Downing Street to hold press conference this afternoon

[FairyAtTheBottomOfTheGarden]

From BBC News -

UK government Health Secretary Matt Hancock is to host a virtual press conference from Downing Street later today, it's just been confirmed.

He is going to be joined by NHS England national medical director Steve Powis and chief medical adviser Chris Whitty.

Were we expecting one today?

I’m in London but not in top seven Borough

Thought his next line was going to be something else

Fine with testing

I actually don’t agree with the mass testing. Would people go to the doctors for a flu test with absolutely no symptoms of the flu? No, so why are they constantly hunting for a disease in people that aren’t ill? I know people on here will scream “asymptomatic” at me but I think they are hunting for case numbers so they can keep the restrictions going as long as possible. Never in the history of the country have we cut off so many people’s rights and access to their family, livelihoods and health services for any other illness that fills the hospitals each winter, so why the incessant obsession with this one? Sick of it.
I know that’s an unpopular opinion on here but there it is. Feeling reckless!

Surely not in exam year secondary

Especially not when they’ve missed stacks and are likely to be doing much more high stakes mocks this year in case exams get binned again.

@ineedaholidaynow I am a teacher. And I am exhausted. We have year groups in and out like yo-yos,teaching in class and in lime at the same time. Trying to remain cheerful while colleagues are in hospital. Hancock admitting (almost) that schools are not safe is just a tiny 'victory' that we were right.
Not sure how many kids are going to want to get tested next week though as if they are positive then they are isolating for Xmas.

@RubyViolet

Friends kids in South London all sick. Parents now sick. People sitting on buses and trains at home time are at risk. Keep the kids home , the cases will decrease immediately.

Whereabouts? I’m SE London and still not like this

@MarshaBradyo I’ve got one in Year 10 and one in Year 9 and that’s all they’re doing. Lots of kids and teachers off, so not much going on at all according to them.

@PassataQueenofBritain

But but but ... schools are covid safe, aren't they, Gav?

Well- they are unless you're precious Londoners, of course
Fuck the rest of the country...

Exactly, teachers and kids have been dropping like flies up here for 2 months and nothing was done. As soon as numbers rise in London it's action stations.

@Lostinacloud I can send you photos of my 3 colleagues in icu if you like. All under 40. All were fit and healthy. One is ventilated.
Reckless behaviour is what put them there. Not their own.

If the spike is in Secondary School kids surely their families would have it too?

Oh thank God, some more resources for the SE. Wouldn't want children and families there to suffer, would we.

(Seriously I'm pleased about the testing but ffs!)

Absolutely furious with the proposed testing of secondary schools in London.
Where was this for the north west when kids and families dropping like flies?
Couple of weeks of London increases and it's all hands to deck to stop the spread but the north had several months of high cases and school closures.

@Porcupineinwaiting I'm with you. NE & W seem to have been ignored. But now it might affect Hancock and friends kids suddenly they think schools have something to do with transmission.
And this is affecting families too. Kids take it home and give it to parents. And teachers.

Given the state of Boris and Frost last night I don't think there's a tailor within 100 miles of Downing Street.

What an absolute disgrace they both looked. How utterly embarrassing to have our UK be represented by two sacks of sh*t.

Now they’re out of the country can we close the airports so they can’t come back?

@mumsneedwine swap you for a photo of my 89 year old DGM left to starve to death in pain in a hospital with a blocked digestive tract because only covid matters and she tested negative.

[quote PuppyMonkey]@MarshaBradyo I’ve got one in Year 10 and one in Year 9 and that’s all they’re doing. Lots of kids and teachers off, so not much going on at all according to them.[/quote]
Oh really! Ok yr11 here still full steam ahead. Just finished mocks so probably most intense they’ve had it so far.

Yr 11 Dd in a SE London school, did mocks during October half term. Thursday next week (last day) is film, fun & a big quiz. I can’t see why she can’t do Monday - Wednesday online like all the other years in her school. 60 kids in her year sent home to isolate at the start of the week, email about another 4 positive cases today. Teachers trying to teach kids at home & in school all at once (not their fault, poor sods)
I’m seriously considering keeping her off next week - something I never thought I’d be saying.

On a practical level how will that work with many schools finishing tomorrow? My own school doesn’t finish till next Fri but I am at home because my bubble “popped”. 🤔

I didn't see the press conference but have they really agreed to do mass testing in secondaries in London but not in tier 3 areas in the North?!

@nancy75

Yr 11 Dd in a SE London school, did mocks during October half term. Thursday next week (last day) is film, fun & a big quiz. I can’t see why she can’t do Monday - Wednesday online like all the other years in her school. 60 kids in her year sent home to isolate at the start of the week, email about another 4 positive cases today. Teachers trying to teach kids at home & in school all at once (not their fault, poor sods) I’m seriously considering keeping her off next week - something I never thought I’d be saying.

SE London too but the whole year closes (I assume goes online hasn’t happened here yet) when there’s a positive. Only two - other years so far. Quite different

Mass testing was promised for all Tier 3 areas when we came out of lockdown. Have we got it? No.

Now London schools, in Tier 2, are getting mass testing. Fucking brilliant. We know they hate the North, but they just have to keep on proving it week on week, don't they?

@PuppyMonkey

Very important that schools remain open..... for the last week before Christmas when all they do is watch movies and seasonal quizzes.

Great that London gets the tests while the rest of us are left to our own devices though. Really appreciate that.

But it’s only 7 London boroughs this applies to right? There are 32 London boroughs so 25 boroughs presumably with lower rates not getting the tests. Can’t see the problem

@Lostinacloud I can send you photos of my 3 colleagues in icu if you like. All under 40. All were fit and healthy. One is ventilated.
Reckless behaviour is what put them there. Not their own.

That’s really rude of you! How dare you! Oost the pictures of your colleagues go on? Lying and manipulating aren’t you online because it’s not real is it, because you didn’t like an honest post no one is saying it doesn’t exist but this beyond ridiculous now. . Now go on and post those pictures and prove it’s just COVID and no other winter flu/pneumonia/viruses can also do that the same year in and out.

I am just so so over all of this, could cry

I’m scratching my head here. Northerner living in London. Mum works in a school in Yorkshire tier 3. I’ve been worried sick about her and there was no talk of mass testing school children up there when they had horrific figures. North south divide or what?!