[jfman]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Do you really think that Kier's rabble could have done any better? ROFLMAO

It's down to the civil servants to deliver and that they have failed to do and will continue to do so.

Mass test and trace: No. Mass vaccination: no.

It’s equally up to Government to promise what’s deliverable - not what makes for a good headline to distract from whatever disaster happens on a particular day. See Operation Moonshot.

Blaming the Civil Service is simply laughable.

---------- Post added at 09:57 ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 ----------

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I have not been consistently wrong on this. It is true that influenza is seasonal and many thought that this coronavirus would be too in the early days, but the concept of 'herd immunity' was clearly correct because that is exactly what will see us through this crisis. Thankfully, we will be able to achieve it through the new vaccines coming through, but even a couple of months ago, there was no guarantee that we would get one, let alone this early.

I have consistently said that unless you let the virus take its course, we run the risk of mutations, which could have serious consequences. What have we seen in recent weeks? At least one serious mutation that is spreading much faster, although thankfully it does not appear to be more deadly and is still treatable via the vaccine. It is worrying, however, that it is affecting younger people more, and if that trend is enhanced by further mutations, there could be very serious consequences.

How does letting a virus infect more people reduce the chances of mutation?

I remain of the view that we should protect the vulnerable and let the virus pass quickly through the healthy population. That way, and now with the aid of the vaccine, we will achieve herd immunity all the quicker.

Even with a vaccine announced this morning you still persist with this flawed mantra.

However, with hospital admissions causing major problems, I accept that it is likely that the government will keep tough measures in place until February or March, despite the PM's natural instincts.[COLOR="Silver"]

The PM’s natural instincts appear to be to ignore Sage, go public with some bluster and create a distraction supported by his poodles in the media.

Agreed. The civil servants provided over-optimistic information to the government, and the government trusted them to achieve those promises.

Is there any evidence of this?

When they could not be fulfilled, the government took the blame. They have had to withdraw schemes that clearly did not work and they have come to the realisation that the government itself must be more hands-on, which is not how things are supposed

Feathers are being ruffled in the civil service due to the frustration of ministers that these plonkers couldn't organise a fry up in a chip shop, and a big reorganisation is coming. In the meantime, the government is taking control of the situation and I think we can all see that things are really beginning to happen now.

I’m sorry I don’t have the Conservative Party HQ set of blue tinted sunglasses. If Civil Servants have failed to deliver (entirely speculative on your part) why do the Government continue to rely upon them and make announcements based on their advice?

Equally, it’s not Civil Servants who have squandered £22bn on Test and Trace that’s, as ever, private sector failures to unaccountable companies creaming off money from the taxpayer to over promise and under deliver. Sound familiar?

---------- Post added at 09:58 ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 ----------

Originally Posted by Pierre

Contrary to many other people on this forum, I am not a health care expert, immunologist or Virologist.

But they have had nine months notice to plan for this scenario and failed to.

This current scenario must have been a “what if” question way back.

A second wave was predicted, usual winter pressures were predicted. So none of this should have been a surprise. The only variable is this new strain that has increased the infection rate in parts of the country.

Government failure so bad even Pierre can see it!