Scottish Government moving the goalposts

[islaydarkblue]

I'll always remember that time I agreed with one of your posts as looks like it'll be the one and only. Furlough has absolutely nothing to do with the Scottish government, it is direct from UK to individual businesses. And election bribes are fairly common, so why not spend some of that additional income tax revenue on the NHS staff to make them look good. Are you against the pay rise?

Everyone working in the NHS throughout the whole of the UK should get the same pay rise.
The furlough money is sent to Scotland based on the Barnett Formula. Today it has been reported that only one third of self employed driving instructors, mobile hairdressers and tattoo artists in Scotland have received their £4,000 grant that they were entitled to receive from the Scottish Government under the laid down rules of the furlough scheme. It was reported on BBC Reporting Scotland that people had applied for their grant but their application was rejected. I would not be surprised if Nippy has used that money to give the 4% pay rise to the nurses etc in NHS Scotland.
She certainly seemed to be able to magic up the money from somewhere unless of course it was from the SNP magic money tree.

[Returnofrros]

You're hoping for the worst, I'm hoping for the 'best', we'll see what happens in the summer, no-one is going to be proven right or wrong in March.

No I'm hoping for what you are hoping.

[Taintedice]

Nicola Sturgeon will do anything to remain in power and if it means giving a large number health service staff an inflatable busting pay increase and announcing it on the final day before van election campaign she will do it. She craves power come what may.

I chuckled at 'inflatable busting'

[Returnofrros]

And let's see what happens in autumn.....not summer.....I've always said they will release in the summer......then Autumn/winter....back to type.

[Taintedice]

No I'm hoping for what you are hoping.

There is a lot about the behaviour of the average 'brit' that needs changing but it's not going to happen via coercion. Wonder if t e e nage pregnancies in Dundee are down

[islaydarkblue]

Seems that today's Covid figures are the highest for a month. As far as I can see over the next 4 to 5 weeks we are due some loosening of restrictions but will this now be allowed? When looking at the 0 to 4 scale (quite why we had to have a 0 to 4 scale compared with a 1 to 5 scale in England is beyond me apart from the likelihood that it petty politics from our 'esteemed' SNP rulers simply to be different) it worries me that we are only likely to go down to level 3 at the end of April. Level 3 has only minimal differences to level 4 and while the general rise in figures announced today may not stop relaxation the lunatic student parties that have put Dundee near the top of case numbers in Scotland surely might. I looked at the levels in general for the first time in months and was surprised/worried to see the level of restrictions remaining when we finally hopefully get down to level 0 (when?). My, wrong, interpretation of level zero was that we would be out of all restrictions by that time apart from some social distancing and mask wearing remnants. Looking at 0 level indoor socializing will still be limited to 8 people from 3 households (ironic when you consider the numbers said to have attended the student parties under level 4 restrictions) and Stadiums, whilst then being allowed to open, will still operate with greatly restricted numbers and there are further ongoing restrictions at this level. Restrictions such as these make a mockery of a system calling its lowest tier level zero. Most folk will likely think that means zero restrictions. If you haven't read the levels recently you should remind yourself, it makes interesting and worrying reading. Once again, I repeat from previous posts, I am rapidly coming round to the realization that it is going to be a hell of a long time before we get back to normal.

The island of Islay is currently in Tier 3. The only advantages of that is that hairdressers are open for business. Hotels and restaurants can remain open until 6pm for meals with a non alcoholic drink and a person can drink alcohol outside a hotel or public house until 10.30pm. However with the climate on Islay at this time of year people drinking outside are more likely to die of pneumonia than Covid-19. Most of the hotels on Islay are currently closed as tourists are not allowed to travel to the island under the Tier 4 lockdown rules.

[Taintedice]

And let's see what happens in autumn.....not summer.....I've always said they will release in the summer......then Autumn/winter....back to type.

So you want to keep moaning for 6 months, not 3

[Returnofrros]

So you want to keep moaning for 6 months, not 3

Not at all.

I want everyone to moan, complain and demand....not just me.

[islaydarkblue]

Looked into it a bit more Apple and Google offered to add in the tracing system for nothing. It would be part of their systems and as you say not centralised but it seemed to be something to worry about. Article I read seemed to think that the bluetooth option that was preferred was hopeless right from the start and Serco who were supposed to be the main operator got a shedload of money then failed to deliver. It seemed that big bad american tach companies were not to be trusted and nice friendly British politicians were a much better bet. As Rross has been suggesting for some time controll seems to be the name of the game.

how you get people to trust politicians when politicians don't trust their electorate seems to be an insurmpountable problem for us.

The main problem with the Test and Trace scheme is that each country in the U.K. wanted their own Test and Trace scheme which was not compatible with other parts of the U.K.
The NHS Scotland test and trace scheme does not work in the North of England whilst the NHS England test and taste scheme does not work in Scotland. Devolution may in some people’s eyes be wonderful but when we need a reliable Test and Trace scheme we need a ‘one size fits all’ scheme no matter how unpalatable that might be to the SNP controlled Scottish Government where Health is one of their devolved matters.

[islaydarkblue]

COVID protection level 0

Mainland Scotland and some islands are in lockdown, with guidance to stay at home except for essential purposes. Some islands remain at Level 3.

Our timetable for easing restrictions sets out how and when we plan to lift the current coronavirus restrictions over the coming weeks and months.
Meeting others indoors (socialising)



You can meet people from outside your household indoors in your home or in someone else’s home or in a public place such as a bar, café or restaurant. The maximum number of people who can meet indoors is 8 which can be from up to 3 separate households.

Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people permitted to gather indoors in a public place but do count towards the maximum of 2 households permitted to meet. For example a children’s party with 10 children from more than 2 separate households would not be allowable, but 6 adults and 4 children from 2 households could meet.

Children under 12 do not need to maintain physical distance from others indoors.

Where an individual household includes more than 8 people, they can nevertheless meet as a single household even if the total number of people exceeds 8.

You can go into another person’s house only for certain reasons, such as for essential work, to join your extended household or to provide care and support for a vulnerable person. This can include providing emotional support for someone whose wellbeing is at risk, including for those who are isolated because of disability or a caring situation or where they are a parent or carer of a child under one. Read Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for unpaid carers.

When you meet people from another household indoors you should:

minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
stay at least 2 metres apart from anyone who is not part of your household, unless in a public venue that is operating 1 metre distancing with additional measures being in place to avoid transmission.
maintain hand and cough hygiene
avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
if possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door

Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including those who had been shielding, people 70 and over, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) should strictly follow the physical distancing guidance.

This is the actual advice for Level 0 in Scotland. I didn't believe it when I read it. It isn't a lockdown but in what world do our politicians and scientists exist if they think this is acceptable.

They will have to think again. I am joining Rross! I thought he was simply over reacting to the situation and that there would be a return to near normality. I was wrong - this is rubbish and there should be pressure to find a better way forward.

This is why we have a bunch of dumplings masquerading as politicians in Scotland.