I want leadership mateWe get it, you want more restrictions
I can't stand the government, but I disagree that restrictions are the way to go, we've been here before and extended 3 previous waves already, we have delivered 130 million jabs now, and we are already of all other European countries with the booster rollout. Time to move on, we can't keep doing this, it appears that people seem to think leadership = restrictions, leadership can also be saying, "we will not be imposing restrictions, we are going with vaccines and masks" granted Boris isn't even doing that, but some here seem obsessed with the only form of leadership worthwhile is a sturgeon or drakeford constant public health emergency, this is a vastly different situation to this time last year and does not require a panic button. It does however require a far better leadership and government than this one.I want leadership mate
There seems to be a lot of unknowns with reference to the severity of the virus. To me it seems sensible to be flexible until more is known.I just want a clear plan.
Everyone offered two vaccines, everyone who is vulnerable offered 3. What more can we do at this stage? Destroy the economy every time a new variant comes along?Ok to all those defending the govt on this ask yourself
has the rest of the world got it wrong and wrong then ???
and England who are one of the only countries with zero restrictive measures in place got it right.???
Ok to all those defending the govt on this ask yourself
has the rest of the world got it wrong and wrong then ???
and England who are one of the only countries with zero restrictive measures in place got it right.???
Very well said Sir.I am no fan of the government and have never voted Conservative but we'd be in a similar state with the epidemic but in far deeper dystopian restrictions if we had Labour in charge (look at the state of Wales). Thank goodness for the Conservative backbenchers (not a sentence I thought I'd be writing a couple of years ago).
Much of the world panicked and ignored the standard pandemic response and WHO guidelines from as recently as 2019. It was what Donald Henderson was warning of back in the mid 2000's.
It is always difficult comparing countries due to differing populations, demographics etc. but lets take a look at two european countries which have attracted attention for their differing responses. Sweden vs Germany.
Sweden has had public health measures in place (despite some trying to portray it as completely 'normal' and 'unrestricted throughout') but those measures were the standard measures and consistent and set in place so the population would be on board for a fairly considerable length of time. Once the age-stratified mortality was apparent they switched universities to online learning but kept the schools for younger children open throughout (UK closing them was a big mistake). They encouraged 'work from home where possible', closed down large events (clubs etc), but kept shops, gyms, bars (with some capacity limits and table service) largely etc. open throughout. Worth remembering Sweden was criticised in many quarters for their cavalier response. I initially watched in horror expecting them to have the worst outcomes as that was what the modeling suggested would happen. That was until I did some basic reading about the spread of respiratory virus' and realised much of the modeling was total nonsense.
Germany has often been praised for its response. It has had mandatory masks, sometimes of a certain grade in most public places (Sweden hasn't), is still playing some sports behind closed doors, has again shut shops, bars, and christmas markets, and has 'vaccine passports' (right up there with the most stupid public health measures imaginable). They also have had police walking round with 'rulers' to check people are stood 1.5 M apart (no, that is not a joke). Insanity.
How have they actually fared...... Largely similar in terms of the numbers of deaths (which, of course, is not the only metric when considering how well a country has responded). Sweden had more deaths in the early part of 2020, things were quiet in summer (as it is a coronavirus and seasonal, despite what some STILL try to suggest), and the winter of 2020 was similar despite the differing public health measures. Currently Sweden is flat in terms of deaths and Germany has more deaths atm. Sweden is much more open as a society than Germany and has been throughout.
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There is yet again a clamour for government to 'do something', to 'have a plan'. We have vaccines, we have given much of the adult population 2 doses, the most vulnerable 3. What more do people want? Why do people want to introduce measures (like Wales and Scotland) such as 'rule of 6', mask mandates, vaccine passports etc. which just don't work?
People seem astounded that we have rising cases in December. It is a coronavirus. They were rising at this time last year and will likely rise again (whatever variant is around) at the same time next year. See below for the striking differences in seasonality/'regionality' between the western european nations and some of the eastern euro nations...... (note the very similar pattern for IRE vs UK since summer, again, despite the difference in NPIs)......
