Do people really think Covid is a problem caused by Boris and his government?

[whatintheheck]

I am astounded by some of the comments on here and in the wider press and social media that seem to imply that the situation in the UK is somehow the government's fault. Are people really silly/naive enough to think that? Perhaps a glance at pretty much every other country in the world might give a hint that there are no easy answers. I would love to hear what people think our government could do or have done differently....surely the answer lies in the population adjusting its behaviour until the vaccine is rolled out???? There is always the NZ option of literally shutting the doors, but this has killed their economy. Difficult choices.

Not covid, but the complete and utter mess they have made of handling it, the number of deaths and the waste of huge amounts of money are absolutely their fault.

@Jaxhog

That's because it's easy to come with alternatives with hindsight! Especially when you don't have the responsibility for implementing them!

It was clear back in March what was going to happen and yet the govt still allowed events such as crufts and cheltenham races to go ahead. Pandemic 101 has three key aspects: Isolation Testing Trace contacts We isolated during lockdown, but allowed the virus to continue to enter the country as we did not implement any quarantine measures. Australia introduced home isolation for arrivals from 1st Feb. Testing: we told people with symptoms to stay at home and we didn’t test them. This was the exact opposite of the approach the Chinese took where testing was mandatory. Trace: too little too late and clearly a waste of time if you don’t test anyone.

We were still just singing happy birthday whilst washing our hands when they where if full defensive mode.

😂😂 so true.

It’s not hindsight! Experts were warning them about everything at the time and the government ignored them.

Any government would make mistakes with an unprecedented situation. But they chose to ignore the experts over and over and over. That’s not just a mistake, that’s an appallingly arrogant shitshow of a government

@ancientgran

I'm a bit sick of the hindsight excuse. Last March people were demanding the govt stop things like the Cheltenham Festival, big concerts etc. The football association stopped matches and gave a lead to the govt. That's just the first example and it is clear that isn't hindsight.

Absolutely! I am also sick of this excuse. I could not believe back in March how ignorant, arrogant and inept the govt was.

Except they were confronted with many opportunities to take action once they could see how the virus behaved, like when we watched Italy for 2 weeks and took no action until it properly established here; could've been mitigated with border closures and implementation of track and trace.

The SERCO contracts, lies about PPE, awarding £££ in contracts to their mates who had no experience and about £300 worth of assets. Politicisng the EU ventilation scheme and endorsing their friends instead, to make money. The care homes scandal, the University cock up, staffing taxpayer funds up the wall. Failing to join the vaccine scheme that would've enabled us to pay about £17PD, while weak negotiations lead us to paying about £34PD.

Whilst the Government didn't cause the virus, their handling of it has contributed to many excess deaths and damage to public relations, as well as wasting taxpayer money and awarding themselves bonuses while denying VISA to HCP.

Remember when Boris Johnson downplayed the virus and bragged about watching the races and shaking hands?

Hindsight?
I listened to an interesting interview with the editor of the lancet this week. He was saying that there were 5 papers published in January 2020 detailing exactly what was coming. Information from Chinese doctors already dealing with the virus. One even included a map showing every flight path from China to other countries all over the world and warning of the need to stop flights and close borders. They knew what was coming. All SE Asia knew it and they acted swiftly.
I did ask a question about his thoughts on Andrew Wakefield's research and he responded that he was disappointed, baffled and filled with regret. Just in case anybody raises that.

Not to mention the blatant ignoring of scientific advice from impartial organisations because they were blinded by their own agendas.

What we see now in the media is very interesting. Back in Feb and March photos of what was happening in China and reports of people being welded their flats.
Why no reports from China now?
No photos of people going to shanghai Disneyland? No photos of people in restaurants, kids in school, people shopping, on holiday in Sanya..

I doubt Tory voters would give a Labour government a pass if they'd presided over such a calamity.

They're lucky they've got much of the media batting for them. Imagine the hostility a Labour government would get from.the Daily Mail etc.

They have exacerbated the problem. And continue to do so.

They locked down too late last March. Faffed around with masks. Still claim indoor spaces are "covid secure". Only think there are three symptoms we need to test for. Won't enforce quarantine on incoming flights etc etc.

@babbaloushka

Remember when Boris Johnson downplayed the virus and bragged about watching the races and shaking hands?

I remember reading a European news report on this in March (I think it was from Italy) in which they were baffled by BJ's approach and how he was 'literally' washing his hands of Covid.

I understand why the genera public saw the situation in Asia and thought it wasn't something for the UK to be concerned about as it's not really been affected by pandemics in modern times.

By the time it was in Italy and Spain, there should have been a rush to act. Considering the numbers of people travelling to and from there it would clearly arrive in the UK if it hadn't already. We didn't have tests then but forced quarantine like when the passengers of rescue flights from Wuhan to UK had to go through could have happened especially if the cost was paid by the traveller.

Just had a quick Google and mandatory quarantine cost of flying to Melbourne is $3,000 per adult, $1,000 for each additional adult in a room and $500 for children aged between three and 18 years and there will be no charge for children under three. $3000 is about £1700 This would have cut out casual travellers

We were still just singing happy birthday whilst washing our hands when they where if full defensive mode.

