Johnson Press Conference

[Claudethecat]

Is he just trying to nudge up the booster numbers, or is he genuinely concerned?

Turning to Covid, I want to update you on our progress,and, in particular, on these storm clouds that are gathering over the continent

A new wave of Covid has steadily swept through central Europe and is now affecting our nearest neighbours in western Europe.

Our friends on the continent have been forced to respond with various degrees of new restrictions, from full lockdowns, to lockdowns for the unvaccinated, to restrictions on business opening hours and restrictions on social gatherings.

We don’t yet know the extent to which this new wave will wash up on our shores, but history shows we cannot afford to be complacent.

Indeed in recent days cases there have been rising here in the UK, so we must remain vigilant.

Because there is one lesson we can draw from the current situation in Europe.

Those countries with lower vaccination rates have tended to see bigger surges in infection, and in turn been forced to respond with harsher measures.

While those countries with higher vaccination rates have, so far, fared better.

This shows us once again that if we want to control the epidemic here in the UK,and if we want to avoid new restrictions on our daily lives, we must all get vaccinated as soon as we are eligible.

"I don’t accept that it’s bullshit. They said several times that the point of opening earlier in the U.K. was to try and stop the winter peak being so terrible. I vividly remember that."

I remember that too. I think they expected the summer wave to be sky-high but short lived. It hasn't turned out like that and it's rumbled along at fairly high levels for months and now looks like we're heading into winter with hospitals already strained which I don't think was part of the plan.

bumbleymummy

Well, we have higher vaccine uptake than a lot of Europe already AND, if you look at the data, it looks like the wave hit us before it hit Europe.

Than a lot of Eastern Europe.

No one with any sense will follow any more ridiculous rules at Christmas, after the fiasco of last year, honestly, it is what it is and we need to get on with it.

One more thing for now.

For those feeling tempted by the fatalistic and defeatist narrative - thinking there's no point having a booster and that mitigations are pointless. Remember this isn't a hopeless situation.

Booster or annual vaccines are nothing new. We do flu jabs every year. But also, longer term we'll have more treatments.

We already have two new antivirals, and the monoclunal antibodies. Currently very limited supplies (worldwide) and the monoclonal antibodies are expensive.

But in time these treatments will become more available and cheaper.

We just need to do a little bit more right now - but there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's a long tunnel but we will get there in the end.

@Itsnotallaboutyoubaby

Is it actually that bad in Europe? I haven’t kept up but I was under the impression we had higher numbers?

Yes. We do. The UK has pretty got much the highest numbers in Europe. (There was such an essential rush, wasn't there - getting people back into their micro-managed offices. What he refers to about "measures" in Europe, is just the simple fact that they've kept some of their restrictions, mask wearing etc - whilst they were all scrapped here.) Gotta love Johnson.

fuck him if he cancels xmas again people wont comply this time-had to cancel last year this year theres caccines and boosters so no sorry im seeing my family

I think the issue atm in some countries eg Germany / Austria is the rate of increase

This is steeper than here

What he refers to about "measures" in Europe, is just the simple fact that they've kept some of their restrictions, mask wearing etc - whilst they were all scrapped here

They were not all scrapped in the UK. I wish people would remember that England does not = the UK!

Yes. We do. The UK has pretty got much the highest numbers in Europe.

No, it is not the case.

Chris Witty was reiterating about how important it is that people get their vaccines. HE must know about the access issues on the ground. Why is he colluding with them in the blame shifting.

In fact, Austrian case trajectory shows how little difference mask mandates appear to be making in real life.

Austria already requires FFP2 masks in all the indoor settings.

vaccines

YY @Roselilly36 There was no way the Matt and Gina thing only started in May............they were seeing each other last Christmas IMO Then there is the fact that Boris and Carrie had a friend over last Christmas etc.

He’s just trying to get control of the narrative, any narrative.

He did a highly revisionist press conference yesterday too, on COP.

Media know the public only have the attention for a certain amount of politics on a given day, he’s just trying to divert from Arcuri, Geoffrey Cox, the dodgy holiday in Marbella, rising immigration again, and the fact that he personally was a chocolate teapot at the COP in Glasgow, sorry, Edinburgh.

