Westministenders: Lockdown continues

[BigChocFrenzy]

The UK has been on lockdown since 23 March,
with no end in sight.

The deaths peak is predicted to be around 17 April,
with the controversial IHME prediction that the UK will have considerably more total deaths - 66,000 - by summer than other European countries.

Supermarkets are struggling to satisfy demand for online slots for the vulnerable
and to keep shelves supplied for other customers

Like all countries, the UK economy is being hammered and heading for a deep recession.
Estimates are for UK GDP to fall 15% this year.

A million people have applied for Universal Credit
The self-employed and small - and some large - businesses are struggling to stay solvent.

They don't know how long to plan for.

The PM is in ICU and Raab has taken over as stand-in, but needs Cabinet approval for decisions.
Probably BJ will be unfit to resume his duties as PM for several weeks, if ever.

WIll he stand down soon and let the Cabinet choose a new PM,
or will the UK continue for weeks with a stand-in leader during the worst crisis since WW2

What's the plan, anybody?

Our downstairs' neighbour asked dh if she could borrow our shredder. When she'd finished with it, she asked him if he was likely to use it within the next 7 days, and if he was, she would wipe it down. He said, "Oh it's ok" - and then she had to explain that it was because she and her dh (both "specialist" GPs working with the vulnerable) are potentially coming in to contact with Covid-19 positive people.

And for your aunt and those who love her and cared for her Clash

Care homes and hospitals being opened up to families apparently.

There is a thread running atm about romanian coming over to pick up fruits/vegs.
Many posters to gush about how amazing it is that they are happy to come ide )

Brexit... it seems that alks are still going ahead then

uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-negotiations/uk-and-eu-agree-three-negotiating-rounds-for-post-brexit-deal-idUKKCN21X2CS

Britain and the European Union agreed dates for three, week-long negotiating rounds to reach a post-Brexit deal on their future relationship, a joint statement said on Wednesday, with a high-level review of progress in June.

The negotiations will take place by videoconference in the weeks beginning April 20, May 11 and June 1.

I'm wondering. Is the date of the 31st December still holding then?

Dec 31 is now a polite fiction.

And today's Hancock's Half-Hour consisted of lots of journos asking for a teensey clue about the next phase and getting nowhere. It is an Official Secret.

Abraid2
But no huge hub airport and far fewer mixed-generation BAME households. BAME population hit far harder than white population.

There is a lot of air travel by Irish people and by tourists. 11.2 million tourists visited Ireland in 2019. This is just about 2.5 times the population. Ireland's first confirmed case was an Irish person returning from Italy iirc.

The BAME overlap that causes problems is poverty and overcrowded housing. When the dust settles, the breakdown of stats on infection rates and deaths from covid 19 will illuminate the lives of the poor very starkly.
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/we-have-a-vaccine-for-the-coronavirus-being-rich-1.4195275

Clash

Thinking of you and your family.

Dec 31 is now a polite fiction.

I hope so, but I don't think so. The Tories will be more than happy to crash the economy.

Clashcity
for both you and your family.
I am glad she was not alone at the end.

Chap I was working with today has to bury his mother on Friday.
She did not die of Covid, but their massive family will have to wait till the summer to have the wake.
They are live streaming the service
strange times

Clash

The Tories will be more than happy to crash the economy.

On the top of the economy crashing after the lockdown? Surely they cant be THAT crazy

Unless they are hoping that it just wont be as noticeable then if everyone is already struggling anyway...

Yes, that's what I think - people are struggling, so it's nothing to do with Brexit.

The economy is already in a ditch where Rishi steered it to avoid the oncoming petrol tanker.

COVID is killing the Blue voters first.
It is coming for the Red states in the next few weeks

Yes indeed, Mockers. The rural South is poorly served at the best of times when it comes to hospitals, clinics, even doctors.
www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-the-coronavirus-is-doing-to-rural-georgia?utm_source=pocket-newtab

It is going to hit the Bacon Belt hard.

These threads have long said that Cummings
formerly brains for Gove, now brains for Johnson
is an anarchist nihilist who just wants to break everything

He must be DELIGHTED at the moment.
Brexit, Trump, Covid, Climate Change

He can retreat to his PiLs castle with a trebuchet and gloat

Just had a chat with DS who felt I was being unfair on the government, as they had never had to deal with this before.

A quick review of basic project management tenets, and he left thinking I was being too easy on them.

He started by saying that I couldn't know what they weren't doing, until he remembered you start early on with a communications plan ...

for you, Clash

If only I'd known the NHS needed badges.

Did anyone read the Guardian piece on Lord Bethell, in charge of increasing t

And even rural areas of blue states tend to have patchy medical services.

Thank you for the kind words. It really does help.

This thread really does feel like an island of sanity at times.

Prem post - in charge of increasing testing.

He works for Hancock whose leadership bid he ran and donated to. He ran a PR and lobbying firm so he’s an obvious choice.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/testing-efforts-led-by-ex-lobbyist-who-backed-hancock-leadership-bid

clashcityrocker💐and my condolences to you and your family.☹️