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The next thing the country has to do is wean itself off the mad level of testing and, over time, remove the isolation/quarantine rules (some should never ever have been in place). And it must not, absolutely not, normalise mass testing of the population for respiratory virus'. I cannot imagine the levels of hysteria that could be generated if we tested for seasonal flu.
100% we now have an obsession with testing. We test kids without symptoms which seems crazy, and in turn we obsess over cases bow.Very well said Sir.
Be prepared for a pile on especially for having the bare faced audacity to criticise the Labour Party
Unfortunately too many.There seems to be a lot of unknowns with reference to the severity of the virus. To me it seems sensible to be flexible until more is known.
Ref Scotland and Wales - how many businesses will never recover from losing Xmas and the New Year. Losing your business and livilihood can have dire health risks too.
That's all well and good, but Zorro wants a plan.I am no fan of the government and have never voted Conservative but we'd be in a similar state with the epidemic but in far deeper dystopian restrictions if we had Labour in charge (look at the state of Wales). Thank goodness for the Conservative backbenchers (not a sentence I thought I'd be writing a couple of years ago).
Much of the world panicked and ignored the standard pandemic response and WHO guidelines from as recently as 2019. It was what Donald Henderson was warning of back in the mid 2000's.
It is always difficult comparing countries due to differing populations, demographics etc. but lets take a look at two european countries which have attracted attention for their differing responses. Sweden vs Germany.
Sweden has had public health measures in place (despite some trying to portray it as completely 'normal' and 'unrestricted throughout') but those measures were the standard measures and consistent and set in place so the population would be on board for a fairly considerable length of time. Once the age-stratified mortality was apparent they switched universities to online learning but kept the schools for younger children open throughout (UK closing them was a big mistake). They encouraged 'work from home where possible', closed down large events (clubs etc), but kept shops, gyms, bars (with some capacity limits and table service) largely etc. open throughout. Worth remembering Sweden was criticised in many quarters for their cavalier response. I initially watched in horror expecting them to have the worst outcomes as that was what the modeling suggested would happen. That was until I did some basic reading about the spread of respiratory virus' and realised much of the modeling was total nonsense.
Germany has often been praised for its response. It has had mandatory masks, sometimes of a certain grade in most public places (Sweden hasn't), is still playing some sports behind closed doors, has again shut shops, bars, and christmas markets, and has 'vaccine passports' (right up there with the most stupid public health measures imaginable). They also have had police walking round with 'rulers' to check people are stood 1.5 M apart (no, that is not a joke). Insanity.
How have they actually fared...... Largely similar in terms of the numbers of deaths (which, of course, is not the only metric when considering how well a country has responded). Sweden had more deaths in the early part of 2020, things were quiet in summer (as it is a coronavirus and seasonal, despite what some STILL try to suggest), and the winter of 2020 was similar despite the differing public health measures. Currently Sweden is flat in terms of deaths and Germany has more deaths atm. Sweden is much more open as a society than Germany and has been throughout.
View attachment 30002
View attachment 30003
There is yet again a clamour for government to 'do something', to 'have a plan'. We have vaccines, we have given much of the adult population 2 doses, the most vulnerable 3. What more do people want? Why do people want to introduce measures (like Wales and Scotland) such as 'rule of 6', mask mandates, vaccine passports etc. which just don't work?
People seem astounded that we have rising cases in December. It is a coronavirus. They were rising at this time last year and will likely rise again (whatever variant is around) at the same time next year. See below for the striking differences in seasonality/'regionality' between the western european nations and some of the eastern euro nations...... (note the very similar pattern for IRE vs UK since summer, again, despite the difference in NPIs)......
View attachment 30004
View attachment 30005
The next thing the country has to do is wean itself off the mad level of testing and, over time, remove the isolation/quarantine rules (some should never ever have been in place). And it must not, absolutely not, normalise mass testing of the population for respiratory virus'. I cannot imagine the levels of hysteria that could be generated if we tested for seasonal flu.
How can the Labour Party be criticised for anything Covid-19 related, particularly in England.Very well said Sir.
Be prepared for a pile on especially for having the bare faced audacity to criticise the Labour Party