Breaking News Boris press conference tonight 14/05/21

[Whichjab]

So, is Monday under threat? Change to school masks or hugs?

@DelBocaVista

There aren't enough cases in my area to be statistically relevant!! Yes some people think businesses should stay closed

How many cases in March or September?

And then what happened?

@RedcurrantPuff

Listen to those who we know don't lie - scientists and doctors.

And who are also sitting pretty in secure jobs caring not one shiny shit about the economy, the tanking of which has further implications for people’s health and well-being.

We’ve always known cases and deaths will increase once things reopen. We can’t keep them shut forever to avoid it. It’s always “just a few more weeks, jam tomorrow” etc.

Yes, we knew cases would increase once we lifted restrictions, but this rise isn't yet from that, it's from an imported variant.

We are fairly well prepared with treatments etc for a small rise in cases leading to hospitalisation in the Kent variant.

That's not remotely the same as a rapid rise in cases from a VoC which we, as yet, know very little about.

There weren’t any vaccines last March or September @PrincessNutNuts for the millionth time, stop acting like we don’t have effective vaccines.

@TruelyWonder

Experts have said that local lockdown don't work. That last time the were a disaster.

All a local lockdown does is make people that don't follow the rules travel more. Spreading the virus to new places.

We have not got enough army of police to ring fence whole towns and cities. Plus that has the potential to cause dangerous riots etc

We have not got enough army of police to ring fence whole towns and cities. Plus that has the potential to cause dangerous riots etc

I know that some areas of Spain had roadblocks. Anyone travelling/moving around had to show their papers, and reasons for being on the move. An old friend of mine lives very near to one of the roundabout where a police/guardia control was set up, and sent photos of it. No riots, because people didn't want the virus moving around.

France had (still has, I think) local travel limits of 10km. No foreign visitors until at least the end of June. Their restrictions were much stricter than the UK, and were enforced. No "attestation" (written reason to be out and about), no moving around.

France has been very strict. A few people I've talked to have relatives living over in west France and they can't do much and traveling about too far is almost forbidden ( apart from work )

How many cases in March or September?

And then what happened?

Pretty much the same. We've never got anywhere close to the national average. I think the highest we had was 40 cases in a population of close to 10,000.

The local primary school has had one bubble close back in October when there was a spike in the village. That spike was 5 cases.

Not everywhere has seen high numbers of cases.

@PrincessNutNuts this Indian variant is your dream come true.

You should apply for a role at SAGE, you've quite clearly got the time / skills.

In Italy, too, you could not travel outside your “commune” (district) .

Of course not every country road can be policed, but the motorways could be used to stop families travelling to mass meet-ups.

@DelBocaVista

All those people who seem desperate to postpone the easing of restrictions on Monday just try and imagine how it feels if your livelihood is dependent on those restrictions easing.

So many people have spent a fortune buying stock and preparing for Monday. You can't take that away at such short notice when overall cases are still low, hospital admissions aren't rising and we're vaccinating huge numbers.

As has already been said numerous times, support those businesses.

But if sensible measure (such as maintaining status quo) aren't taken the likelihood is another lockdown - surely you can see that's going to be even worse for those businesses.

Is this variant in the rest of Europe yet?

As has already been said numerous times, support those businesses.

But if sensible measure (such as maintaining status quo) aren't taken the likelihood is another lockdown - surely you can see that's going to be even worse for those businesses.

But those businesses aren't being supported.

Cases are low
Hospital admissions are low
Vaccinations are happening at pace

Time to open up.

@RedcurrantPuff

60 people in hospital and 3 in ICU in the whole country but no, let’s keep businesses locked down and people unable to earn a full wage for even longer due to a handful of cases in a localised area.

You do realise that at one point in time there was ZERO Covid in the entire U.K?

Look where ignoring the first cases got us. Do you really fancy that again?

delatron according to the Times this morning, the Indian variant has been identified in twelve different countries in Europe. Not all have the extensive testing, but yes it seems to be outwitting the other variants.

