Westministenders: Peak something

[BigChocFrenzy]

Westministenders: Peak something

The story so far

COVID has changed the world for the next few years, like a slowly exploding nuke:

• killed well over 100,000 people
• made many people afraid to leave their home
• caused a Global Depression

Countries locked down because they needed the extra time to

Raise the Line while Flattening the Curve:

1. Flatten the curve of the numbers needing healthcare to a level the system can manage

2. Raise the capacity of their health services and public health systems - their testing and tracking process

Also, scientists desperately needed time to find out more about COVID:
how to avoid it, how to treat it

What happens next ?

Research teams around the world are working to produce a vaccine,
will become hopefully available within the next couple of years

In the meantime, treatment procedures are being developed to better treat COVID sufferers.

Also in the meantime, countries will need to gradually exit lockdown to rescue their economies from complete catastrophe.

Timing & measures for each country will be dependent on:

Death rate after peak,
health service capacity,
testing & tracing capacity etc

....and also what their govt and public deem an "acceptable" level of extra deaths & serious illness.

Possibly some countries will need to cycle in and out of lockdown,
whereas others will be able to accept the death toll with lesser social distancing measures.

The first few countries are already relaxing lockdown,
so the UK will watch, wait and hopefully learn what works and what doesn't

..... then copy these the correct way round

Crikey Listening that’s barbaric.
Wondering if what Dr Clarke said will be reported in MSM, wonder what the odds are🤔

And on the other side of the pond ....

I had a US friend drop me a note overnight. They were cringing at how thick these people are and how the world must be pissing itself. Then they remembered where I live ....

#WeThePeople - can't spell ... (and you can't blame autocorrect ...)

DGR - so cynical for one so young

(that was re the 'drug' comment)

It's starting to sound more like a drug deal than international trade ...

Well apparently the RAF pilot had to wear a moustache, sunglasses, affect a South American accent and refer to everybody as "Boss man".

Also the payment was in old notes ...

More on the UK deliberately not joining EU procurement, rather than losing control of its inbox because Sandra the Secretary had to clock off to get to bingo:

UK ministers took a political decision not to be involved in an EU ventilator scheme, Sir Simon McDonald, the Foreign Office permanent under-secretary said today, so challenging previous claims that the UK did not take part due to missed emails.

McDonald was asked by a Labour MP, Chris Bryant, at the foreign affairs select committee whether the ventilator scheme was put to ministers. He said:
It was a political decision. The UK mission (UKREP) briefed ministers about what was available, what was on offer and the decision is known.

His remarks appear to blow a hole in the case originally made most prominently by the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove.

Deliberate policy, not incompetence. Although the distinction is a wee bit blurry, TBH

Have you fucked up big-time at work? Well get the Handcock blame-deflecter from JML.

The Handcock Blame Deflector deviates, prevaricates, obfuscates and dissembles, all in one easy jerk.

The Handcock Blame Deflector is not available in the shops. Just promise to send us some gloves and masks that fell off the back of a yak and we'll get back to you. Eventually.

I actually feel a wee but sorry for Matt Hancock - he was obviously the most expendable member of the cabinet - he maybe a bit useless, but he is like the geek who just happened to go along with the stupid idea , and then the bullies all go oh it wasn't me - it was all him.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-uk-only-formally-asked-turkey-for-ppe-shipment-after-it-said-it-was-already-on-its-way-11976238

Britain only made a formal request to Turkey over a consignment of personal protective equipment on Sunday

• the day after a cabinet minister announced the "very significant additional shipment" was already heading to the UK, 🤔

Turkish sources have told Sky News.

Andy Burnham just spoke about how shitty it is to have your colleagues briefing against you and did the political equivalent of “do better” to Matt Hancock’s colleagues on PM.

I’m really beginning to think apart from being self serving bastards they are now actually criminals, such lies in public office it’s shameful I know I’m very naive when it comes to machinations of politics, but what Auld & others have posted has really upset me, I actually feel sick.

Wading in on the 'will he, won't he stay' Johnson debate, I can't see him either being tossed out by the party or him willingly stepping down.

It would be seen to be stabbing a man whilst he down for the former (although this may not be unusual political tactics, it wouldn't look good in the current crisis and who would step in to fill the shoes?) and he's not about to give up the PM perks with respect to the latter. Plus, his ego is nearly as big as Trump's and he still wants needs to finish his Churchill'ian legacy / moment / calling.

Granted, Gove's confirmation that Johnson did not chair the first 5 Cobra meetings and his backhanded defence seemed suspiciously like a bit of positioning 'just in case'.

The word elsethread is that Hancock is sliced and headed for the toaster.

Deputy heads will roll.

Jim Pickard @pickardje
Number 10 previously claimed that underlings missed an email invitation to join the EU joint procurement scheme for medical supplies.

now FCO mandarin Sir Simon McDonald has just told MPs it was a "political decision" not to take part...."

remember that they originally blamed an "initial communication problem"

Matt Hancock has denied McDonald claim, pointing out that government has since joined the scheme: “As far as I’m aware there was no political decision not to participate."

He also observed that the scheme has not yet delivered “a single item” of PPE.

but on one level this is sleight of hand:

- yes the UK has now joined the joint procurement exercise

- but yes we have already missed the first four initial procurement schemes

Isn't Hancock getting (deliberately?) mixed up between the PPE issue and the ventilator issue?

Anyway, that NHS fake nurse story seems to have gone wrong.

What’s the fake nurse story, Edith?

boat see post by SwedishEdith on p25, at 21:20 with link to relevant Tweet.

Fake SM accounts set up, apparently by NHS staff, advocating herd immunity. Investigated by BBC Reality Check. Accounts now deleted apparently.

Adventure

To celebrate the first days of relaxing lockdown and lower cases,
I went to the farm shop up the road, my first outside shop in 5 weeks

I was masked, so was the farmer and she had a perspex screen, all in in a tiny shop, only 1 customer allowed at any time

For my first outing, I was determined to follow the rules and customs:

There was a spray on the windowsill by the entrance, next to some produce, so I naturally squirted some over my hands and rubbed well

... and the farmer nipped out, grabbed the bottle and took it inside

"No that's the plant spray for greenfly !"

It’s getting quite Shakespearean - Gove will channel Macbeth and won’t hesitate to take out King Boris, egged on by his very own pound shop Lady Macbeth and advised by the hellish triumvirate of Patel, Truss and Braverman.

Watch out for owls and marching

... marching trees.

Mockers - agree re Johnson

Now, marching trees....this may be the only disguise that lets me hang out in the park....🤔

😂 at the greenfly spray BigChoc.

Barrique I was thinking how Tudor Court it all seemed with Johnson as Henry VIII but that was probably because of watching too much Wolf Hall for a 2nd time in lockdown. Happy to go with Shakespearean analogy .

Fake SM accounts set up, apparently by NHS staff, advocating herd immunity. Investigated by BBC Reality Check. Accounts now deleted apparently.

But lots of doubts about the "exposer" of the story.