Westminstenders: A test of logistic planning

[RedToothBrush]

We are witnessing a demonstration in Government crisis management.

For the past week journalists have asked the same questions and politicians have said they've already done it / are doing it in the near future. But as time wears on, the inability to produce the answers or demonstrate results is proving illusive.

This will have consequences.

It is a demonstration in how planning has proved to be lacking in certain areas.

With Brexit in mind, the lack of vision, coordination with business and wider capability and capacity this does not bode well.

[BigChocFrenzy]

The initial German target of cases only doubling every 10 days has been made tighter because of long ICU stays.

German lockdown started 16 March and will continue until at least 19 April, probably longer < urgh)

Merkel:

"Treatment of severe Covid 19 cases in ICU takes on average significantly more than two weeks, which is longer than expected earlier.

Therefore, we need the number of sick people to only double every 12, 13, 14 days
We want to avoid being overwhelmed [healthcare system]

That is why we can only go from step to step, from date to date."

https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/kontaktbeschraenkungen-deutschland-101.html

[ListeningQuietly]

I do think that one thing that Covid will teach everybody is that
essential workers are people who do real life jobs that we all benefit from.
Now that supermarket shelf stackers are valued more highly than financiers by politicians to get votes, no more
the presssure to reform offshore finance will go global PDQ

The super rich used to say we will leave
but the reply is now the pandemic is everywhere

[BigChocFrenzy]

That is ridiculous, even for the US health system
Surely no govt would let good hospitals just close for lack of money at this time

Illustrates what can happen when essential services like healthcare depend so much on "private enterprise" rather than govt funding.

www.ft.com/content/a5847177-f993-3c8e-af60-747e6109cb7d

The American Hospital Association is calling on health insurers to help keep hospitals open during the crisis,
by speeding up payments and cutting administration.

US hospitals are suffering from reduced revenue after cancelling elective procedures to treat — or prepare to treat — patients suffering from Covid-19.

The AHA said they need help from private insurance, even after government measures to ease the burden, such as accelerating payments for the public-funded Medicare health insurance for seniors.

In a letter to the leaders of seven insurers including Anthem, United, and Aetna, Richard Pollack, chief executive of the AHA, asked that private insurers make payments more quickly and waive rules that require physicians to ask for authorisation before some treatments.

“You could make a significant difference in whether a hospital or health system keeps their doors open during this critical time,”

[BigChocFrenzy]

We need to get away from the idea that entrepeneurs making more money - not just adequate money - is the supreme ideal to aim for,
that they are "superior" to other people.

There have been small business owners on other threads claiming they deserve to pay less tax and have more perks than employees because
"we take more risks"

ffs, supermarket staff are taking risks,
let alone NHS frontline staff

[DGRossetti]

We need to get away from the idea that entrepeneurs making more money - not just adequate money - is the supreme ideal to aim for, that they are "superior" to other people.

I wish I'd saved it, but there was an FB meme a few days ago along the lines of

When someone has earned $999million, they should get a badge that says "I won capitalism" and give the remainder to the government

[DGRossetti]

And todays QI bon mots

RATIONAL IGNORANCE is choosing to remain ignorant when the time you would spend gaining the knowledge is more than the time you would save by knowing it.

[QuestionMarkNow]

I prsonally think that what we should have learnt from this virus is that we are ALL inetrconnected. That there isnt one of us tht can life their life wo the support of the others. And its not just people stacking shelves at Tesco or the NHS. Its people growing food for us, people driving trucks movings goods u and down the country. People working in IT so that all the IT equipemnet works well, the ones who create the softwares, ones that keep people alove and ones that just make it bearable to be stuk at home all day long (incl MN)
It shoud teach s how utterly interdependent we are n each other as countries. The virus wasnt stopped by borders. Bit we are also so leiant on other countries to keep goig, to grow food for us, produce parts for our industry etc etc...

