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

[dancemom]

New thread Tierers ...

@ResilienceWanker my personal view is that the uni hears the government guidelines and takes the most extreme view of them

I am not teaching staff, and so far its just seems to be expected that non essential staff will be told to work from home full time again

But its not official yet and with the undergrads back in however few classes on the campus who is going to be deemed un essential ?? Teaching staff and students alike need support services

Yup, that seems about right frasersmummy! The split between "can work from home" and "must be available in person to students" isn't at all clear cut. Even teaching staff aren't teaching all the time, but it's much easier to do admin stuff, and speak to support staff and students and so on from the office... Even easier if they're in the office too with any relevant documents on hand, and not at the end of a teams call.

Either education is essential and should be prioritised in person (ie all parts of it - admin, teaching and pastoral stuff - because they are all critical in providing the education to the students or enabling the research work around the uni), or it isn't, in which case, why bother with anything in person at all. And we've had that kind of rant here previously many times!

I'm not in education, but have staff training post degree for professional qualifications. Hadn't seen John Swinney's speech from yesterday, but got the gist of it from various news reports, so spoke to my current trainee today about how we'll deal with him working from home. He was devastated, and said he'd write me a letter saying he was aware he was breaking rules coming into the office, because he already knows he needs to be around experienced people to progress. Makes me so angry that a whole generation, from early primary to just-through degrees, are being so let down by these restrictions that aren't giving us better results than south of the border

Yep we have edged up to third place this week.... Shows ours (and Wales which is pretty strict on covid regs as well minus schools and restaurants) makes such a difference compared to England....... 🙄 Yep its really paying off slow hand clap for NS and Scottish covid rules

@Scottishskifun this is what’s so frustrating - it’s clear that stricter measures do not work. I just don’t get it.

Really hope you feel better soon @StarryEyeSurprise.

Feels like we are a walking example of the limits of ‘minor’ ‘baseline’ restrictions.

Having harsh enough restrictions in place to severely limit infections works, but it also means the population has less overall immunity. And there comes a tipping point where the lower immunity compared to eg England is outweighing the effects of the measures we still have. Even if the smaller ‘wear masks in the playground at school dropoff’ type rules were enough to slow the spread, slowing it means having fewer people immune, and after a while that lower immunity will be enough to cancel out any of the reduction in cases they’re causing.

I thought the lockdowns were the right idea as the least worst option in a crisis situation. But it feels like all we’ve succeeded in doing now is making people miserable and pushing the wave into winter, while the NHS is desperately playing catch-up with all the other effects of the last two years.

(but yeah let’s bring in vaccine passports for cafes, that’ll fix it all! )

• 3,052 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 32,079 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
◦ 10.1% of these were positive
• 13 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 59 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 780 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,326,637 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination and 3,924,305 have received their second dose

@goldenomber yes immunity seems to be playing a big part in it. Lesser so up here but if looking at cases cities are lower down the list when they have had high infection rates compared to rural which are now high up the list after having low infection rates.

But with the vaccination making it less serious along with huge developments in treatments it comes a point where we just have to accept it.

The general feeling I get from work colleagues etc is that very few have reached this point. Its not a nice illness at all for many and long covid truly sucks but I'm a realist and realistically we are now never going to get rid of covid and so it's now about getting life, the economy and society back on track.

@florafoxtrot

Really hope you feel better soon *@StarryEyeSurprise*.

Thank you

• 3,077 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 31,384 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
◦ 10.3 % of these were positive
• 1 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive (noting that Register Offices are now generally closed at weekends)
• 56 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 765 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,327,340 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 3,924,870 have received their second dose

Glasgow appears to have the lowest case rates in Scotland. I feel an odd sense of pride.

@Haudyourwheesht

Glasgow appears to have the lowest case rates in Scotland. I feel an odd sense of pride.

Lets hope it lasts once all the cop26 delegates have buggered off.

• 2,288 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 19,898 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
◦ 12.3% of these were positive
• 0 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive (noting that Register Offices are generally closed at the weekend)
• 57 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 771 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,330,321 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination and 3,929,012 have received their second dose

Additionally, over 40s to receive the Covid booster and 16 & 17 year olds to receive a second vaccine

Boris is doing a press conference at 5pm which is always ominous.

Meh, we have our announcement tomorrow. It really doesn’t matter what Boris announces today- we’re so very different up here now, it’s unlikely to impact us in any way. I’d be more worried for tomorrow- thinking it’s announcing the ‘winter plan’ which can only mean increased restrictions?

@OnceUponAWhine

Meh, we have our announcement tomorrow. It really doesn’t matter what Boris announces today- we’re so very different up here now, it’s unlikely to impact us in any way. I’d be more worried for tomorrow- thinking it’s announcing the ‘winter plan’ which can only mean increased restrictions?

I think Boris will announce increased restrictions and then up here will follow suit tomorrow. Albeit with slight tweaks so can't be accused of being the same.

The chat across social appears to be Boris will be reinforcing the ‘get your booster message’ and nothing else, but fake news and all that, so who knows.
Whereas here, we were told last week there would be further information on our restrictions they just had to wait until COP was over so they couldn’t be accused of hypocrisy and clarification around the vaccine passport areas, such as hospitality sector.

Boris, Whitty et chums are actually on now

Oh god I can’t take any more announcements.

Borris is stressing everyone eligible to get their boosters and they are monitoring the wave hitting Europe. No changes so far announced and no intro of plan B so no changes to legal requirements around masks etc.

It won't make a difference regardless to up here SG do as they please knowing everything will get voted through because of the greens agreement!

Glad everyone seems to be keeping their nerve down south. Not holding out the same hope for us tomorrow, though... I can't believe JS would make his statements last week and for there to be no change here. That just doesn't seem to be how it works here!

I have mixed feelings on the boosters for over 40s, and 2nd jags for 16/17yos. On one hand, good that those that want them can have them. On the other, is this a new hurdle we're going to have to get over now? So no changes in rules until all over 40s (and then over 30s, and then all adults...) have had a 3rd jag... And anyone who hasn't had the booster isn't fully vaccinated for passport purposes, and so on? It just feels a bit like we're on a train and can't get off now!

Wales have extended their covid pass to cinemas, theatres and concerts today.
My guess is we'll be following suit, Indoor gatherings over a certain size.

@ResilienceWanker I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I really hope Boris survives the aggro. He’s clearly against more restrictions and vaccine passports. Might save us from the worst…. ??