Page 19 | Heading into winTier ..... the one we hoped it would be over before...

ColdNovemberRain · 21/12/2021 15:34

That's exactly it - nothing to aim for or look forward to.

My passion is rugby and the Edinburgh Glasgow derby on 2 January was something DH and I were desperately looking forward to. The staff at Murrayfield have out so much effort into keeping things safe, even opening up the whole of Murrayfield so the crowd can be spread out but there's no reward for them for these efforts, just more financial uncertainty. There's such a knock-on effect too - it's not just the players and team staff but the catering staff employed for these games, security etc. Lots of people of casual contracts but who knew when the definite sources of work would come in.

The rational side of my brain tells me that the measures are absolutely sensible and exactly what needs but be done but the irrational, and dare I say it, more human side is upset for personal loss. My DH works in an "essential/key" service and is working loads up to and over christmas. He gets 10 days off starting from 28th. Just in time to do nothing. That's why we were focused on the rugby match. There will be loads of people in the NHS, essential retail and emergency services in the same position and it just feels like they are being left behind.

I also firmly believe that it's human nature to expect a reward after enduring stress or hardship. We've all sacrificed so much and are looking for these rewards now.

Whattochoosenow · 21/12/2021 15:54

There’s a saying in our house- “The people get what the people voted for” and it’s never more true than now. Those who voted in this Scottish Government would do well to remember that.
It’s not the disease that will bring down the NHS and people’s businesses, it’s the enforced self isolation for what in the majority appears to be a fairly mild disease. Something like 40% of positive cases in hospital are incidental findings, and hospital stays for covid treatment are on average 2-3 days.

BlameItOnTheBlackStar · 21/12/2021 16:24

Yes, but in the context of the UK, every other nation is bringing in its own enhanced restrictions, so wishing Scotland would have no part of it is a fool's errand really. Plus, look across Europe, so many nations are increasing restrictions, some are far stricter than ours. It's not strictly a Scottish government problem.

It's funny, I was just reading a thread about a Boris Johnson announcement to come soon, and loads of people on there are going 'he's always got to pipe up if Sturgeon does' which is the opposite of the usual Scotsnet view of things.

neveradullmoment99 · 21/12/2021 16:35

Well they are doing it to prioritise schools, so they have to do something.

WouldBeGood · 21/12/2021 16:58

Schools will not open at the start of January. No chance.

Y0uCann0tBeSer10us · 21/12/2021 17:12

@neveradullmoment99

Well they are doing it to prioritise schools, so they have to do something.

Why do they have to do something? Serious question. Infection levels are tracking a level that should be well within hospital capacity. We're heavily vaccinated and all the data suggests disease burden is much lower than in previous waves. Is there even any evidence of football matches and concerts etc. in the last few weeks being superspreader events, or it this just a 'fear' rather than based on hard data? Even if 'something' is needed, all indications are that shifting from blanket restrictions to personal responsibility is working quite well, so why not just ask people to limit household mixing for a little longer? That way we could at least have some control over our lives which is so vital to mental health.

The message that we 'need' to restrict/control people in order to keep schools open in Jan (and I too am sceptical, she's got form) sounds like pure gas lighting to me, in much the same way that nightclubs 'needed' vaccine passports to stop them closing. It's perfectly possible to keep everything open without everything descending into chaos.

BlameItOnTheBlackStar · 21/12/2021 17:16

I have a lot of the same questions as you, but I can't see any Western government just sitting back and seeing how it plays out.

WouldBeGood · 21/12/2021 17:39

I’m sick of all the governments @BlameItOnTheBlackStar but particularly fucked off as we’ve had all these extra restrictions for longer with absolutely no benefit whatsoever

Scottishskifun · 21/12/2021 17:39

If they were prioritising education and schools then they would be examining isolation rules to testing which they aren't.

Can't say I'm surprised by NS announcement and like many I doubt it will be 3 weeks.
I am sick of the rhetoric that we should all restrict our lives for the greater good, they could invest in proper NHS resilience they have had nearly 2 years.

I don't really accept the consider myself lucky that I'm not under greater restrictions. My child has now lived under restrictions longer then not. I am not restricting my child from family and friends

neveradullmoment99 · 21/12/2021 20:35

@Scottishskifun

If they were prioritising education and schools then they would be examining isolation rules to testing which they aren't.

Can't say I'm surprised by NS announcement and like many I doubt it will be 3 weeks.
I am sick of the rhetoric that we should all restrict our lives for the greater good, they could invest in proper NHS resilience they have had nearly 2 years.

I don't really accept the consider myself lucky that I'm not under greater restrictions. My child has now lived under restrictions longer then not. I am not restricting my child from family and friends

Its also pretty disgustion that they have put so little into protecting staff and children in schools. N.S. says she is prioritising education - but not putting any extra money to it. In schools, there is open the window for ventilation. I agree that if schools go back, it wont be long before whole classes are off and the system collapses. This is a highly contagious variant. One child in the class and the most will be off including staff. I agree that they have done nothing about improving the NHS but I am sure its the Tories plan to ensure it collapses to justify its privitisation. I know that the nhs is devolved in Scotland but the purse strings are still held by Westminster are they not?

neveradullmoment99 · 21/12/2021 20:36

disgusting not disgustion!

