Covid “freedom pass”

[Funkypolar]

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8974617/amp/Britons-test-negative-Covid-twice-week-set-receive-freedom-pass.html

What do you think about the idea of a freedom pass?

I think it’s a great idea as long as testing is twice a week not monthly as was suggested elsewhere in the article.

I think the same should apply for those going into work places and schools, no pass no entry. That would seriously make a dent in case spread.

Just imagine the public health benefits of expanding this to other contagious diseases. We could eliminate flu deaths, wipe out the common cold, stop HIV.

It's been obvious (to me) for a long time that this would be the long term plan. Just don't act surprised when they expand the use of this freedom pass to exclude people for other reasons.

Very awful.

I think it's awful!

Not for me thanks.

Awful.
So initially it will be to show clear from covid.... Bit then maybe flu? D and v bugs? What about all respiratory bugs? Tb? Blood borne infections? Hepatitus, hiv?? You can't be too careful can you?

I would imagine twice weekly testing of all will need to be paid for. Taxes or individually. Someonebon the serco board will be rubbing their hands together.

I'm as afar from an anti vaxxer conspiracy theorist as you can imagine, but I'm shocked and saddened by how quickly fear is making us give away our freedom. Madness!

Bloody awful idea. On the tracks towards a dystopia I want no part of.

I don't get this.

Offer the vaccine to the old and/or vulnerable as a priority (and then offer it to everyone else after that).

Once the old and vulnerable are vaccinated we need to get back to normal.

Its bollocks.

This is a rehashed story about Johnson's pet project, which is still being headed up by Dominic Cummings whilst he works his notice from home.

The first pilot in Salford got pulled. This is partly because it wasn't picking up large numbers of positives, and wasn't getting anywhere near the number of tests processed that were the target.

The third version of the scheme is now live in Liverpool. Its been criticised for its methodology and ethics with scientists criticising how its operating because of the danger of false negatives leading to the spread of the disease because the effectiveness of the test still remains in doubt. There are rumours the scheme is close to being pulled.

Describing something as a 'freedom pass' is just the latest PR rehash of exactly the same project. Given its Cummings pet project and he sold it to Johnson who now views it as a magic bullet, I'm not entirely surprised its being promoting AGAIN as if its a new thing.

I think this is not about the 5th time its been pushed to the public in this way (no I'm not exaggerating). Its the same bloody thing!!!

And my suspicion is given how the Salford scheme was unsuccessful and the current rumours about the Liverpool scheme being close to being pulled, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire idea (which is extraordinarily expensive) is on its last legs, especially with the recent good news about several vaccinations and how close we are to them.

Moonshit was only every a possible stop gap policy in the gap before getting the vaccine rolled out or if the vaccine didn't prove to be very effective. It was a long term strategy of no real value in the short term because of capacity and logistics not being sufficient and needing to be massively scaled to be at all worthwhile.

Given that the vaccines seem to be showing signs that they will a) start to be available within a couple of months b) much more effective than anyone really dared to hope, the entire point of Moonshit is brought very sharply into question.

I suspect it will die a death as a serious project before the new year.

Do not agree with this on scientific and medical grounds.

Healthy people queuing up with unwell symptomatic people for testing in a shared facility - recipe for increased virus spread.

Plus those healthy people who get infected inside a testing facility/queue by symptomatic people will already have been given a 'freedom pass' as they would have had a negative test at the time of testing - so healthy people infected while getting their test are then free to spread any subsequent infection very widely.

Or even if they don't catch the virus while queueing or inside same building as infected people, then what is to say they don't get infected 1 hour later in the supermarket/football stadium/gym etc.

Very stupid idea dreamt up by someone whose only aim is get people out spending money.

Vaccination of as many people as will take up the vaccine voluntarily (likely to be the majority, but not more than 85%, but enough) is the only way forward. Until then, keep restrictions on non-essential activity (education being essential, if you are in any doubt).

I think it's quite horrifying.

This is how you sleepwalk into the masses being controlled. You make people beg to be controlled to save them from the boogey man.

Never have I been more glad to be an antisocial git who had rarely left the house in years anyway. I'll stay under my rock, thanks.

Bit annoying that they're nicking the name of the TfL concessionary travel pass for the elderly and those with disabilities

Never have I been more glad to be an antisocial git who had rarely left the house in years anyway. I'll stay under my rock, thanks.

I worry all this is turning me into one.

So no smart phone to hold the certificate, no access to society?

Yeah I can't see any problems with creating an underclass like that

Never have I been more glad to be an antisocial git who had rarely left the house in years anyway. I'll stay under my rock, thanks
Same but what about parents evenings etc.? How far will they take this? Is it to avoid vaccinating everyone - just give me a vaccination and stuff your freedom pass.
What about NHS workers. Contrary to popular belief, they are not being tested regularly - or even at all. Do NHS have to have a freedom pass to continue to do their jobs or can they refuse and risk being asymptomatic superspreaders? Totally stupid short-sighted non-thought-out idea that is purely driven by a desire to reopen sporting venues and get people polluting the planet on airplanes again.

Yuk. I think its disgusting.
I cant believe people will be welcoming this.

As I said on another thread - what's the point?

The vaccine will start being rolled out in a few weeks. In a couple of months - presuming they don't fuck it up - the NHS staff and most vunerable will have had the vaccine. At that point, does it actually matter who else has it?

For a young healthy person, most likely reaction to covid exposure will be to feel unwell for a week or so then be off work until 10 days have passed, then bounce back. Its only a problem if we expose vunerable or older people, who then need to go to hospital.

Me having covid wouldn't be a problem unless I infected someone who was vunerable/infected someone who went to meet someone vunerable. If the vunerable people can't catch it anymore, it stops being a problem that needs fixing, beyond a staffing issue for my boss while I'm off (no bigger issue than normal flu then).

This seems like an expensive waste of time, that feels like an infringement of our freedom for no noticeable benefit to society.

Nope. Vaccination is the way forward

In a couple of months - presuming they don't fuck it up - the NHS staff and most vunerable will have had the vaccine. At that point, does it actually matter who else has it?

Given that the whole point since March has been to stop the health service being overrun, once the vulnerable are vaccinated we will need to get on with life again, even if it's phased back to normal.

It makes me really uneasy.

Horrifying, very disturbing and its worrying people don't see how sinister this is

Test everyone twice a week lol. No chance. They can't even test everyone with symptoms without losing batches of tests and sending out results for people that have never been tested.

Even if this were on the cards the practicalities of rolling it out are well beyond this govt.

Sounds good to me.

The more rife covid is, the more risk there is of it mutating into something more virulent (or worse, something that renders our current vaccines useless). Especially in intensive factory farms which are sadly a staple feature of our environment. Keeping it under control is the way forward.

Four hour round trip to the nearest testing centre twice a week and having to stay at home until the results come back? Yeah my employer is going to love that.

@trappedsincesundaymorn

Four hour round trip to the nearest testing centre twice a week and having to stay at home until the results come back? Yeah my employer is going to love that.

Exactly - even in Liverpool the TV footage shows long queues, even for those who live close by. People drive/get bus/taxi to a test centre and queue and wait with dozens of symptomatic ill people - total madness.