How can a panel of 20 people have so much influence? Zero Covid

[makingitupaswegoon]

So news this morning said that the COVID-19 committee wants a zero covid approach. And this is based on a panel of 20, yes 20 people from across Scotland. Surely it is completely unethical to define public policy based on a steering group of random academics and 20 people. link to report here www.parliament.scot/20210218CVDCitizensPanelReportFinal.pdf

How on earth do people like myself who are worried about long term harms of lockdowns and such an approach ever get our views known and listened to? I still maintain this is a virus that mutates and is so widespread that unless we never plan to leave Scotland again we have no hope of being Zero Covid.

Apologies if there is another thread on this - couldn't see one

www.google.co.jp/search?q=mali+covid+19&sxsrf=ALeKk03VNDGIo4RavVjcxDNcqRb5UySbDQ:1613702227167&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5wpeg9fTuAhWLfXAKHROODo0Q_AUoAnoECA4QBA&biw=1200&bih=658&dpr=1.5

Does it really say Mali has "excluded" COVID-19 on that chart?
That's certainly not what the news seems to be saying.

@lljkk

There are Scottish MPs, right... No more travel for them to Westminster?

How many oil workers in Scotland actually have family homes in England?

Would this be the new excuse for why Scotland can't win at rugby -- their team unable to travel to international tournaments, anyway?

There are exceptions to travel for essential workers, presumably MP's and energy workers included there.

And as for rugby- who gives a flying fuck.

How on earth do people like myself who are worried about long term harms of lockdowns and such an approach ever get our views known and listened to?

Why would it be wise to listen to the views of the average citizen on technical, scientific matters? Half the population will not have passed science GCSE/O-level.

The way (decent) government works is:

• the people elect leaders
• the leaders listen to experts
• the leaders make decisions
• the people re-elect or replace the leaders

The idea any country would consult the population about high level decisions like public health, economics etc. is a course to disaster.

Am really worried about this as have close family down south

The SG seems to carefully select their experts who align to their planned policies. And I maintain that business leaders need to be part if this conversation.

@DisappointingAvocado same here, I'm starting to feel like i might as well live on the other side of the world not a few hours up the motorway.

@PracticingPerson
I agree but this isn't what has happened here.

20 people have been selected to represent the public views and to participate in an exercise to assess the best approach to covid - this is now being trumpeted as a citizen's panel. This is quite different from seeking widespread views about the approaches - the SGov did this last year when there was an online forum - and they used this to justify a lot of decision making. I think it is extremely dangerous to base policy making on the views ...

where were the experts in child mental health in all this, long term economic policy advisers, business leaders, drug and alcohol workers who know fine well that there is a hidden epidemic ... I could go on.

Sorry should read - dangerous to base policy making on the views of so few

Happy to visit or tend to graves in Fife/Perth/Dundee if required. My father died in December and none of my siblings could travel to be with him or to be at his funeral.
I also have my elderly mother to care for, and again, family in England unable to travel. I'm afraid if this is a long term plan, I won't be sticking to it.