How well is the government handling the pandemic?

[T00ts]

Was it 200 he bet on?

Up to 177 today and Italy posted 627 dead today. We are 14 days behind them on the graphs. It was obvious I would win but isn't it a pyrrhic sad victory?

I stand corrected I thought it was 300.

[Barry]

::  :: You wish! I have to admire your resolution. Was it you with a bet with Barry? I hope you win it just for the sake of the numbers of deaths but I fear you won't.

Was it 200 he bet on?

Up to 177 today and Italy posted 627 dead today. We are 14 days behind them on the graphs. It was obvious I would win but isn't it a pyrrhic sad victory?

[T00ts]

Not this one.



So far the government has responded to Xi Jinping's rain of infected snot by evoking the Dunkirk Spirit and inconveniencing the public as much as possible under the guise that something useful is being done. Folk will put up with it for a while, but with the schools closed and the kids driving their parents mad, no footie to argue about or pubs for a soothing draught and sex banned because no one is allowed to get within touching distance of anyone else, there is bound to be a backlash. In a couple of weeks Boris will commission a secret poll and discover that folk are fed up with being glum and that the only result of the masks they wear is a face full of snot. He will then announce that a miraculous cure for the bug has been discovered and I can stop whipping my backside on the London Evening Standard

 ::  :: You wish! I have to admire your resolution. Was it you with a bet with Barry? I hope you win it just for the sake of the numbers of deaths but I fear you won't.

[cromwell]

Not this one.



So far the government has responded to Xi Jinping's rain of infected snot by evoking the Dunkirk Spirit and inconveniencing the public as much as possible under the guise that something useful is being done. Folk will put up with it for a while, but with the schools closed and the kids driving their parents mad, no footie to argue about or pubs for a soothing draught and sex banned because no one is allowed to get within touching distance of anyone else, there is bound to be a backlash. In a couple of weeks Boris will commission a secret poll and discover that folk are fed up with being glum and that the only result of the masks they wear is a face full of snot. He will then announce that a miraculous cure for the bug has been discovered and I can stop whipping my backside on the London Evening Standard

You are incorrigible  

[Borchester]

I agree. I wonder how many deniers have seen the light now.

Not this one.



So far the government has responded to Xi Jinping's rain of infected snot by evoking the Dunkirk Spirit and inconveniencing the public as much as possible under the guise that something useful is being done. Folk will put up with it for a while, but with the schools closed and the kids driving their parents mad, no footie to argue about or pubs for a soothing draught and sex banned because no one is allowed to get within touching distance of anyone else, there is bound to be a backlash. In a couple of weeks Boris will commission a secret poll and discover that folk are fed up with being glum and that the only result of the masks they wear is a face full of snot. He will then announce that a miraculous cure for the bug has been discovered and I can stop whipping my backside on the London Evening Standard

[cromwell]

What we can see is a measured, stepped response to the outbreak. What we have to accept is that no government can protect its citizens from an invisible microbe, 100 microns wide, which is contagious before showing symptoms, mild in some people, fatal in others with no vaccine.

Government and the NHS cannot keep everyone alive through this.

Our figures are rising, although not as rapidly as other countries. I can't criticise the government over this. I just know the NHS are doing all they can, implementing the plan and hoping to minimise the death toll. The government are trying to do the same, without collapsing the economy.

Well the only plus in this if there are any is that it affects practically the whole world so it's in nobody's interests to see anyone go down economically.



We will come back from this,well some of us may not but you can't avoid that.

[T00ts]

What we can see is a measured, stepped response to the outbreak. What we have to accept is that no government can protect its citizens from an invisible microbe, 100 microns wide, which is contagious before showing symptoms, mild in some people, fatal in others with no vaccine.

Government and the NHS cannot keep everyone alive through this.

Our figures are rising, although not as rapidly as other countries. I can't criticise the government over this. I just know the NHS are doing all they can, implementing the plan and hoping to minimise the death toll. The government are trying to do the same, without collapsing the economy.

I agree. I wonder how many deniers have seen the light now.

