Coronavirus

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by jfman

Haha Christmas is a bit far.

Distancing I get there’s an economic argument around. Masks less so.

FT makes the point that it's fair enough to end mask-wearing in pubs as people have the choice to enter such premises. But they often don't have the choice on public transport hence a reason for mask-wearing to continue on public transport.

[1andrew1]

Business warns of England work chaos from delay to ending self-isolation

Business and health chiefs warned on Tuesday that England faces weeks of workplace chaos, with around 2m people a week at risk of contracting Covid-19 or being asked to self-isolate.

Health secretary Sajid Javid admitted there could be a record 100,000 new Covid cases a day if most remaining restrictions are lifted on July 19 as planned. The projected number of daily cases would far exceed the 61,240 new daily cases when the virus peaked on January 1.

But recent data show that a ratio of two people are asked to isolate for 10 days per original case, suggesting that if 700,000 a week were infected a further 1.4m could be asked to self-isolate.

https://www.ft.com/content/ac78e148-...b-efbc4f8d852a

[tweetiepooh]

Sorry this is paywalled - it was free on Apple news yesterday on my iPhone but I only skimmed it.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...down-ever-end/


Maybe someone with access can get the more salient quotes out.

[heero_yuy]

Not paywalled for me but that may be my script blocker kicking in. From your link:

But a depressing truth looms over Britain: many people do not seem to want restrictions to end. Millions have become attached to the gilded trappings of lockdown, from furlough to flexi-home working. With our every movement micromanaged by one metre signage and one-way arrows, our instincts for independent self-direction have shrivelled. And after nearly 18 months of relentless – and irresponsible – anti-Covid messaging, terror of the virus is still everywhere.

In this context, a nasty culture war is brewing, a modern twist on the old feud between positive and negative liberty. In one camp are the freedom lovers who hope that we can “learn to live with the virus” and roll back the Covid state. In the other camp are those who believe that the Prime Minister’s new emphasis on the individual is dangerous; that he should be seeking to “liberate” society from risk and provide the ultimate “freedom” of living without the coronavirus by aiming for a Zero Covid utopia instead.

No emotive words/statements there, then...

gilded trappings of lockdown, every movement micromanaged, independent self-direction shrivelled, irresponsible anti-Covid messaging, culture war, freedom lovers, etc.

Who wrote this - Lozza Fox?

[jfman]

The average person sits somewhere in the middle - they want restrictions to ease but not at all costs. The Telegraph making the observation is - without irony - stoking the culture war. Presenting the reality as binary “freedom” versus “terror”. Misrepresenting restrictions as “lockdown”.

However it’s a tried and tested strategy to divide people into two uncompromising camps, allowing Government incompetence to go unchecked. People blame other people for the impact on health (the covid deniers) and the economy (the rationally risk averse who spend less against a backdrop of a public health crisis).

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Not paywalled for me but that may be my script blocker kicking in. From your link:

More from the DT article:

With hard times ahead, Johnson must stay resolute that this is the end of the Covid emergency, and the start of the Covid recovery. In particular, No 10 must hold its nerve against the Zero Covid campaign, which is organising against it. Scientists have already started to brief against the Government, branding the new Health Secretary Sajid Javid as “frightening”. and accusing ministers of “building ‘variant’ factories” in the population.

As deaths remain low, they seem keen to shift their emphasis from scary graphs to warnings about mysterious long-term complications. Long Covid – a risk acknowledged by Chris Whitty in yesterday’s press conference – looks set to shift from a marginal story to a major talking point. Epidemiologists are taking to the airwaves with various stomach-churning scenarios – that Covid could turn out to be like mumps, with rare but life-threatening risks for children; that the infected may become more susceptible to diseases further down the line (as it proved with Parkinson’s among survivors of the Spanish flu).

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Hugh

No emotive words/statements there, then...

gilded trappings of lockdown, every movement micromanaged, independent self-direction shrivelled, irresponsible anti-Covid messaging, culture war, freedom lovers, etc.

Who wrote this - Lozza Fox?

Sherelle Jacobs

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

More from the DT article:

At least they’ve picked their side in the culture war.

It’s like reading Toby Young last summer.

[jonbxx]

Reading those excerpts of that Telegraph article, you could swap COVID with Brexit very easily...

Get COVID done!
It's all project fear!

I just hope that we don't regret things a few months down the line. Viruses don't really care about bullish optimism

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Not paywalled for me but that may be my script blocker kicking in. From your link:

I think author has pretty much nailed it.

[Hom3r]

Originally Posted by jfman

The average person sits somewhere in the middle - they want restrictions to ease, but not at all costs.

Well some covidiots on my town's FB page have said the threw their mask away early in the year, and fully expect to travel without restrictions even though they have refused to take the vaccine, as they just say Covid-19 is just flu.


They also said stopping them is discrimination

[1andrew1]

An interesting PMQs ahead!

COVID-19: PM heading for showdown with MPs amid predictions millions of Britons could get coronavirus this summer

Tory MPs and business leaders have reacted furiously after the health secretary said children and fully vaccinated adults will have to follow current self-isolation rules until 16 August.

Boris Johnson is heading for a COVID showdown with MPs amid a backlash over a six-week wait for the ending of self-isolation rules.

Conservative MPs and business leaders have reacted furiously after Health Secretary Sajid Javid said children and fully vaccinated adults will have to follow current self-isolation rules until 16 August.

This means they will have to stay at home for 10 days if they come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-...ummer-12350497

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Pierre

I think author has pretty much nailed it.

Funnily enough her track record is even worse than yours.

Covid is nowhere near as dangerous as our pathological obsession with abolishing risk. 5 November 2020

Where is the Conservative fight back against a statist Covid dystopia. 29 October 2020

Viral second wave fear will send us into another lockdown . 23 July 2020

We risk going over a cliff chasing second wave red herrings. 2 July 2020

Britain has fallen down the rabbit hole of second wave hysteria. 25 June 2020

---------- Post added at 11:50 ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 ----------

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

An interesting PMQs ahead!

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-...ummer-12350497

It’d require Starmer to develop a spine unfortunately.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by jfman

Funnily enough her track record is even worse than yours.

I know it can be hard for anyone to live up to my standards.