right.  Capacity crown in Hampden and at the fan-zone yesterday.

[Dawson Park Boy]

18 minutes ago, Forest_Fifer said:

12 hours ago, Dawson Park Boy said:

Just heard Prof Sikora make exactly that point on GB News.
He reckons we should take to the streets and do our own thing.

Why am I not surprised that you watch GB News...

Well, it’s the only station that takes the line as outlined by nearly every poster on this thread.

Put your prejudices aside and give it a go.

If not, enjoy your Guardian.

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

'The rules' are not preventing GPs from seeing patients. 

Can only speak from my own experience, but mines is making everyone do telephone appointments, and if there's something that needs visually checked then you've to email them a photo first. After the GP has looked at the photo and phoned you, will you then be able to book an appointment to go in.

Whole process between me first phoning the GP for an appointment, and actually seeing a GP, will be over 2 weeks.

[Thereisalight..]

First game of the season v Killie. I wonder how many fans  will be allowed in come 31st July

[Honest_Man#1]

9 minutes ago, Thereisalight.. said:

First game of the season v Killie. I wonder how many fans  will be allowed in come 31st July

1000 is the most we’d get I’d expect.

Edit: When I say we I mean football fans. Don’t think Ayr will have any fans at that game.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Honest_Man#1

[effeffsee_the2nd]

22 minutes ago, Dawson Park Boy said:

Well, it’s the only station that takes the line as outlined by nearly every poster on this thread.

Put your prejudices aside and give it a go.

If not, enjoy your Guardian.

can anyone tell me how lockdown vs light/no rules or mask vs no mask has become a right wing against left wing argument, to a fitbaw forum numpty like me it sounds like these things should have f**k all to do with politcal viewpoints 

material face coverings don't make any difference to the spread of microscopic virus particles in enclosed environments , except perhaps to work as a visual reminder so people don't let their guard down, should not be compulsory 

you can't tell a country like the uk to use their common sense when it comes to preventative measures so without some form of emergency laws as many people would simply have had large house party's the whole way through this . however what they did do , by bringing in restrictions, then having a list of exceptions as long as your arm & having very light , if any enforcement of those said restrictions , basically allowed people to use common sense to live their life for most of the pandemic whilst most of the highest risk activities were off limits  .  other European nations had the storm troopers fining people who dared to go for a walk by themselves, for exercising more than 3km from your house or not wearing a mask whilst out in a wide open space by yourself.  which is pointless

none of that is a left or right wing ideology,

[scottsdad]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

'The rules' are not preventing GPs from seeing patients. 

My dad has had some serious symptoms recently that have had him worried sick. All he could get was phone appointments with a nurse (who sent him for a covid test, which came back negative, and antibiotics which made no difference). More phone calls, and eventually it took for my mum to get belligerent - which she never does - to get a phone appointment with a GP, who sent him to a nurse practitioner. 

He's had blood tests, and others, and is awaiting an appointment for an X-ray. But all of this - when the government has adverts on TV saying that if you have these exact symptoms, contact your GP - has taken ages and caused a lot of worry. 2 months for someone (not a GP, a nurse practitioner) to even listen to his chest.

[Hedgecutter]

1 hour ago, SweeperDee said:

That’s me pfizered out my tits for the 2nd time. Arm is already hurting and the nurse said side effects might be more pronounced this time around. Work will be fun.

I've got my 2nd this evening and for the first time I'm really not looking forward to going.  Thankfully for society I'm not an utter shitebag.

Eta: I'd imagine that there will be a significant number of folk who'll be put off by the first one and not bother with the second, telling themselves that one should be sufficient.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Hedgecutter

[RH33]

Got my first jab at lunchtime.

[Detournement]

2 hours ago, Snafu said:

Who ever is buying up the bonds to cover the national deficit is in charge.

Frustration that every article I see to find out who they are the article always fails to mention who it is. Plenty of eyecatching headlines like WHO DOES THE GOVERNMENT BORROW MONEY FROM? But then goes on to dazzle you with the amount, graphs on spending and borrowing, how the covid is affecting businesses. I'm aware that the Bank of England is one uptaker of the bonds, no mention who the others are. World Bank? USA?, A Nigerian Prince? Dodgy Dave form Dagenham? Amazon?, Microsoft?, Aliens?, Manchester Utd?.

Blind spots, distractions and deflections all over the place.

The Bank of England buy a lot of the bonds through their QE program. They could buy them all if they had to. 

It's very much a reciprocal relationship. If the government cut spending or stopped QE the economy would crash and asset prices would plunge so the idea of the markets disclipining the government is now outdated.

It's also worth remembering that the government spends the money months before they sell the bonds. So in a macro sense they are just borrowing back money they have all ready created out of thin air. 

And finally the national debt only goes in one direction. None of the initial capital will ever be repaid. It will be rolled over for as long as the UK state is borrowing.

[Dawson Park Boy]

44 minutes ago, effeffsee_the2nd said:

can anyone tell me how lockdown vs light/no rules or mask vs no mask has become a right wing against left wing argument, to a fitbaw forum numpty like me it sounds like these things should have f**k all to do with politcal viewpoints 

material face coverings don't make any difference to the spread of microscopic virus particles in enclosed environments , except perhaps to work as a visual reminder so people don't let their guard down, should not be compulsory 

you can't tell a country like the uk to use their common sense when it comes to preventative measures so without some form of emergency laws as many people would simply have had large house party's the whole way through this . however what they did do , by bringing in restrictions, then having a list of exceptions as long as your arm & having very light , if any enforcement of those said restrictions , basically allowed people to use common sense to live their life for most of the pandemic whilst most of the highest risk activities were off limits  .  other European nations had the storm troopers fining people who dared to go for a walk by themselves, for exercising more than 3km from your house or not wearing a mask whilst out in a wide open space by yourself.  which is pointless

none of that is a left or right wing ideology,

 

44 minutes ago, effeffsee_the2nd said:

can anyone tell me how lockdown vs light/no rules or mask vs no mask has become a right wing against left wing argument, to a fitbaw forum numpty like me it sounds like these things should have f**k all to do with politcal viewpoints 

material face coverings don't make any difference to the spread of microscopic virus particles in enclosed environments , except perhaps to work as a visual reminder so people don't let their guard down, should not be compulsory 

you can't tell a country like the uk to use their common sense when it comes to preventative measures so without some form of emergency laws as many people would simply have had large house party's the whole way through this . however what they did do , by bringing in restrictions, then having a list of exceptions as long as your arm & having very light , if any enforcement of those said restrictions , basically allowed people to use common sense to live their life for most of the pandemic whilst most of the highest risk activities were off limits  .  other European nations had the storm troopers fining people who dared to go for a walk by themselves, for exercising more than 3km from your house or not wearing a mask whilst out in a wide open space by yourself.  which is pointless

none of that is a left or right wing ideology,

Thanks for that.

Didnt realise there were, at least, a few sensible people on here.

Your take on this pandemic is spot on.

I have and will continue to do my own thing as much as possible.