[Barry]

I don't think any of us are in a position to judge. We don't have all the information any more than we have the answers. We do have a duty in all this in that we need to follow the plan laid out. I am confident that those leading this - and  it's not just BJ - think they have the right formula, but unless we all participate properly they will have no way of knowing if it's working or not,. Then they will start jigging it around without the right data.

What we can see is a measured, stepped response to the outbreak. What we have to accept is that no government can protect its citizens from an invisible microbe, 100 microns wide, which is contagious before showing symptoms, mild in some people, fatal in others with no vaccine.

Government and the NHS cannot keep everyone alive through this.

Our figures are rising, although not as rapidly as other countries. I can't criticise the government over this. I just know the NHS are doing all they can, implementing the plan and hoping to minimise the death toll. The government are trying to do the same, without collapsing the economy.

[patman post]

I don't doubt the quality of the scientists.



What I doubt the ability ifnsomenin government to grasp the implications of the advice they are hearing.



I feel as if the "take it on the chin" and "controlled burn" policies were options included in briefings (as good advisors should do) and the government chose them without understanding the implications.  That would be consistent with BJ's known dislike of detail.



 Singapore, Japan and S Korea have higer densities and seem to be on top of things.



Absolutely, if we want for an extension now, the whole question of trade talks can be parked while both parties get on with more pressing matters. *Not* extending now just means we have to deal with the question in June/July when things are likely to be very fraught.



The only reason I can see for not extending is a hard-line ideological stance, which is not the stance we want from a government in charge of getting us through this.

I do not suspect that the UK government is not taking onboard all the advice its experts are providing from all the data they are collecting.

Also, I don't see Singapore, Japan or South Korea as being more successful in controlling events than the UK. Using brute stats Germany —  a bigger country — appears to be fairing better than the UK (16,046 coronavirus infections and 44 related deaths). But it's tested more people — more than 160,000 coronavirus tests every week. So the UK's figures may not be directly comparable.  

Bavaria will now become the first German state to lock in its inhabitants. This could be a recommendation for London in a month or so — depends how the population heed the current advice...

[T00ts]

I don't doubt the quality of the scientists.



What I doubt the ability ifnsomenin government to grasp the implications of the advice they are hearing.



I feel as if the "take it on the chin" and "controlled burn" policies were options included in briefings (as good advisors should do) and the government chose them without understanding the implications.  That would be consistent with BJ's known dislike of detail.



 Singapore, Japan and S Korea have higer densities and seem to be on top of things.





Absolutely, if we want for an extension now, the whole question of trade talks can be parked while both parties get on with more pressing matters. *Not* extending now just means we have to deal with the question in June/July when things are likely to be very fraught.



The only reason I can see for not extending is a hard-line ideological stance, which is not the stance we want from a government in charge of getting us through this.

If BJ was giving his press conferences alone I might agree with you but the science bods are very visible. They know that they are holding the buck too. The countries that you hold up as examples are nothing like the West and their culture is to obey. Sadly the trend here is to kick back. The fond hope that sense would win over selfishness was away with the fairies which most of us could have told them but they have only waited 24hours (?)  before shutting it down. I guess the fools needed a chance to prove themselves. The same with the supermarkets.



If we can manage to keep negotiators out of solitary confinement we should press on. Perhaps we should isolate them all and not let them out til they reach agreement.

[BeElBeeBub]

I'm content to accept the government's handling of the current emergency and the advice it's giving for several reasons:



1) Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new disease and the UK is fortunate to have managed to be behind other countries in numbers affected. Advising restrictions, as and when the science shows them to be necessary, seems sensible. Plus as alluded to by the PM, immediately slapping stringent restrictions on substantially freedom-loving and contrary Brits would be difficult to enforce.

2) The UK government is being advised by a broad spectrum of scientists and specialists and is basing its advice to the UK population on the information available. I believe the UK government has access to the best science available.

I don't doubt the quality of the scientists.



What I doubt the ability ifnsomenin government to grasp the implications of the advice they are hearing.



I feel as if the "take it on the chin" and "controlled burn" policies were options included in briefings (as good advisors should do) and the government chose them without understanding the implications.  That would be consistent with BJ's known dislike of detail.

