Don't tier the pants out of it.

[Cismyfatarse]

Thread level 47.

Oh, it’s a no from me, he’s in their Rainbow Network 🙄

I’d hoped to have someone to vote for at last.

WouldbeGood I think that would discount all the Scottish Parties though? In fact all the UK Parties as well, even with Liz Truss pivoting ever so marginally.

I have to say I'm much more comfortable with the direction Labour is moving in now they seem to be purging the far left elements. I already feel I could vote Labour again under Starmer at UK level, and Sarwar seems pretty sensible and down to earth too. I like the fact he had a 'normal' job before politics and seems a bit more relatable. Is there anyone standing against him do we know?

I think I read somewhere he was the Scottish Labour Leader the SNP didn't want? If so, that's a good sign?

@WouldBeGood

Oh, it’s a no from me, he’s in their Rainbow Network 🙄

I’d hoped to have someone to vote for at last.

It's the way of it now though isn't it? I'd rather we concentrated on ensuring that human rights and equality were upheld for everyone properly rather than focussing in on particular groups who should be protected under current laws if they were upheld appropriately.

I think some of it is a bit like the USA where anyone seeking power really has to go through the motions of being a church goer regardless of whether they have any beliefs or not.

Was really hoping that things were starting to improve here but I notice that the % positive tests is back up to 10% today after being lower the last few days. When will we see numbers going down!?

Numbers are going down though?

Surely the percentage of positive tests isn't really what matters, it's the number of positive tests that matter?
Ie 10 positives could be 10 out a hundred or 10 out 200 hundred, so 10% or 5%

I'm not sure what tests they are using at the moment but this is an interesting watch about PCR

That’s Devi Sridhar saying on Twitter hopefully see numbers less than 1000 and % positive under 5% soon. Maybe she’s hinting at criteria to start easing some restrictions...

I think the numbers of infections are stabilising, although tbh if these harsh lockdowns were effective I would have expected a bigger drop by now - it,'s been over three weeks now I think? Bit annoying that we can't release vaccination data on the weekend either. I'm getting a bit concerned that we're falling well behind other UK countries (and will therefore be locked up longer) after a somewhat sluggish roll out, and it's frustrating to not be able to see progress.

@Lockdownbear. Well yes, but it depends on numbers of tests...8000 fewer tests carried out today compared to yesterday so inevitably the positives would be lower...therefore the % of positive tests becomes more important, at least that's my understanding of it?

I'm not following the rate of positive tests (although I know under 5% shows its under control) but instead going on the positive per 100000 in my area.
For our area its dropping and quite quickly (dropped over 100 in 7 days). The lock down is working in our area I didn't expect to see any dropping for another week based on people still being off and mixing between Christmas and new year. We definitely had lots of family groups walking which is understandable.

I'm just hoping by mid Feb we can go back to the tier system..... Who would of thought I would have longed for the days of tiers......

@Y0uCann0tBeSer10us

I think the numbers of infections are stabilising, although tbh if these harsh lockdowns were effective I would have expected a bigger drop by now - it,'s been over three weeks now I think? Bit annoying that we can't release vaccination data on the weekend either. I'm getting a bit concerned that we're falling well behind other UK countries (and will therefore be locked up longer) after a somewhat sluggish roll out, and it's frustrating to not be able to see progress.

What I'm hoping for is that they've done absolutely loads of vaccinations over the weekend but want to surprise us with the huge numbers tomorrow. We had got it to an average of 16.5K per day but LJ was doing 5K in one day yesterday so fingers crossed other places were also vaccinating.

Devi Sridhar doesn't want restrictions lifted. She's one of the 'weld them into their homes' brigade iirc.

I'd really like to see vaccination numbers too, and get some kind of idea when we can go back to tiers, at least! At the moment, Scotland’s 7 day rate per 100,000 is about 200, and 9% positive, which should be no more than tier 3 (according to the long forgotten indicators). So we should have non essential retail and leaving the home flippantly, and a non alcoholic lunch out. But we've been told that it's a "tall order" to get kids back to school in a fortnight?! They do seem reluctant to set thresholds/ targets for schools going back, or to relax out of lockdown, presumably because they know that they will be held to it this time, and they want the flexibility to "just another fortnight" us.

It seems the UK target is to get ALL the 18 plus population vaccinated by september, which would be amazing if so, but it sounds like such a long way from where we are at the moment.

I suspect the issue is drag the tier system doesn't work with a faster-spreading strain of the virus, but they should probably come out and say so: basically tiers are off until most people are vaccinated and so the path is likely to be tougher than it would have otherwise been.

Just me surmising though.

We were out for a (illegal) walk along the Clyde yesterday and parked at the Riverside Museum.

They've set up a Covid testing station at the far end of the carpark, presumably for the student population who can't access drive-through facilities. It was VERY quiet. Lots of bored youths in reflective jackets waiting to deal with people who never came.

Looking at travelling tabby graphs it's so easy to see that the peak in this second wave was around 5th/6th Jan and has been on the slide ever since. Deaths peaked around a week later which is exactly what happened last time. % positives down too.

In fact, all indicators are that we are heading in the right direction, quickly. I wouldn't pay a blind bit of attention to Ms Devi "people who don't want independence are anti-Scottish" Sridhar. She's not an independent expert. She's in the pocket and pay of the Scot Gov and does what she's told.

I wish I had hope we'll see much relaxation of anything before May!

We have a (postponed from last Easter) holiday booked in Aviemore for the first week of April. That's almost 11 weeks away.

We better bloody get to go.

Sad news from my neck of the woods, a teenager from DS3s school (year below him) went missing on Friday and was found dead today. I've been half expecting something like this to happen but fervently hoping it wouldn't. Feel so sad for his family and friends.

That could well be the case includewomen but I agree, they really need to say so if we are stuck in lockdown til March or May or whenever they consider enough people have been vaccinated.

I confess I don't really see why drag should matter though. If cases are at a certain level, they are at that level, regardless of how quickly the virus spreads. Future predictions on hospitalisation etc are built into the thresholds for the tiers, so they could be taken into account if it is more spready than originally thought. Also, the SG have always had the flexibility to change the relevant thresholds or restrictions if they don't think they are appropriate (or just keep areas in a higher tier than the numbers suggest anyway as per Edinburgh before Christmas, and Midlothian forever). It just seems harsh to restrict the entire country so much with no get out clause or timescale.

How did your citizen panel go yesterday, btw. Did you come up with a Plan?!

Oh god wbeezer - that's awful I'm so sorry. What a shock for all concerned.

@Scottishskifun

I'm not following the rate of positive tests (although I know under 5% shows its under control) but instead going on the positive per 100000 in my area. For our area its dropping and quite quickly (dropped over 100 in 7 days). The lock down is working in our area I didn't expect to see any dropping for another week based on people still being off and mixing between Christmas and new year. We definitely had lots of family groups walking which is understandable.

I'm just hoping by mid Feb we can go back to the tier system..... Who would of thought I would have longed for the days of tiers......

It's at about 8% on average just now - significantly down from the 15% Xmas peak.

We didn't know the poor lad but obviously as a parent you empathise and it is awfully close to home. Some teens are really struggling with the current situation.