Coronavirus (OLD)

If you go grouse shooting you are exempt from the rule of six..Sorry can't provide a direct link but it's available here.

https://twitter.com/CAupdates?ref_sr...me-in-12071480

That's because of a general exemption for sports though, not specifically grouse shooting.

TBF the countryside alliance is doing itself no favours by framing it as it has ... the support of 'pro-shooting MPs' ...

[jfman]

Hancock says it’ll take “a matter of weeks” to resolve the testing problems. Bad news for the “shield the vulnerable” brigade if we can’t quickly and reliably identify who has the virus and what areas are most at risk such a strategy, despite its inherent flaws in any case, would be doomed.

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by jfman

Anecdotal evidence, Max. Yet despite this the numbers testing positive on a given day are trending up.

If random people were just getting tested, without symptoms, they’d be statistically more likely to test negative.

The reality is the virus is more prevalent in society. This will further increase demand for testing in winter as the second wave takes hold, and other ailments that cause similar symptoms spread.

If we lose control this ends one way. They better sort it, and fast.

No longer anecdotal it would seem.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the mounting pressure was because of a huge demand from people who did not have any symptoms, who were not supposed to be asking for tests.

Link

[jfman]

Would be particularly interested to see the source data. Not a Government spokesman, unsurprising, deflecting blame from the Government.

Are they asking people as they arrive at testing centres? If so, why are they not turning them away?

Is there a survey they send out with postal tests?

How do they reconcile "lots of people who shouldn’t be going to the centres are, which is why people can’t get tested" and "The testing centre was empty, but we couldn’t book an appointment online" & "Clare Oxenbury-Palmer went to an empty site at Oxford Parkway Park and Ride just outside Kidlington*"?

*from the linked article above

There is a question asking if you have symptoms when registering for a test but until recently you were allowed to get one if someone else had symptoms or you were a key worker. Looking at the site now it's changed to only if you have symptoms.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Damien

This is a nonsense argument.

The Government are and should be held to account on the results of what they produce. The logical conclusion of your argument that since we're not in charge we cannot judge is an argument to never criticising the Government at all.

I somehow doubt that this understanding would be extended by you to anything else and just seems to be involved in this one instance but you don't like it.

Forgive me if I am wrong and you've never criticised anyone in a position of authority you don't have?

And even when we do actually know something about what they're doing. Such as their NHS app that was never going to work and then turned out not to work we're still not allowed to criticise the Government.

Of course we can criticise government, when it is justified, and I can understand people being frustrated. However, running around like mad men telling everyone they should resign is just childish. This whole coronavirus emergency has completely disrupted everything, and we are all learning as we go.

The testing thing has been a problem from the get-go because the tests have not been accurate and there was no point developing a system which was flawed. The government have been working with the experts on this and finally, it looks like we will have a quick and accurate system in place within a few weeks.

If you really think the other lot could do any better, you are delusional. The government has to rely on the civil servants to get things done - the government tells them what is required and they are supposed to get on with it. To listen to some of you on here it's as if you seriously believe that Matt Hancock is responsible for developing the tests single-handedly! On the contrary, he has recognised that the tests were inadequate and he has moved as quickly as possible to ensure that those responsible rectify the position.

As for the app, I'm not sure whether or not the blame should lie with the government but I am sure we will find out. Civil Servants have been providing some pretty dodgy advice to ministers about so many different things, and it is no wonder that the PM wants a shake up. Sometimes I do wonder whether the Civil Service are trying to set the government up to fail or whether they are simply incompetent.

There will be an inquiry about all of this in due course, and then it would be appropriate to criticise - when we know the facts. What we don't need at the moment is smart alecs trying to trip them up at every turn when they are having to deal with urgent problems in unprecedented circumstances on so many fronts.

[jfman]

In a few weeks. Oh my sides, Old Boy.

Should someone resign if it’s not available within a few weeks? If tens of millions are siphoned off into the private sector (again) with no tangible outputs?

You’re absolutely gullible. Probably self-selecting yourself into that category because of who you vote for.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by jfman

You’re wasting your time. Old Boy’s wild contortions and contradictions throughout this thread can only be summarised by the Government are right, all of the time, even when being right at a later point contradicts being right initially. Nobody, nobody, could have done better. Ever.

Evidence?

I'm not sure if you are just being annoying or you are simply not understanding.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Evidence?

I'm not sure if you are just being annoying or you are simply not understanding.

Old Boy it’s you leaping from hopeful optimism to hopeful optimism and have done so for months on this subject.

You’ve also made a pile of accusations against Civil Servants above without any evidence whatsoever, so you have an almighty cheek asking anyone else on the forum to provide any.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...-boris-johnson

Hospital cases up, ICU cases up. Herd immunity/cases remaining in the young not looking good for you Old Boy.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by jfman

No, that’s exactly not what anecdotal evidence is. What I’m saying is that because you know someone who has doesn’t mean that’s the norm across the entire country or that the sum total contributes significantly to the demand for tests.

I equally know, via social media, of people who got tests after being in pubs where there were positive tests.

When the advice was to wait and see if symptoms materialised. Indeed, a test wouldn’t confirm that they wouldn’t go on to develop the virus anyway. Following the return of schools I know of entire families being sent for tests, on instruction of the school, and against NHS advice.

I’m sure there’s always been a percentage, I’m not convinced that is the reason for the current shortage.

Ah, I wondered where you were getting your information from!

I will rest my case.

[1andrew1]

I'm not seeing any smart Alecs trying to trip them up. I'm just seeing people like Kushan trying to get one for his child so they can return to school.

The solution seems to be to put in an Aberdeen post code, but Nick Hancock says this is gaming the system. So says the person who voted to break international law last night! What parent wouldn't put in an Aberdeen post code to get a local test for their child?

There are a lot of reports of people struggling to get a coronavirus test. Gaynor Hope in south west London got her 16-year-old son a test after four days of trying. But test site workers were only able to grant him one by using a postcode from over 500 miles away.

“We drove up to the test centre, no queue, two other cars… but the steward said we had to use an Aberdeen postcode to get a QR code for a test”, she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-54157983

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Hugh

No, it’s the new cases, and they have been doubling each week since three weeks ago...

Hospital admissions remain very low. The virus passing through the younger generation is to be welcomed as this will not generate a lot of increased deaths. We do need to protect those who are vulnerable though.

What is worrying is the increased number of cases in care homes. We still need to step up there.

---------- Post added at 17:49 ---------- Previous post was at 17:42 ----------

Originally Posted by jfman

It’s only low because of, and increasing despite, the restrictions in place. Open everything up and it goes through the roof, NHS overwhelmed, see Italy in February.

Unless of course we’ve hit herd immunity by accident - but if that was the case the test positivity rate would be falling and R wouldn’t be increasing.

I’m really not sure what the urgency is to test this, be wrong, cause unnecessary deaths and be in a second lockdown.

Nice to see you almost admitting that herd immunity is the only practical way of defeating this virus apart from your 'lockdown for as long as its necessary' solution.

The easing of restrictions is having the inevitable consequence, which we are already detecting amongst young people. Where this ends, I agree, depends on the extent to which herd immunity has now been achieved.