If anything, it’s Europe now following us, rather than the other way round.

Call me cynical, but he should by rights be on a very shoogly peg after the last fortnight, and I suspect focus groups are showing that it’s his handling of Covid that his base are most approving of

@wintertravel1980

Yes. We do. The UK has pretty got much the highest numbers in Europe.

No, it is not the case.

That is pretty stark, that line

Did Austria change anything recently prior to it? Wondering what preceded that

Is Boris worried. Yes he is
Worried about the cost to his mates?
Worried about his popularity ratings?
Worried that the plebs arent spending and pushing growth?

Is he worried about people dying?
"Let the bodies pile up Boris" isnt worried about that one iota. You're just a financial unit to this government. your only worth to them is what you can produce and the taxes you pay and them holding onto power.

@containsnuts

From the BBC -

Mr Johnson said it was "increasingly obvious" that we will "have to adjust our concept of what constitutes a full vaccination"

This is what worries me the most .

He can fuck off. I will probably have the booster but there is no way I'm having regular vaccinations. If I can't do certain things then so be it. I'm not sure how DH will feel about that but he knows the state I get into.

Wondering what preceded that

I am wondering as well. My hypothesis is that it is a seasonal step change (with people moving indoors as the result of colder weather) combined with waning immunity.

I am also thinking that warmer weather might be helping Spain and Italy to temporarily run with lower numbers although I am afraid they will not be able to completely avoid the winter wave.

At the same time, boosters are clearly making a difference (yes, they are way more important for deaths and hospitalisations than vaccinating teenagers) so I remain optimistic.

@Claudethecat agreed - I'm also in Wales and of course we have ongoing mask wearing, WFH if possible, and covid passports now extended to more places.

I'm amazed that there hasn't been more comment about this in the media, given that our rates have been considerably higher than those in England for some time.

That's not a dig at the Welsh govt, I think they're doing a perfectly good job in difficult circumstances, and it's hard to see what else they could have done given all restrictions gone in England. But it does beg the question as to whether Johnson's Plan B is actually going to do much good even if they do bring it in.

It’s difficult to compare numbers across Europe because the amount of testing is so different, so low levels of testing = lower case numbers. Witty pointed this out and that they can only look at the rate of increase and in W Europe that is increasing rapidly. For some reason the numbers are hovering around 35-40k with hospital numbers roughly stable.
Some countries consider a positive PCR plus x1 vaccine = fully vaccinated too. Therefore it is so difficult to compare what’s happening.

@CorrBlimeyGG

Professor Chris Whitty said at a cabinet briefing on Monday that the increase in coronavirus cases was not leading to a sharp rise in people needing hospital treatment.

I've spent the last few months on respiratory wards, they are at capacity. In terms of patients, they are beyond capacity, with patients in ambulances for hours until they can get a bed.

Really frustrating when the government try to convince us the NHS is coping. It's not.

Thanks for your work. It must be soul destroying sometimes with government policy.

I've spent the last few months on respiratory wards, they are at capacity. In terms of patients, they are beyond capacity, with patients in ambulances for hours until they can get a bed

So are they all Covid cases or not because your post is coming across as a bit ambiguous.

Dr Mike Galsworthy follows
Ron Burgundy - GBeebies News
@ChewyBB
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3h
PM tells press conference it is unclear how new wave of Covid in Europe "will wash up on our shores"

Germany +19k cases
France +13.5k cases
Italy +7.5k cases

UK +𝟯𝟲𝗸 cases.

Johnson lets the virus rampage and then blames other European countries.

Doesn't matter whether they are or not. Lots of covid cases mean having to make wards/areas red, meaning fewer people can be admitted to green areas... which ultimately means people outside in ambulances.

Hats off to anyone who can watch Johnson, he's a tool.

So that could mean restrictions every winter. Some people with other illnesses are ending up in hospital because they couldnt get treatment earlier. So we could face restrictions to deal with the consequences of restrictions.