Almostsummer21

But surely you do realise that there is very little chance of us ever being at zero covid in England, let alone the uk, Europe or the world ever again.

Or that we'd have ever been able to stop it from arriving here in England eventually, unless we would have locked down forever from late 2019, perhaps earlier.

We will never eradicate covid entirely. It's just not going to happen. Or is an extremely low likelihood. There are very few diseases we have ever eradicated.

There are countless variants of illness like flu etc that we live beside. The annual flu jab covers the one most prevalent for that year, but doesn't protect against the other variants kicking around. We don't lockdown for that, we live knowing it exists. Which is what we'll have to do with covid.

You do realise that at one point in time there was ZERO Covid in the entire U.K?

Look where ignoring the first cases got us. Do you really fancy that again?

Do you think the end game is zero covid??
Cos I hate to break it to you ... that not how viruses work and was never the aim of lockdowns

Is this variant in the rest of Europe yet?

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/14/indian-covid-variant-which-countries-have-highest-infection-rates

And bizarrely enough, the UK has 1,587 cases while India has 1,876 cases, because they don't do as much sequencing as we do. Which the other countries don't, either. So, make of that what you will.

[quote ringading22]@PrincessNutNuts this Indian variant is your dream come true.

You should apply for a role at SAGE, you've quite clearly got the time / skills.[/quote]
Ridiculously rude & childish.

@MarshaBradyo

Bella You won’t stop it coming in then. Which means you can’t carry on as normal

We can carry on as normal if there are very few cases and if there is proper testing and isolation. That can happen with freight drivers. I don't believe it happens with tourists.

@DelBocaVista

As has already been said numerous times, support those businesses.

But if sensible measure (such as maintaining status quo) aren't taken the likelihood is another lockdown - surely you can see that's going to be even worse for those businesses.

But those businesses aren't being supported.

Cases are low
Hospital admissions are low
Vaccinations are happening at pace

Time to open up.

Are happening g, not have happened, big difference!

Plus low vaccine uptake in AoC needs addressing.

Cases of the IV all but trebled in some areas.

Hospitalisation & deaths are low NOW, but come on, you know that it's a new variant and that hospitalisation is not immediate after a positive test & thankfully any deaths are not immediately after hospitalisation.

I'm thinking how I would feel if myself specific area was really high with Indian V. Would I mind being kept under lock down to try and save the rest of the UK and don't think I would.

Vaccine push, regulated testing, back at home, army ring road us in so people can't move from district to district, large fines, police in parks at night so people /teens can't meet.

Two weeks? Three to stop this?

Whilst the rest of the UK has freedoms, I wouldn't mind. I'd rather squash this but I do think we are weak on this area.

We excel in some areas like the G sequencing but are poor at getting tough on movement and pooor at border control and test and trace.

We need experts in to follow each line and make it water tight.

Plus low vaccine uptake in AoC needs addressing.

Correct.
Address those areas. No need to shut down the whole country

@ChardonnaysPetDragon Thank you, very interesting article.

I hadn’t realised Australia had 85 cases. Hopefully they’re on top of them with an unvaccinated population.

@Abraxan

Almostsummer21

But surely you do realise that there is very little chance of us ever being at zero covid in England, let alone the uk, Europe or the world ever again.

Or that we'd have ever been able to stop it from arriving here in England eventually, unless we would have locked down forever from late 2019, perhaps earlier.

We will never eradicate covid entirely. It's just not going to happen. Or is an extremely low likelihood. There are very few diseases we have ever eradicated.

Jesus wept. I never said it would be eradicated nor that we'd never have got it here!

🙄🙄

What I said was the argument fir not taking action because cases, hospitalisation & deaths are currently low is stupid because that's all it takes to lead to very high numbers.

One of the local primary schools has had to close this week due to a staff outbreak. This is in London, not sure which variant they have, but this is the first time a school in this borough has had to close due to covid.