I remember the TikToks about this 😂 This is what we will remember him for.

I think when he appeared on TV saying people would die but 'we'll have to take it on the chin' we all knew he was not going to exert himself to protect the citizens of his country.

I mean, I took my kids out of school before lockdown. Lots of people did. We had to take action to protect ourselves because those in charge would not.

Even simple things like making masks mandatory and requiring negative tests for incoming flights were taken by other countries weeks or months before the UK did so. If you do everything weeks after everyone else, as well as making constant U-turns, can you really claim that youv'e done nothing wrong and there was nothing you could've done better?

No, you can't.

You've only got to look at the numerous 'AIBU to be worried about Coronavirus? ' threads that appeared from January 2020 to see that many of us were deeply concerned. Not just hindsight.

I'd like to know what the OP thinks the government has done right.

We had a bit of warning, the government did nothing, they allowed major sporting events to carry on when the virus was ravaging mainland Europe.

Madrid had closed the schools, closed down mass gatherings, was in lockdown but 3000 residents were allowed to travel to a football match in Liverpool with no restrictions, and as they could not go to bars at home it is fair to think a few pubs were visited.

And how did those fans travel? Are there any direct flights from Madrid to Liverpool or did people travel on trains? Coaches? Fly then get a train or a coach? Drive, then a ferry then drive again?

I'm not blaming the fans, there were other factors, the Cheltenham festival and the VI nations went ahead. The PM attended events and visited people with covid who he shook hands with.

Meanwhile anyone entering the country was allowed to go where they wanted, symptoms were not even checked.

This country is made up of a series of islands with one province sharing an island with another nation.

When it comes to something like a contagious disease that is a huge advantage and it wasn't implemented.

Ireland closed schools and went into lockdown, NI didn't. NI should have been given the same restrictions as Ireland as should the rest of the UK.

Travel between areas should have been limited and people coming into the UK should have been, at the least, monitored, ideally isolated for 2 weeks.

BJ didn't cause covid but he reacted to it in a manner that helped it take hold, he has also allowed his friends and colleagues to get away with breaking restrictions, which means many people will think the restrictions don't really apply.

Ah yes the easy thing is to blame the goverment. You see it on here how Boris has done a u-turn except what they failt to see is how MSM put out so much rubbish based on supposedly inside sources and make crap up like omg they are going to take support bubbles away, then someone reads it comes on here starts a thread, people get enraged and then its announced its notnhaplening and its lmg Boris has done a u-turn.

You only have to look at every lockdown to see the pattern an announcement is made that Boris is to address the nation and the days leading up to is pure speculation on what it means and then hebdoes his announcement and its omg he did a u-turn. Its only a u-turn if he slactuslly says something and then turns round and goes bsck on it but if he hasn't said it in the first place then... 🤷‍♂️

Anyway people just love to bash the government.

We're doing great on vaccine rollout compared to other countries in general and people still find a way to bash him

If it was Labour they would be singing their praises all the way through

[quote Orf1abc]@Londonnight Look up the Cygnus Report. In 2016 the government were told that we were not prepared for a pandemic, and were warned of the catastrophic effect if they failed to do anything about it. What did they do? Nothing.[/quote]
Presumably the report recommendations would have had huge costs attached. People were in dire need before the pandemic - education, housing, health all crying out for more funding.

I can picture the headlines if the gvt had procured millions of pounds worth of PPE in a warehouse next door to an estate where kids go hungry.

Was there genuinely an appetite amongst tax payers for pandemic planning? I suspect not.

NZ and Australia economy are doing just fine. The UK government could have done much much better

endofthelinefinally
Hindsight?
I listened to an interesting interview with the editor of the lancet this week. He was saying that there were 5 papers published in January 2020 detailing exactly what was coming.

Richard Horton? Who tweeted 23/24 January 2020;

A call for caution please. Media are escalating anxiety by talking of a “killer virus” + “growing fears”. In truth, from what we currently know, 2019-nCoV has moderate transmissibility and relatively low pathogenicity. There is no reason to foster panic with exaggerated language.

emptydreamer
the UK is quite unique in that it is using covid as a political weapon. Not only by the government - by the opposition too, and other players like unions and local governing bodies.

Have you watched CNN lately? There's nothing "unique" about it!

@cyclingmad

Ah yes the easy thing is to blame the goverment. You see it on here how Boris has done a u-turn except what they failt to see is how MSM put out so much rubbish based on supposedly inside sources and make crap up like omg they are going to take support bubbles away, then someone reads it comes on here starts a thread, people get enraged and then its announced its notnhaplening and its lmg Boris has done a u-turn.

You only have to look at every lockdown to see the pattern an announcement is made that Boris is to address the nation and the days leading up to is pure speculation on what it means and then hebdoes his announcement and its omg he did a u-turn. Its only a u-turn if he slactuslly says something and then turns round and goes bsck on it but if he hasn't said it in the first place then... 🤷‍♂️

Anyway people just love to bash the government.

We're doing great on vaccine rollout compared to other countries in general and people still find a way to bash him

If it was Labour they would be singing their praises all the way through

We need to better than other countries re vaccine rollout due to the situation we are in. A rollout is nowhere near as urgent if cases are very low.