Cable Forum - Coronavirus (OLD)

Scientists have found 1,356 different strains of the Coronavirus in the UK.

34% traced back to Spain.
29% traced back to France.
14% traced back to Italy.

Bloody EU!

jfman

12-06-2020 12:34

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephiroth (Post 36039552)

Bloody EU!

:D

The EU seriously needs to look at how slow it was to close it's internal borders and further at giving Member States the autonomy to do this going forward to prevent or control further outbreaks.

This should equally break it down to regions within states to allow them to quickly implement regional lockdowns if required.

Once there's uncontrolled spread in one region and uncontrolled travel there's a sense of inevitability where it leads - back to national lockdowns that nobody wants to see again.

jonbxx

12-06-2020 13:06

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfman (Post 36039560)

Closing the Schengen borders is a local decision, not an EU one;

Quote:

The reintroduction of border control is a prerogative of the Member States. The Commission may issue an opinion with regard to the necessity of the measure and its proportionality but cannot veto such a decision if it is taken by a Member State.

From here - https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/wh...der-control_en

joglynne

12-06-2020 15:45

Re: Coronavirus

Not sure if this article has been linked to but I found it interesting.
https://www.politico.eu/article/coro...vid-19-deaths/

Quote:

snippet... How to measure the real toll of the novel coronavirus has been a persistent question since the outbreak began.

There are a number of difficulties. Some countries test more per capita while others test less. And governments collect their statistics differently, making any cross-border comparisons — be it infections, recoveries, or deaths — inexact.

Researchers are narrowing in on a figure called "excess deaths" as a more reliable measure that can give insight into the true scale of the pandemic. The idea is to take the previous year's deaths as a baseline and use the difference in deaths this year over the last as a more accurate metric of the virus' impact. This way, researchers can capture fatalities that slipped through the cracks.

downquark1

12-06-2020 16:06

Re: Coronavirus

Yes this is what I was thinking was the most realistic measure. But then I realised there would be additional deaths that may occur due to cancelled medical appointments which would appear as a "CoVid" death.

1andrew1

13-06-2020 10:19

Re: Coronavirus

Perhaps one reason why we were under-prepared. It looks like the distraction of Brexit was key in this decision.

Quote:

The PM abolished the Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingency Committee
MPs such as Michael Gove and Matt Hancock were part of the pandemic team
The group was scrapped by Mr Johnson just days after he entered No10 last July

...The group, officially known as the Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingency Committee (THRCC), was supposed to ensure the UK was ready to cope with a pandemic.

...But it was mothballed by former prime minister Theresa May on the advice of Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill so ministers and officials could focus on Brexit...

...Last night, a former Cabinet minister who was a member of THRCC until it was axed said it could have ensured the Government reacted more quickly to coronavirus, adding: ‘Once the pandemic took hold in Italy... alarm bells would have been ringing.

A former minister said fears that the UK was heading for a no-deal Brexit led to THRCC being wound-down in late 2018 by Sir Mark, adding "We were having to spend more time on EU exit strategy and less time on everything else."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tter_share-top

papa smurf

13-06-2020 10:29

Re: Coronavirus

Is there anything that can't be blamed on brexit :rolleyes:

jfman

13-06-2020 10:37

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf (Post 36039631)

Is there anything that can't be blamed on brexit :rolleyes:

It’s not blamed on Brexit as such - it’s certainly bad timing. However the plan to hold a referendum and have no follow up plan (Cameron), followed by the rush to trigger A50 left Government racing against the clock. The lack of a definitive GE result in 2017 didn’t help followed by opposition squabbling - who upon reflection should have put up or shut up. Similarly the new extension deadline has us rushing to work to arbitrary deadlines.

Nobody is blaming the decision to leave the EU in and of itself - there’s a mandate for it after all, but it’s evidently not something easily unpicked in a couple of years. Taking back control didn’t mean fighting against the clock.

Maggy

13-06-2020 11:44

Re: Coronavirus

Let's not turn this into a Brexit discussion.

OLD BOY

13-06-2020 12:09

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1andrew1 (Post 36039630)

Perhaps one reason why we were under-prepared. It looks like the distraction of Brexit was key in this decision.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tter_share-top

I don't think that's right at all. The government was following SAGE guidance throughout. The existence of the pandemic team would not have made any difference as they would still have followed the guidance of the scientists.

jfman

13-06-2020 12:16

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 36039636)

Not necessarily - scientists don’t get a blank cheque to create policy. A specialist group on pandemic preparedness could, theoretically based on their experience, have further interrogated scientific outputs and the evidence base. Perhaps leading to different outcomes based on their internal knowledge of Government preparedness.

There’s no blanket and uniform “the science”.

OLD BOY

13-06-2020 12:16

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mick (Post 36039450)

I’m currently in hospital and have been since Monday, following a serious complication, thats needed urgent surgical care. And a patient sharing the same bay as us tested positive for Covid-19. I now have to self isolate for 14 days from today’s date.

We're all thinking of you, Mick.

Hugh	13-06-2020 13:14

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 36039636)

They used SAGE guidance to inform policy - not the same thing.

1andrew1

13-06-2020 13:27

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 36039636)

The article goes on to explain the difference that the team would have made.

Quote:

Last night, a former Cabinet minister who was a member of THRCC until it was axed said it could have ensured the Government reacted more quickly to coronavirus, adding: ‘Once the pandemic took hold in Italy... alarm bells would have been ringing.
‘We would have stress-tested the Government’s contingency plans for dealing with a pandemic.’

Carth

13-06-2020 13:44

Re: Coronavirus

Quote:

a former Cabinet minister who was a member of THRCC until it was axed

dunno, looks a little like axe grinding to me ;)

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