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Original poster

Govt realises that loads of people getting covid might actually be an issue

475 replies

noblegiraffe · 08/07/2021 22:57

Sam Coates of Sky News is tweeting that Whitehall is getting concerned about the sheer number of people who will be having to isolate in the coming days, some from getting covid, and some from having to isolate.

"One source said gvt modelling done under Hancock suggested this scale cd potentially compromise transport and healthcare"

"One government source called this another lockdown by the back door"

twitter.com/samcoatessky/status/1413224477450817536?s=21

Apparently the plan is to make the app less sensitive so that fewer people have to isolate.

Stopping isolations increases infections so not necessarily a great solution.

I'm sure all the planning is well in hand though.

OP posts:
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6
Sloaneslone · 09/07/2021 06:06

@MistySkiesAfterRain that's so true.

When they did the announment and in the days that followed it became very clear, this was so the government could shift the blame to the people for not behaving.

So if there is a winter lockdown or more restrictions reintroduced, they can blame us and say 'well we gave you your freedom and you couldn't behave yourselves. Not our fault'

happinessischocolate · 09/07/2021 06:11

It's going to be an absolute shit show.

Hospitality and retail are already struggling to recruit staff because of Brexit, and are the two industries most likely to be affected by covid. Everywhere will be shut due to lack of staff.

CovidCorvid · 09/07/2021 06:14

Totally a 1st world problem but my local Waitrose had to shut the cafe yesterday and move the cafe staff onto the shop floor due to the number of staff isolating/off sick.

Obviously not the end of the world….but if the problem gets worse and maybe next week there’s not enough staff to open the shop, or enough delivery drivers to get food to the shops it could be.

motherrunner · 09/07/2021 06:21

I think generally people are so despondent that the have become short sighted and think ‘what will make life better right now?’ instead of thinking long term.

As a teacher and a parent I’m concerned about September. I have seen so many children and staff ill already and thats with our safer measures. I was talking to a non teacher friend the other day and they still don’t know anyone who has caught Covid and thus can’t see what the fuss is about. I think unless you’re actually surrounded by it, and it ‘touches’ your life, people think it’s no big deal.

newlabelwriter · 09/07/2021 06:30

I work in live Tv and we nearly couldn’t go to air tonight because so many people have had to isolate. This didn’t even happen peak lockdown. DS school has nearly half the pupils at home. It’s totally rife at the moment.

MoppaSprings · 09/07/2021 06:34

I read the other day that from 16th of august people who have received both doses of vaccine will be exempt from isolating if they are a close contact of a positive case.
Children under 18 will also be exempt from isolating, presumable the government want it to infect class loads of kids.

Sparklingbrook · 09/07/2021 06:39

@CovidCorvid

Totally a 1st world problem but my local Waitrose had to shut the cafe yesterday and move the cafe staff onto the shop floor due to the number of staff isolating/off sick.

Obviously not the end of the world….but if the problem gets worse and maybe next week there’s not enough staff to open the shop, or enough delivery drivers to get food to the shops it could be.

Oh no it’ll be loo roll panic buying #2

There is a massive shortage of HGV drivers currently. But that’s nothing to do with isolating.

pussycatlickinglollyices · 09/07/2021 06:42

@JetBlackSteed

And the school kids who have discovered that a drop of orange juice on a test gives a positive result and days off school.
That's what I like to see in kids, initiative!
EmergencyHydrangea · 09/07/2021 06:45

My partner is a HGV driver and is currently getting £100 bonus for every overtime shift he does! That's how stuck they are for drivers

SofiaMichelle · 09/07/2021 06:46

All the people saying the app is "not fit for purpose" - what is it that's wrong with it?

As far as I understand it, it identifies people and tells them to isolate? We have been pinged twice, both times as a result of being scanned into a pub/restaurant which has subsequently reported a case. That's what it's supposed to do.

My friend has been pinged because she was in close contact with someone who tested positive - she's almost certain she knows which person, and that it was genuine.

Is it not fit for purpose because on one hand you want it to correctly identify 100% of the people who need to isolate but on the other you don't want to actually isolate yourself?

CovidCorvid · 09/07/2021 06:46

I know 30 odd people who are meant to be isolating. I say “meant” because most of them aren’t bothering.

