Westminstenders: What the winds bring

[RedToothBrush]

The next few weeks are crucial. Eu talks, covid handling, the US election and any other unexpected events (its nearly November, lets face it will probably be the weather).

It feels a little like the car crash in slow motion is about to hit the wall of reality. I guess that just means all there is left to do is to brace for impact.

@Shrillharridan

Wtaf is this Govt doing???

Dog ate homework.

Johnson is still learning his lines so he doesn't get them wrong again...

Cabinet all hiding in a fridge maybe.

In the words of Donald Tusk use the time well

There is no effing point of a lockdown if it is not used to sort out Track Test and Trace

Those 150 kids in a shisha bar in Brum are not going to obey whatever rules are announced

The businesses who are already on their knees to stay COVID secure will be forced to close
even though they are not implicated in any cases.
NOBODY has caught it in a swimming pool
but the pools will close
just when people most need exercise and health
evidence based decision making my ARSE

@trishgreenhalgh
Hypothesis: the Prime Minister is currently studying the latest rapid systematic review from the Covid Research Group (CRG), whose membership overlaps with that of the European Research Group (ERG, specialist subject Brexit unicorns).

I think that’s the best guess. The fridge is too small for all of the Cabinet

LQs link upthread to the Guardian Live is now saying the press have been given an official briefing.

Briefing is in line with Peston's.
They're still going with briefing at 6:30.

They're waiting for the text from Cummings saying he's made it to the in laws first I reckon

As Alan Coren said
I love deadlines, I like to watch them fly past and not catch them

Maybe Whitty is refusing to stand by him?

The Graun are having fun - I have their page open and am refreshing it

Here we go. Nearly 3hrs late

Hearing it was Cummings behind the briefings to the papers last night. Whether he told Johnson what he was going to do is unclear. Whether Johnson - trying desperately to appease the anti-lockdown Daily Mail - even agreed is also unclear. This may explain Johnson’s invisibility.

Not a bad analysis....

Oh get on with it! Over 2 hours late and now this waffle.

Though, I’m afraid, from Thursday, the basic message is the same: Stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives.

Anyone else wants to cream with me???

One of my neighbours is celebrating the end of BJs presser with fireworks 😂

So gyms that have NEVER been linked to cases will close.
Dentists who have NEVER been linked to cases will close.
but takeaways which are knee deep in COVID positive staff
stay open
FFS
this will NOT take pressure off the NHS

Fucktard is all I can say. Sure u all know who I mean.

These days there are so many fucktards to choose from

I feel sorry for squid and all of her colleagues
battling the fucking insanity of this government
as NOTHING announced today will lighten their load
but it will shit on millions of businesses
beyond furious
at the lack of evidence based decision making

Hard to believe that a government that turns up 3 hours late for its own press conference will be ready for 1st Jan.

Two months to go.

Here in France there are some very faint signs of a slowdown in the epidemic curve. Cases in some of the worst hit areas are no longer growing (or are growing very slowly) - in some cases this may be due to not enough tests, but where I live case numbers are flat-lining while testing has increased.

If this is due to previous measures like the curfew then it's good news. If it is due to the two week school holiday that ends tomorrow, it's bad news. Kids are back in school with basically no changes to the protocol on Monday.

@Mistigri

Hard to believe that a government that turns up 3 hours late for its own press conference will be ready for 1st Jan.

Two months to go.

Here in France there are some very faint signs of a slowdown in the epidemic curve. Cases in some of the worst hit areas are no longer growing (or are growing very slowly) - in some cases this may be due to not enough tests, but where I live case numbers are flat-lining while testing has increased.

If this is due to previous measures like the curfew then it's good news. If it is due to the two week school holiday that ends tomorrow, it's bad news. Kids are back in school with basically no changes to the protocol on Monday.

Numbers in Liverpool are definitely looking better for cases and the positivity rate. What looks bad is the % deaths where covid is diagnosed. Knowsley largely looks to be headed the right way.

But Wigan which went into T3 later is looking ropey.

And even later comers to T3, Warrington are interesting. The good old North south divide in Warrington is back. Cases in the south (where more are professionals and can home work) are starting to decline but those in the north (next to wigan) still going up.

So it looks like there is some room for hope. But the key thing is going to be to get the positivity rate down. Get that down and track and trace might have a chance and i dont think 4 weeks is enough to achieve that...

I am so beyond angry.
My gym - no cases - will close
My dentist - no cases - will close
The supermarkets stay open
The schools stay open
The takeaways stay open
And there is NO PLAN to make TTT work

So the furlough scheme is extended (hours before its end) till December. Start of December I presume. So if anyone was made redundant last month in advance of / in view of the expiry of furlough, they won’t get a chance at the extra month, which is at 80%. I’m guessing.

Very sad.

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-what-to-do-if-youre-employed-and-cannot-work

Wording on the, UK Government FB page just now doesn't give me any hope at all that this will be 'just' until 2nd December:

'National restrictions will apply in England from 5 November until 2 December.

You must stay at home, with a limited set of exemptions.
After 4 weeks we will look to return to a local and regional approach, based on the latest data.'

*Sorry struggle to italic/post picture on my phone

Interesting to see how the Serco iteration of Track and Trace didn't get a mention...