Off Topic Coronavirus

Unconfirmed rumours that an inflatable with a single occupant was seen rowing furiously across the Channel towards Calais, only narrowly avoiding being hit by a mystery ferry that wasn't supposed to exist

Watford has started his farewell to Europe tour

Final and permanent destination believed to be Syria, or Yemen, Afghanistan...Or anywhere else that will grant him asylum

Come back Watford....it really isn't that bad back in West Windsor....

 

Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the Commons, who earlier told people to stop their "endless carping" about test problems and claimed the current system is a "phenomenal success".
What a ****ing ****er this man is. First its Grenfell and now this. I wonder if he would be carping on if he wasnt so privileged to get a test at the drop of a hat. Prick

 

I am out the country for a bit but sadly working albeit with nicer views than West Windsor-upon-Thames.

 

Enjoy the change....my next assignment is the less than scenic surrounds 5 mins walk from Old Trafford

 

I remember you pointing out the downgrading at the time Woody, and I must admit that at the time I didn't quite believe it could be true. There have been suggestions since that the reason for the downgrading was that lower standards of PPE would be mandated under the revised classification. If this is true, it's as big a scandal as the care homes fiasco. Manslaughter.

 

Agree the testing seems to be a bit of a nightmare. The government can be forgiven for early mistakes but anything after is incompetence. Even you said that there would be a spike when the kids go back... although that is not entirely correct at the moment it does mean however that if any kid sneezes, alarm bells will ring. Take Kier Starmer (although that's not a good example) he managed to get a test straight away whereas some poor sod in East London drove to Aberdeen? There are clearly problems... but I agree with your comment that some can get tested at 'a drop of a hat'.
I actually agree with that Dildo woman who said 27% of tests were negative and I believe that some are using this system more out of fear than common sense? However, It was the government that told everyone to get a test if they needed it? Stupid idiots have caused their own problems here. For me, I think they have dropped the ball. They thought it was over and it will come back and bite them in the arse.

 

Universities next....there's been an outbreak in the student accomodation at Napier University in Edinburgh

Coronavirus in Scotland: 11 cases linked to student flats

Eleven students have tested positive for Covid-19 following an outbreak at student accommodation.
Edinburgh Napier University is working closely with NHS Lothian's Test and Protect team, which is investigating the cluster at the Bainfield flats.

The university's principal said the circumstances surrounding the cases have yet to be established.

But Prof Andrea Nolan told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live she is hopeful the cluster had been contained.

She said: "We have identified the students who have tested positive. We have identified their close contacts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-54193845

 

Manslaughter, agree. Has anyone ever heard any media source question the government on the downgrading of covid?

 

I see that Neil Warnock has tested positive to co-vid19.
As for anyone, especially in the higher years, hope he doesn't get any complications and comes out of it quickly.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...us-MISS-Middlesbroughs-clash-Bournemouth.html

 

Schools are becoming a massive issue, especially up here in leeds. One girl in my nieces class (year 7) has got symptoms and so has been tested, she is awaiting her results but her parents are still sending her to school!!! This is a case of stupid/bad parenting in my opinion. The whole class could become infected!! Ironically the school has tried to keep it on the lowdown and the class kept open. Numerous cases at other relatives school. My brother currently has 11 teachers either in isolation or with a positive test. Its madness all over the place.

 

Agree I heard a mum today saying her kid had symptoms couldn't get a test and when she does they will have to wait 7 days for results... meanwhile all her friends that she has been in contact with can go to school?
I really can't understand how they let this happen. I am supportive of the government but I will knock them if they make stupid mistakes. They need to start acting as if they are in control of this. Not good

 

The PCR test does NOT prove anything but still very uneducated people believe a positive test has got any effect. Unbelievably naive and yet again amazing how easy people can be negativly be influenced/manipulated. 2021 everyone will be on the dole.

 

I seriously doubt that people realize the extent of the economic damage caused by this HOAX instigated but a group of Oligarchs & Academics frunk on their own power and ignorance of how the real world even functions. When you shake hands with someone, you get a sense of their character or lack thereof by the look in their eyes.

Even CNN now admits the “[a]bout 60% of businesses that have closed during the coronavirus pandemic will never reopen, and restaurants have suffered the most, according to new data from Yelp.” in the meantime, we have a similar arrogance among market pundits who think a vaccine will save the economy and everything will recover as if nothing ever took place. What has been unleashed with masks and social distancing will leave a stain in the minds of so many who will forever look at others as a threat to their life transporting some disease.

I have to state that there is a cycle to the rise and fall of civilizations. The rise when it is beneficial for everyone to come together. You no longer have to bake bread because a baker is there which frees you to do things that you are good at. Civilizations collapse when they (1) turn against their people, and (2) allow one class to oppress another. This is why Marxism is so dangerous. The more we move toward a socialist state means the state must suppress those that produce. Civilization no longer provides equal protection and thus it has lost its benefit for all.

The economic damage has undermined Western society and our economy. There will be no miracle recovery. We have lost decades of economic advancement. Small businesses have been devastated and these lockdowns have harmed the lower economic classes who mostly provided physical labor from cutting hair to driving trucks. These were the people who could not earn income from being locked down working from home. There has been a profound blow to the lower economic classes and the losses of savings for those who operated their small businesses are profound. Banks decline over 70% of loans for small businesses. That may now exceed 90%.