My best friend has just messaged me to say she’s just seen in her app it says to isolate for the next 3 days….she never had an alert telling her about this and it’s days since she last looked so she doesn’t know how long it’s been there for. Hardly worth bothering now. We were in the pub together last night so hope she’s not got it! I’ve told her to delete that part of the app like I did ages ago.

rwalker · 09/07/2021 06:46

We need to learn to live with it .

EmergencyHydrangea · 09/07/2021 06:48

@rwalker

We need to learn to live with it .
What does this mean in practical terms?
Sparklingbrook · 09/07/2021 06:50

It’s not fit for purpose because people living in terraced houses have been pinged because the neighbours tested positive.
People have been pinged because their phone was in a locker close to the phone who went on to test positive.
People have been told by 119 that it can be inaccurate regarding timing of contact.

PurpleDaisies · 09/07/2021 06:55

@rwalker

We need to learn to live with it .
People keep saying this. That doesn’t mean wishing it had gone away an acting like it never happened.
PurpleDaisies · 09/07/2021 06:58

As far as I understand it, it identifies people and tells them to isolate? We have been pinged twice, both times as a result of being scanned into a pub/restaurant which has subsequently reported a case. That's what it's supposed to do.

People don’t get pinged to self isolate for scanning QR codes. It’s only if your phone is close enough to another phone for the right amount of time.

faq.covid19.nhs.uk/article/KA-01312/en-us

Aimee1987 · 09/07/2021 06:58

@CovidCorvid

Totally a 1st world problem but my local Waitrose had to shut the cafe yesterday and move the cafe staff onto the shop floor due to the number of staff isolating/off sick.

Obviously not the end of the world….but if the problem gets worse and maybe next week there’s not enough staff to open the shop, or enough delivery drivers to get food to the shops it could be.

My sons nursery have shut their baby room ( the one hes in) because too many of their staff are isolating. I can see this becoming a recurring theme over the summer. Luckily I'm a lecturer so my summer term is pretty quiet but if this continues into September I'm going to be fucked.
slashlover · 09/07/2021 07:01

Our local council posted on their facebook yesterday that the bin uplifts were being disrupted and may be delayed due to the number of workers isolating.

newnortherner111 · 09/07/2021 07:04

If India had been on the red list at the same time as Pakistan, we would be nowhere near this situation. Numbers would probably be rising but be much much lower, with far fewer people having to isolate.

The government has been late in every reaction to the pandemic bar the vaccine rollout.

nordica · 09/07/2021 07:09

I think generally people are so despondent that the have become short sighted and think ‘what will make life better right now?’ instead of thinking long term.

This is very true although not a new problem, this is what every government struggles with. People want to see short term impact and doing something that might be more beneficial in the long or medium term doesn't "sell" as well.

There were already news headlines about the economic boost the football has given with more people in pubs and restaurants spending money. Great news for the hospitality industry, hurrah! Except no one mentioned all those gatherings will lead to more covid infections and in a week or two some of those pubs will be forced to not open for a few days because they have no staff available to work with everyone ill or isolating. 🙄

Regulus · 09/07/2021 07:12

@Sloaneslone

Anyone else have an awful feeling Hancock will have the last laugh?

That by January people will thinking be Sajid Javid fucked up worse?

When it broke I said it all felt too engineered, that either Gina or Matt knew about the cameras. Maybe Matt knew what was coming and realised the best way not to be the worst health Secretary in history was to let someone else do it whilst he got drop all restrictions against the advice of the rest of the world.

People keep saying about app isolations, if 100,000 people a day actually catch covid so are isolating that is a lot of business and health care settings closed.
The UK is already so short of road hauliers that they are relaxing the driving time limits. The NHS is already struggling, Imagine when 700,000 people a week are catching it.

leafygarden42 · 09/07/2021 07:14

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Thanks for posting that graph.

Sums it up really. Sad

SofiaMichelle · 09/07/2021 07:15

[quote PurpleDaisies]As far as I understand it, it identifies people and tells them to isolate? We have been pinged twice, both times as a result of being scanned into a pub/restaurant which has subsequently reported a case. That's what it's supposed to do.

People don’t get pinged to self isolate for scanning QR codes. It’s only if your phone is close enough to another phone for the right amount of time.

faq.covid19.nhs.uk/article/KA-01312/en-us[/quote]
Yes, sorry, worded/paragraphed badly regarding venue check-in.

My point stands though, what is it that makes people say "not fit for purpose..." if it's doing what it is supposed to?

Sloaneslone · 09/07/2021 07:16

@Regulus I agree. Something so perfectly timed about it all.