'Eat out to help out' a key driver of the second wave - study finds

[annabel85]

Coronavirus: Revealed - the impact Eat Out to Help Out had on infection rates
Research suggests that between 8% and 17% of newly detected infection clusters can be linked to the scheme.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-eat-out-to-help-out-accelerated-second-wave-of-covid-19-study-says-12118285

I know they were trying to get the economy going again, but what a ridiculous initiative this proved to be? I know people in hospitality who said it was bedlam on the days of discounted food, so it's no surprise.

So what was your master plan then? What would “now“ look like?

Whatever it was, it couldn't be much worse than the worst death rate and worst economic hit which is near enough what we have got and we've already lost control of the second wave and still won't take the action other countries have to get a grip before it gets worse.

Obvious things we should have done:

1. Locked down 1-2 weeks earlier in March, that cost thousands of lives on its own and kept us in lockdown longer while other countries were able to come out and enjoy more of the summer. (Other countries managed this)

2. Had en effective test and trace system in place locally, rather than waste 12 billion on a contract to their mates who've cocked it up. (Other countries managed this)

3. had temperature checks at every UK airport throughout the pandemic for everyone getting off a plane. (Other countries managed this)

4. discouraged foreign travel in the summer but enforcing mandatory testing for everyone arriving in the UK by plane, if not able to enforce spot checks on making sure people were quarantining. (Other countries managed this)

5. Had at least some measures in place in schools to help stop the spread.

6. had some/any plan in place to avoid the catastrofuck of hundreds of thousands of Uni students descending on every UK city at the same time

7. avoided the 'get back to the office', 'eat out to help out' lunacy

We had an advantage because we're an island and we were hit after Italy and Spain which bought us time to get a grip on things.

In reality, this winter was always going to be a write off anyway, so even if the government had acted better, the restrictions would still be here. But the hit we've took relative to everywhere else in Europe was not necessary and we're making the same mistakes again which will make the recover harder. Again.

Bollocks.

It’s funny how what has definitely spread Covid is what people personally don’t enjoy .

Opening things back up caused a increase in cases, if it wasn’t eat out to help out it would have been something else, numbers increased when schools went back and then when people returned to work. No lockdown is going to stop the virus as such, putting measures in place just slows it or pauses it, as soon as you open those things back up numbers will increase, it’s common sense really but what is the answer? Lockdown until a vaccine is found? It’s just not possible.

What is most embarrassing about this is that we are an island, a relatively small one. It should have been easy for us to manage this.

But instead we had lockdown, mixed messages and rules and yet planes were still coming in and out of the country.

The Scottish schools went back in August- yet we still had holiday makers here for their summer holidays. One or the other is hard enough to manage and sustain. No wonder the numbers went up in September.

If we had went in hard on this at the start- instead of the wishy washy way we have- we'd be in a much better position.
Not to mention the toll that the constant stopping and starting takes on businesses and mental health.

@Lovemusic33

Opening things back up caused a increase in cases, if it wasn’t eat out to help out it would have been something else, numbers increased when schools went back and then when people returned to work. No lockdown is going to stop the virus as such, putting measures in place just slows it or pauses it, as soon as you open those things back up numbers will increase, it’s common sense really but what is the answer? Lockdown until a vaccine is found? It’s just not possible.

If we had a proper lockdown, the virus cannot spread with no active participants. Starve out the virus and put in proper isolation measures for any incomers.

No shit!!!

I was fucking mayhem when it was on. I remember saying to my sister that they will be with us for dinner one week and in ICU the next.....

We cant have a full lockdown with no one going out because an enormous number of people IRL have to go out to work to keep the country functioning.
We need people to work in food production/manufacture, supermarkets, pharmacies, warehouses etc, delivery drivers, utility workers, it and broadband support etc, public transport, HCP in hospitals, care homes and communities, (as well as other staff in hospitals and care homes like cleaners, porters,kitchen staff etc)

@NorbertMeubles

My response to the title of this thread is 'no shit Sherlock'

Yes, same here.

Just imagine if, instead of this scheme, they had spent the same amount of money and effort making a truly functional T&T system - back in the summer when cases were low and it would have made a bigger difference.

Where would we be now?

Yawn

No such thing as a free lunch, you pay for it one way or another, also no shit sherlock!

I didn't partake in EOTHO as it's obvious that places would be packed/not sticking to rules and it would massively spread the virus. Yet I'm against lockdown rules and the removal of civil liberties. I wear a mask and sanitise and conduct social distancing. It's called COMMON SENSE people

@annabel85
rwalker
If it wasn't that it would be something else that caused a wave.The biggest lie the government have told us is that we can beat covid.

We lockdown earlier this year that didn't solve it no country has control of it .
Even those who appeared to be beating it it's creeping back up there as well

Without being too negative we are fucked .
But some are more fucked than others.

How many countries have a worse death rate than us from Covid? How many have took a worse economic hit? That's just from the first wave. Already we're right near the top again with the daily death rate.

Comparisons are only useful if EXACTLY like for like .

Water is wet.

But we can't stay in lockdown forever, at some point things have to lift, the virus will still be there. People are dying because of covid as well as "from covid", cancer treatment cancelled, mental health support cancelled, smear tests cancelled. Lockdown is only temporary and its killing people.

And where is Gav and BJ with a plan to get uni students home in December and back in Jan?

Agree, this is obvious! No survey required. If you were cynical you might even wonder If it was planned that way so that by the time schools were going back we wouldnt be able to tell where the infections were coming from.
It's all a mess.

I agree with @lljkk " "key" ? The study says "8-17%" of the increase was down to EO2HO. I mean... 8%? Really, we should worry about 8%? What was the 83%???" and @Crinkle77 "So that means 83% to 92% can't be attributed to Eat Out To Help Out."

Couldn't be key if it's less than 20%

I'm not at all surprised. Hopefully people will stop moaning about schools educating the nation's children now.

WRT holidays, it was dumb to let people travel abroad to mass tourism type of places. People crammed together, budget airlines, budget hotels, bus transfer, people letting their hair down and partying in close proximity. What could possibly go wrong?

No such thing as a free lunch

Is it bad of me to at this?

I’m getting really bored with armchair experts who know how the virus should have been handled and what knock on effects their armchair policies and pronouncements actually would have had. If you are so blissfully confident in your rightness, you’re an arrogant twit, so no better, really than the people actually running the country .

@Walkaround

I’m getting really bored with armchair experts who know how the virus should have been handled and what knock on effects their armchair policies and pronouncements actually would have had. If you are so blissfully confident in your rightness, you’re an arrogant twit, so no better, really than the people actually running the country .

Its the internet, if your bored, scroll on by, no one wants to know how uninterested you are.

@jajas1973 - no-one want to know how uninterested you are in people who think you are an arrogant twit, either, yet you chose not to ignore the comment .

Is anyone actually surprised by this?

About 80% of cases came from a Spanish variant. Restaurants weren't the issue, holidaymakers were. www.ft.com/content/2782655a-0441-4d38-bb03-5c4e67ead110