O/T. The Government's handling of Covid

[Andy_Faber]

Just to be clear, R59...I haven’t said a word about the EU, let alone any ‘hysteria’.

Perhaps interestingly, given yesterday’s angst over prioritising the vaccine, I heard this evening that my Manchester based sister in law and brother in law have today received their jabs despite being ‘only’ 63 and 66 respectively.
The reason? They’re both recognised as being at a higher degree of risk because they volunteer to work in a food bank.

My fb feed is littered with stories of ‘escapes’ from the prescribed order of things, I mentioned NHS management in a ‘local but not loved’ city suddenly deciding they were front line, family members of old timers turning up and demanding group injection, councils deciding to do their own selections, but a) who knows what’s true and what’s not and b) such behaviour is human nature.

[Ram59]

[QUOTE=ramAnag;39688381]Just to be clear, R59...I haven’t said a word about the EU, let alone any ‘hysteria’.

Perhaps interestingly, given yesterday’s angst over prioritising the vaccine, I heard this evening that my Manchester based sister in law and brother in law have today received their jabs despite being ‘only’ 63 and 66 respectively.
The reason? They’re both recognised as being at a higher degree of risk because they volunteer to work in a food bank.[/QUOTE

Correct, I didn't mean to imply that you did, I was just reflecting that the EU's stance over the last 24 hours, is leading people to question whether we'll lose some of 'our' vaccines and so endanger some second doses, which was your concern.

As to your relatives, that would be quite interesting to hear how that had come about. Obviously, there's nothing on their medical record to say what they do, so there must be some separate agency arranging vaccinations for people in exceptional circumstances.

It'll be interesting to see how the media view the roll out. Come tomorrow, the government are going to miss their target of vaccinating every over 80 and the care homes, followed by not reaching every 70 year old on February 15th. Although many others in following categories and many second doses will have been administered in excess of their promises.

I'll be watching the BBC hammer which ever lamb the government has put forward, for the slaughter on Tuesday morning.

[swaledale]

[QUOTE=Ram59;39688409]

Just to be clear, R59...I haven’t said a word about the EU, let alone any ‘hysteria’.

Perhaps interestingly, given yesterday’s angst over prioritising the vaccine, I heard this evening that my Manchester based sister in law and brother in law have today received their jabs despite being ‘only’ 63 and 66 respectively.
The reason? They’re both recognised as being at a higher degree of risk because they volunteer to work in a food bank.[/QUOTE

Correct, I didn't mean to imply that you did, I was just reflecting that the EU's stance over the last 24 hours, is leading people to question whether we'll lose some of 'our' vaccines and so endanger some second doses, which was your concern.

As to your relatives, that would be quite interesting to hear how that had come about. Obviously, there's nothing on their medical record to say what they do, so there must be some separate agency arranging vaccinations for people in exceptional circumstances.

It'll be interesting to see how the media view the roll out. Come tomorrow, the government are going to miss their target of vaccinating every over 80 and the care homes, followed by not reaching every 70 year old on February 15th. Although many others in following categories and many second doses will have been administered in excess of their promises.

I'll be watching the BBC hammer which ever lamb the government has put forward, for the slaughter on Tuesday morning.

Not sure which BBC you ahve been watching, its been a while since I've seen them do any slaughtering, or even forensic questioning which after all is the media's job. Now channel 4 are much better at holding politico's to account!

[Ram59]

[QUOTE=swaledale;39688939]

Not sure which BBC you ahve been watching, its been a while since I've seen them do any slaughtering, or even forensic questioning which after all is the media's job. Now channel 4 are much better at holding politico's to account!

The only BBC news I watch is Tuesday and Friday mornings and at around 7.30 am, it's 'minister bait' time. A couple of Friday's ago, Munchetty was at her best with some whimp from the government, Jenrick, I believe, he was trying to say that the vaccination of the over 80s and care homes was a 'target' that they were hoping to meet by the end of January, but she goaded and goaded him into 'guaranteeing' that this would be achieved. What a ridiculous question and an even more whimpish surrender and promise to make.

How on earth could he guarantee that individual, computer, supply, weather, etc, flip ups won't prevent somebody getting a jab? I'm all for holding to account, but this government baiting and entrapment is neither required nor desired.

As I've stated, despite the overwhelming 'success' of the vaccine rollout, I'm sure BBC breakfast will not let me down on Tuesday morning in criticising the government's broken guarantee.

[Andy_Faber]

The only BBC news I watch is Tuesday and Friday mornings and at around 7.30 am, it's 'minister bait' time. A couple of Friday's ago, Munchetty was at her best with some whimp from the government, Jenrick, I believe, he was trying to say that the vaccination of the over 80s and care homes was a 'target' that they were hoping to meet by the end of January, but she goaded and goaded him into 'guaranteeing' that this would be achieved. What a ridiculous question and an even more whimpish surrender and promise to make.

How on earth could he guarantee that individual, computer, supply, weather, etc, flip ups won't prevent somebody getting a jab? I'm all for holding to account, but this government baiting and entrapment is neither required nor desired.