 

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email found here.
https://www.ft.com/content/ab85dadf-e730-4e3d-89a0-05f4cc713f3c

New Zealand backs lockdown strategy despite record contraction Economy shrinks 12.2% but Wellington adamant restrictions will lead to strong recovery

please log in to view this image

New Zealand has entered its first recession in a decade but the government of Jacinda Ardern has been largely praised for its handling of coronavirus © Bloomberg New Zealand’s finance minister has defended one of the world’s toughest Covid-19 lockdowns following a record economic contraction, insisting the restrictions saved lives and was facilitating a strong recovery.
The country’s gross domestic product fell 12.2 per cent in the three months to the end of June, compared with the previous three months. The contraction has plunged New Zealand into its first recession in a decade, following a 1.4 per cent fall in GDP in the first quarter. But the drop was not as bad as initially feared, beating Wellington’s prediction in the May budget of a 23.5 per cent fall. My view is the best economic response remains a strong public health response Grant Robertson, New Zealand finance minister Grant Robertson, finance minister, said consumer confidence, spending and activity levels had recovered sharply in June and July when the nation went 102 days without a locally transmitted case of coronavirus.
An outbreak in Auckland, the nation’s biggest city, in August has been brought under control and the economy is bouncing back, highlighting the benefits of sticking with a policy to eliminate rather than suppress Covid-19, he said. “My view is the best economic response remains a strong public health response. Evidence shows us that when confidence lifts, businesses see more revenue coming in,” Mr Robertson told the Financial Times.Mr Robertson said New Zealand’s economy was performing better than some other nations, including the UK, which failed to impose lockdowns in the early stages of the pandemic and were now reimposing restrictions. UK GDP fell 20.5 per cent in the June quarter, compared with the previous three months. However, the sharp economic contraction risks reigniting debate about the elimination strategy pursued by Jacinda Ardern’s government, which faces an election next month.

please log in to view this image

Grant Robertson, New Zealand’s finance minister, said the economic damage would have been worse if the country had not adopted an aggressive lockdown strategy © AAPIMAGE

Wellington has been widely praised for closing its international borders and imposing a strict lockdown when Covid-19 began to spread in the country in early March. The crackdown initially appeared to work, with authorities reporting 102 days without any local transmission. But a small group of academics, called Plan B, has argued that lockdowns are unnecessary and will harm employment and social cohesion.
Ananish Chaudhuri, a professor of economics at Auckland University and a member of the group, said elimination of Covid-19 and strict lockdowns were not feasible goals, even if a vaccine was developed in record time. “In a globalised world, unless we keep our borders closed for a very long time, we will need to get the entire world — or a large proportion of it — vaccinated. No one seems to be thinking of the logistical challenge of doing this in a reasonable span of time,” he said.New Zealand’s treasury forecast this week that the nation’s international borders would not reopen till January 2022.
Nevertheless, polls suggest the government’s Covid-19 strategy remains popular, with three in five New Zealanders supporting the decision to extend Auckland’s lockdown by four days last month.

please log in to view this image

“Clearly New Zealanders have backed the strategy that the government's taken and, in fact, it is the reason why the strategy has been success- because of the so called team of 5m,” said Mr Robertson, referring to the country’s population.Nick Wilson, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago, said that elimination of the virus was probably the optimal policy for New Zealand because of the health benefits and the less severe hit to economic activity from lockdowns.

“If we had the death rates of various EU countries, it would mean several thousand deaths by now in New Zealand. Also, it seems the health burden from chronic health damage from Covid-19 infection — lung scarring, kidney damage and immunology disorders — is fairly substantial in some age groups,” he said. But Mr Wilson said relying on suppression and mitigation strategies for the virus could damage business confidence. “If virus is still circulating then a lot of people are too afraid to go out shopping or to entertainment.
That is why Sweden’s economic downturn is similar to Denmark’s — despite Denmark having lockdown and Sweden having relatively light restrictions,” he said.Mr Robertson said the biggest risk to New Zealand’s recovery was posed by the failure of some of its trading partners to tackle the spread of Covid-19. “It’s a game of two halves, to use a rugby analogy. In the short-term, New Zealand is better than was expected,” said the finance minister. “But the medium and long-term is more challenging and we put that very squarely at the feet of the global economy.”

 

I tried to provide some guidance getting yourself prepared for the near future but most of the R´s preferred to ignore me (at best) - fair enough.

I will leave you now for good and wish all the best.

BH

 

The estimable Dido Harding, Jockey Club board member and head of our 'world-beating' Test and Trace organisation has said that she doesn't believe "anybody was expecting to see the really sizeable increase in demand" for coronavirus tests.

For ****'s sake.

 

The PCR is a very useful tool...and technically at least I am quite well educated, especially in biomedical techniques and testing... but I admit I have no idea what this sentence means "very uneducated people believe a positive test has got any effect."


2021 everyone will be on the dole
Luckily,I wont be

 

Neither will i

 

WHO says cases worldwide are now higher than in March.
Halfwit Hancock says hospitalisations are doubling every 8 days.
Dildo Harding says they didn't see all this coming when schools returned etc.

What a mess!

 

While most of the world seems to be pissing in the wind trying to manage this virus (unsuccessfully) Butt Huber still seems to think his knowledge on testing is far above Beths (even more unsuccessfully)!