What I think will happen is different. think we will have more finger pointing. Towards the NHs and how AMAZING they are, towards the fuckers who didnt do isolation well enough/China for their wet markets/the EU for doing whatever.
Reading the threads on MN I see much more finger pointing than thankfulness for anyone really (bar the NHS)

[Peregrina]

Will we have more money put into the NHS afterwards, or will it be business as usual i.e. privatise by stealth?

[ListeningQuietly]

Peregrina
The elderly GOP person I talked to has finally accepted that Universal Healthcare would not make the USA socialist, it would make it safe.

Joined up properly overseen healthcare systems are essential in an interconnected world.

The scale of the failings in the US system is going to shock a lot of Americans who thought they were safe because they had good healthcare.
Now they realise they are only as safe as the poorest person in their supply chain.

[DGRossetti]

I prsonally think that what we should have learnt from this virus is that we are ALL inetrconnected.

Meanwhile, Boris, Patel, Trump et al are investing huge amounts of energy and resources into finding ways to ensure we are never so interconnected again. Exactly the same way more was spend on administering the Bedroom Tax that it ever saved (or was intended to save). These are people that would (and have) happily spend £200 (admittedly of your money ...) in order to make sure someone doesn't get £10 in aid.

I'm probably running at 1/10 on the cynicism scale right now ...

[DGRossetti]

Now they realise they are only as safe as the poorest person in their supply chain.

So ? Get rid of poor people. To some Americans, the current crisis is a demonstration that they haven't gone far enough.

If you assume the worst and most base in most people, you end up much less surprised than if you float through life thinking we are all undercover angels.

2/10

[Fivefourthree]

I thought Matt Hancock looked remarkably well yesterday for somebody who was apparently so poorly with the virus that he lost half a stone...

[borntobequiet]

To be fair, I look better when I lose weight. I had a truly awful bout of flu once and lost about a stone and a half. When I went back to work everyone said how well I looked.

[Fivefourthree]

Fair point. I'm just a bit surprised at him saying how ill he was, and such a fast recovery.

[Barrique]

I thought Matt Hancock looked remarkably well yesterday for somebody who was apparently so poorly with the virus that he lost half a stone...

Would you even notice if Hatt Mancock lost half a stone?

[lonelyplanetmum]

Just thought I'd pop in to say one of my work colleagues says her husband (in the army) has to be based in London from next week but she can't say why. What's that about then- more hospital building, helping with testing?

[HesterThrale]

Managing stricter lockdown??

[HesterThrale]

684 deaths today. Including a distant relative of mine. Makes it real.

mobile.twitter.com/DHSCgovuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[DGRossetti]

Managing stricter lockdown??

I'd imagine the reverse. Managing a partial lifting of lockdown. Which, let's all bear in mind, is really "lockdown". Or maybe "latchdown".

Tonights briefing will probably see Boris bouncing out saying that because of the UKs swift, unequivocal and widely praised response to the C-19 it's possible to relax some of the travel and work restrictions in London, with the support of the army. Who will be there to direct people keep their distance, cheer the leader, that sort of thing.

Anyone taking odds ?

Speaking of which, 684 deaths today. I was slightly under predicting. Maybe I'll spread bet in future.

[DGRossetti]

@HesterThrale

very sorry - I was typing while you were.

[Dontlickthetrolley]

Queen to address the nation at 8pm on Sunday

[DGRossetti]

Queen to address the nation at 8pm on Sunday

I'll probably be washing my hair.

[KonTikki]

An interesting example of a small country which, by it's own actions has stayed ahead of "the curve" is Israel.
With a population of 8.6 million they had 33 confirmed deaths as of yesterday.
Their Achilles heel is the Law of Return. Under this members if the orthodox religious community have been taking daily flights from New York to Israel.
There they are placed in mandatory quarantine for 2 weeks, but upon release join a community in Israel who has little respect for current measures to combat the virus.

[BigChocFrenzy]

I'll watch - she's the head of state

I'd prefer an elected one, but not before she goes

[DGRossetti]

An interesting example of a small country which, by it's own actions has stayed ahead of "the curve" is Israel.



Be curious to know how it's actions have helped the occupied territories. Or indeed any of their neighbours.