As I've stated, despite the overwhelming 'success' of the vaccine rollout, I'm sure BBC breakfast will not let me down on Tuesday morning in criticising the government's broken guarantee.

That's not the only news I watch but I completely agree with your assessment, the interviewers (all, but Muncetty leads from the front) just keep asking the same impossible to answer question in the hope that once a week some week minister will offer an unguarded answer - and if not, the headline throughout the day is 'minister refuses to commit on...' Is also noticeable that the representatives of the devolved administrations and opposition representatives get a way easier ride. To his credit, Charlie Stayt did in fact press Angela Rayner on her idiotic responses on vaccine priorities last week but its a rarety

[Trickytreesreds]

Andrew Neil seems to have seen this coming a year ago, with EU leadership.
Very trust worthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M74i...nel=NewsAddict

[Andy_Faber]

....and at 598,000 vaccines administered IN ONE DAY (yesterday) I think I'll go out thursday 8pm and clap the shockers even if no-one else does. My only worry now is that its getting so impressive Michael Ball might bandwagon-jump his way into singing a song about it

[Ram59]

....and at 598,000 vaccines administered IN ONE DAY (yesterday) I think I'll go out thursday 8pm and clap the shockers even if no-one else does. My only worry now is that its getting so impressive Michael Ball might bandwagon-jump his way into singing a song about it

According to Sky, it was 609,010 in one day, which equates to over 4 million per week. Our capacity is there, it's just a matter if the suppliers can keep pace.

[swaledale]

The verdict on Johnson’s government and the way they have handled this crisis is likely to be damning.

Johnson has made mistake after mistake, for which the country has paid a very high price. A “world-beating” performance: with 64,000 excess deaths, that is one excess death for every 1,000 people, the UK has recorded the largest global spike in deaths compared with the average yearly death toll; and the country will suffer the deepest depression of any developed economy.

The Governments response to this global challenge is one of missed opportunities and dismal misjudgments.

The UK went into lockdown too late, with Johnson going round shaking hands with people at a time when the coronavirus infection rate was very high when restrictions were imposed, so the higher the death rate.

Then the Government shut down its testing regime too soon, leaving it unable to track the speed and spread of the virus. During February and March, opportunities to suppress the spread of infection by introducing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements were missed, allowing the infection to be brought into the UK on at least 1,300 occasions.

Entering the lockdown late cost lives, leaving it early risked more needless deaths, the emphasis on the economy and "eat out to help out" without considering how to control a further outbreak was criminal misjudgement.



Johnson not sacking his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, for breaching lockdown rules, further eroded public trust.

The government that has blundered, with the instructing for hospitals to discharge the elderly to care homes when testing and personal protective equipment was non-existent.


Handing contracts to private companies without competitive tendering or even a cursory check on whether they are up to the job? Whilst ignoring local authorities who regularly manage outbreaks of meningitis and ***ually transmitted diseases were not needed for the delayed test-and-trace system? Backing and spending millions on a tracing app, which didn't work, when there was one that already worked well.

Johnson continually promising things he couldn't deliver, and we have posters questioning why the media now ask searching questions about forecasts and plans? Unbelievable.

Allowing Universities to open, I mean who would ahve thought that millions of people travelling from all corners of the country and mixing in small shared accommodation would result in further infections?

Not being honest about Christmas, resulting in the surge of infections we and deaths we are now experiencing.

Continually making promises like "we will beat the virus in 12 week" " we will beat the virus by Christmas"

But then what can one expect from Conservative politicians, who view trade unions, local government leaders and professional bodies as powerful interest groups and influential lobbies to be thwarted, not listened to. In reality, most were attempting to help the government out of a hole by asking it to stop digging.

The pointless arguments and penny pinching with regions such as Manchester over the payments for those off work or self isolating, still an issue today, where the lower paid cannot afford to self isolate.

The lack lustre and far too late decision to close borders, only about 10months late, allowing people to go abroad, and in doing so importing the virus back into the country.

Instead the government listened to those who only wanted to get back to making money, the Covid Recovery group (essentially the Brexit ERG group) who fatally failed to realise that this situation is not a choice between the economy and public health, there is no economy without public health.


What Covid-19 has revealed is who really makes society work and the value of public servants prepared to put their lives on the line. What the government does with that knowledge will tell the public about the true nature of those that govern it.

The buck stops at Downing Street, which was responsible for the discredited policy of herd immunity and the late introduction of the lockdown. The quickest way back to normality is by controlling the spread of the virus.

Underpinning all that of course is a woefully unfunded health service short of 1,000's of Doctors and Nurses all as a direct result of Tory government policy.

Yet the mindless voters will think what a wonderful job Johnson has done with the vaccination programme, irrespective of the fact that he and his ministers have at long last made a correct decision in allowing those organisations who are experts, get on and deliver it.

We required a leader who could do detail, who was prepared to tell the public bad news, who could tell the truth and not meaningless waffle and was actually able to refrain from playing politics and get on with the job of managing the crisis in a cross party political manner for the good of the country.

[Geoff Parkstone]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...-after-blunder

For those who want to read this diatribe, which itself is very old news (15 June 2020) in its original form, virtually word for word, please refer to the Guardian report on the link above