Scottishskifun · 21/12/2021 22:16

@neveradullmoment99 not really funding available per head for healthcare in Scotland is way above that which is available in England. It's Scottish govt who allocate. They also receive several billion per year which stays in Scotland by the different tax bands.

Definitely agree so little has been done to improve ventilation in schools, a CO2 monitor only tells you what the levels are not ways to get it down!
Welsh govt in comparison announced in the summer about improving ventilation including free standing units to be used in schools. They have had a very very long time to sort it out and improve it!

ElephantOfRisk · 22/12/2021 08:16

Scotgov, on more than one occasion, has been given extra funds specifically for the NHS to match increased funding given in E&W and did not spend it on the NHS in Scotland. I believe that the tory government have increased spending on the NHS more than the previous Labour government.

Now I'm not saying they are not shits, but scotgov have done something else with the money.

Original poster

dancemom · 22/12/2021 14:04

• 2,434 new cases of COVID-19 reported*
• 52,022 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results*
◦ 13.0% of these were positive
• 11 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 40 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 536 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,375,588 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, 4,000,171 have received their second dose, and 2,708,761 have received a third dose or booster.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) are aware that today’s reported positive case numbers are lower than expected. PHS are investigating this, and will provide updates in future reports.

OP posts:

Y0uCann0tBeSer10us · 22/12/2021 14:12

Mucked up data again (although unless 75% are missing it's not really indicative of exponential growth), but the % positive is also falling and also not really suggestive of cases spiraling out of control.

mibbelucieachwell · 22/12/2021 14:12

How very strange.

13% of cases that reported results is 6, 700 ish. No wonder the numbers are "lower than expected".

With my tinfoil hat at the ready, I'm suspicious of the reporting of the PHS data from the last few days. If omicron is more than half of cases and was thought to be going to double every 3ish days the numbers would be much higher than this. Something is off/wrong/hidden

ResilienceWanker · 22/12/2021 14:22

Whoah! What's happening there then?! That's pretty high testing, and a reasonably high %positive, but really low case numbers... And there is no way 2,400 is 13% of 52k!

Y0uCann0tBeSer10us · 22/12/2021 14:23

I agree @mibbelucieachwell, something seems off here. Perhaps related to early signs of plateau in London and the South East. Wouldn't it be nice if the omicron wave turned out to be little more than a ripple, maybe because of better than expected prior immunity (now heavily boosted) or maybe the voluntary behaviour changes of the population?

ResilienceWanker · 22/12/2021 14:29

I went off to try to find an explanation for the weird %positive vs actual numbers figure mid-post there... Which is why I'm 10 minutes after everyone else But I can't... The gov.scot site says..

The total number of positive tests reported on a particular day divided by the overall number of tests reported that day.

If an individual has more than one test or positive result reported on the same day, each of the results and tests will be included in the calculation.
...
The total number of positive tests includes people who have previously been tested, so is a mix of new and existing cases. The number of new cases reported only counts the first positive test so is lower.

Which seems to make sense I think - though "new cases" as in dancemom's post wouldn't therefore include anyone testing positive for a second time (still rare, I think, but not AS rare with omicron). So basically, I have no idea why things look so weird...

frasersmummy · 22/12/2021 14:30

So which is right do we think 13% of 52k or 2400 cases
I'm guessing it's the former ...its just bloody strange that they can't get the data right when they are using said data to restrict events

neveradullmoment99 · 22/12/2021 14:33

@frasersmummy

So which is right do we think 13% of 52k or 2400 cases I'm guessing it's the former ...its just bloody strange that they can't get the data right when they are using said data to restrict events

I'm very suspicious too. This happened last week a few times. Makes me think the case numbers are frighteningly high and they are trying to even them out over the next few days.

neveradullmoment99 · 22/12/2021 14:35

@mibbelucieachwell

How very strange.

13% of cases that reported results is 6, 700 ish. No wonder the numbers are "lower than expected".

With my tinfoil hat at the ready, I'm suspicious of the reporting of the PHS data from the last few days. If omicron is more than half of cases and was thought to be going to double every 3ish days the numbers would be much higher than this. Something is off/wrong/hidden

Totally agree

ResilienceWanker · 22/12/2021 14:50

It's possible, but I can't believe "they" would be trying to "even things out" with the data neveradullmoment. That's horribly opaque and would be picked up in no time if they cross reference with the feeds from the various health boards etc. And I don't think quoting figures less than half of what they "should" be is a very good way of trying to shift high numbers around to make them appear better! We'll have a plateau well into next summer at that rate

I think it's just genuine messing up on the data, or some feature in the way they collect it which has gone wrong, rather than it being deliberate. Which is still disappointing, but not fraudulently so...

BlameItOnTheBlackStar · 22/12/2021 14:59

Who would 'they' even be? Lab scientists, lab leaders, some NHS data analysts or reporting admins? Nah.

ClootieDumplings · 22/12/2021 16:17

I'm very sceptical about all these people confidently declaring they have definitely got omicron.

DD tested positive on a PCR last Friday, she got the results on Saturday morning. We got a text and an email from test and protect, and were asked to book PCRs for the rest of the family. (All negative).

We have had no contact from test and protect or the NHS. Nobody has said whether it's omicron, delta, alpha, whatever. Given her symptoms it probably is, but people in Scotland at least really can't know. Because we're not being officially told one way or another.