3) So far, I do not see other countries with similar population densities having better outcomes than the UK.

Singapore, Japan and S Korea have higer densities and seem to be on top of things.

I'd suggest the EU negotiations come second to the medical and economical calls on the UK's focus at this point in time — which should not annoy Brexiters too much as their leader is still very much in charge...

Absolutely, if we want for an extension now, the whole question of trade talks can be parked while both parties get on with more pressing matters. *Not* extending now just means we have to deal with the question in June/July when things are likely to be very fraught.



The only reason I can see for not extending is a hard-line ideological stance, which is not the stance we want from a government in charge of getting us through this.

[patman post]

I feel they are finally catching up. The pubs etc fubar was unnecessary. It was obvious it would have to do it, but they seemed to half arse the rollout. I fully understand going from nothing to full throttle is unnerving and has issues in itself (as I can also understand the school closure issue is not straight forward).



But if you are worried that springing something on the public is going to spook them, you engage them beforehand.  Just over 2 weeks ago, over a week after Italy had kicked off it's first lockdown and just days before it locked the entire country down.... Johnson was insisting the virus wouldn't stop him shaking hands.







The there were the "take it on the chin" remarks and the "herd immunity" comments. Herd immunity works but they neglected to mention the associated death toll.



I feel.as if the policy of ambiguity and not giving the public the whole picture that served the senior members it government and their advisors when they all worked together on the successful leave campaign has led them to continue using it.

The data, science and modelling moves on, and the advice is updated as required. I doubt the UK will stop at the at the current restrictions — it depends how many of the population heed the official advice — but looking at the supermarket shelves doesn't make me think we'll be having it easier any time soon ...

[papasmurf]

Pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas, museums, restaurants are all to be closed from tonight

But not camp sites/caravan/mobile home parks. (That is causing a lot of anger where I live. ) Going on holiday is NOT essential travel.

[BeElBeeBub]

Pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas, museums, restaurants are all to be closed from tonight so now there's little doubt what you need to do in that regard. Schools in the majority are also closing.



Unprecedented funds are planned for both business and workers and those less fortunate not to mention rent and mortgage relief to those who need it.



Pretty extension actions in my opinion and to Paraphrase the chancellor unprecedented measures in unprecedented times.



Some will say too little too late, others will say an over reaction.



Pretty progressive and decisive decisions from the government.

I feel they are finally catching up. The pubs etc fubar was unnecessary. It was obvious it would have to do it, but they seemed to half arse the rollout. I fully understand going from nothing to full throttle is unnerving and has issues in itself (as I can also understand the school closure issue is not straight forward).



But if you are worried that springing something on the public is going to spook them, you engage them beforehand.  Just over 2 weeks ago, over a week after Italy had kicked off it's first lockdown and just days before it locked the entire country down.... Johnson was insisting the virus wouldn't stop him shaking hands.

I am shaking hands. I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were coronavirus patients and I was shaking hands with everybody, you will be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands....

The there were the "take it on the chin" remarks and the "herd immunity" comments. Herd immunity works but they neglected to mention the associated death toll.



I feel.as if the policy of ambiguity and not giving the public the whole picture that served the senior members it government and their advisors when they all worked together on the successful leave campaign has led them to continue using it.

[patman post]

I'm content to accept the government's handling of the current emergency and the advice it's giving for several reasons:



1) Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new disease and the UK is fortunate to have managed to be behind other countries in numbers affected. Advising restrictions, as and when the science shows them to be necessary, seems sensible. Plus as alluded to by the PM, immediately slapping stringent restrictions on substantially freedom-loving and contrary Brits would be difficult to enforce.

2) The UK government is being advised by a broad spectrum of scientists and specialists and is basing its advice to the UK population on the information available. I believe the UK government has access to the best science available.

3) So far, I do not see other countries with similar population densities having better outcomes than the UK.



I'd suggest the EU negotiations come second to the medical and economical calls on the UK's focus at this point in time — which should not annoy Brexiters too much as their leader is still very much in charge...