My first week away tomorrow (flying to Gran canaria) in 2 years and a quarter with a mate who also lost his dad recently. We need the break. Don't need the daily changing of rules though from the tub of lard, still unable to have a policy and stick to it, but hey ho, I'll be wearing a mask for 7 or 8 hours tomorrow. Totally sensible and worth it.

Lots of confusion about social events - a lot are being cancelled which is devastating to the hospitality sector. The Government is saying that they should go ahead though - although medical advisers are being much more cautious. What does everyone else think? I'm going on ahead with my social life as normal which includes a play tonight and a concert on Saturday.

 

My work are having a Christmas lunch next week. I’m the only person who isn’t going due to covid. I don’t think it’s wise right now given cases are so high and with the new variant around plus it will be busy in restaurants coming up to Christmas.

My work are having a Christmas lunch next week. I’m the only person who isn’t going due to covid. I don’t think it’s wise right now given cases are so high and with the new variant around plus it will be busy in restaurants coming up to Christmas.

 

Scotland are offering WFH advice now for the next 4 weeks I believe. Think it's probably the sensible thing to do, as everything that I have read about Omricon means this is gonna hit us like a tidal wave. Guess ideally we would want to limit the transmission as much before Christmas as possible if we can. Think the key stuff I'm waiting to hear is how deadly the strain is, fingers crossed it has a weaker impact on people, as just not sure a lockdown is going to do any of us any good.

I will be travelling to see my folks for xmas come hell or high water, even if I need to fake an illness to do it.

 

Strongly reserving judgement on the Omicron for now. So far no news of a single death from it and yet the tone of panic everywhere. Someone somewhere is not being truthful and I wish they would stop doing this. Either honestly communicate the risk or say nothing, don't give us 6 of one and another.

I will be travelling to see my folks for xmas come hell or high water, even if I need to fake an illness to do it.

 

Strongly reserving judgement on the Omicron for now. So far no news of a single death from it and yet the tone of panic everywhere. Someone somewhere is not being truthful and I wish they would stop doing this. Either honestly communicate the risk or say nothing, don't give us 6 of one and another.

 

People just don't know yet about how it affects the mortality and hospitalisations. But they do know it is more transmissible, so that's bad news. You'd hope with a more transmissible strain, it would become less lethal, but the spread everywhere seems to be within the younger people for now. I was less close, but think this is how covid spread pretty much undetected for weeks back in March 2020. If it spreads through to the vulnerable population then that's when things go tits up.

I must admit that despite me testing positive for Covid a few weeks ago and recovering, I am nervous about doing a lateral flow test before I go out socialising as that would mean 10 days quarantine if positive.

Thing is it takes more than a fortnight for covid to kill someone so it’s just too early to write the new variant off as causing zero deaths so far.

First COVID-19 case detected in the UK: 31 January 2020 (York)

First COVID-19 related death in the UK: 5 March 2020

 

Time between first case and first death = 34 days

Thing is it takes more than a fortnight for covid to kill someone so it’s just too early to write the new variant off as causing zero deaths so far.

 

I didn't say I was, just that I was reserving judgement.

 

I think it's also too early to panic on an individual level, not to mention I also think that's unhelpful.

I will be travelling to see my folks for xmas come hell or high water, even if I need to fake an illness to do it.

 

Strongly reserving judgement on the Omicron for now. So far no news of a single death from it and yet the tone of panic everywhere. Someone somewhere is not being truthful and I wish they would stop doing this. Either honestly communicate the risk or say nothing, don't give us 6 of one and another.

 

The panic is related to the fact it’s a new variant and so much is unknown about it at the moment. As others have commented, it looks like it’s more transmissible which isn’t good news but hopefully it won’t have a more serious impact in terms of symptoms and deaths. This could potentially take us back to square one if the variant is found to evade vaccines but we still don’t know that. I think it’s best to be sensible during this uncertain period until we know more.

F**k the government and f**k Boris!

New restrictions and rhetoric about keeping the public safe not at all a coincidence after today's main story. Love how much our government cares <3

More "do as I say and not as I do" bollox from Boris.

 

See also his opinions about taking passports and driving licences off casual drug users.

New restrictions and rhetoric about keeping the public safe not at all a coincidence after today's main story. Love how much our government cares <3

 

Well it's hard to say isn't it. I suspect they were always going to do this, they've just brought it forward to try and bury the Christmas story. Hard to say though.

 

I got the jist from that press conference though that it's only a matter of time until mandatory vaccinations mind. I'm sure it will upset the covid cranks, but we can't be doing this every 6 months cos people won't get a bloody vaccine.

And at what point will people work out that even with 100% take up all it takes is a new variant to lock everything down again?

And at what point will people work out that even with 100% take up all it takes is a new variant to lock everything down again?

 

Thought Vallance answered this really well in the presser - they were expecting this mutation, but just not this quickly. Don't think we ever have to lockdown again with high vaccine coverage, but the data seems to be suggesting that you need a 3rd jab against weigning antibodies. Say if this variant took hold in 6-8 weeks time it would be a different picture, but we're behind in the booster programme and it's winter.

Well it's hard to say isn't it. I suspect they were always going to do this, they've just brought it forward to try and bury the Christmas story. Hard to say though.

 

I got the jist from that press conference though that it's only a matter of time until mandatory vaccinations mind. I'm sure it will upset the covid cranks, but we can't be doing this every 6 months cos people won't get a bloody vaccine.

 

At PMQs yesterday a Tory MP even stood up and accused him of hurting the news with new restrictions (albeit attacking him from the libertarian right)!

Well it's hard to say isn't it. I suspect they were always going to do this, they've just brought it forward to try and bury the Christmas story. Hard to say though.

 

I got the jist from that press conference though that it's only a matter of time until mandatory vaccinations mind. I'm sure it will upset the covid cranks, but we can't be doing this every 6 months cos people won't get a bloody vaccine.

 

At PMQs yesterday a Tory MP even stood up and accused him of hurting the news with new restrictions (albeit attacking him from the libertarian right)!

Well it's hard to say isn't it. I suspect they were always going to do this, they've just brought it forward to try and bury the Christmas story. Hard to say though.

 

I got the jist from that press conference though that it's only a matter of time until mandatory vaccinations mind. I'm sure it will upset the covid cranks, but we can't be doing this every 6 months cos people won't get a bloody vaccine.

 

At PMQs yesterday a Tory MP even stood up and accused him of hurting the news with new restrictions (albeit attacking him from the libertarian right)!

So this vaccine passport that is introduced has to be electronic via the NHS app- you can’t use the signed paper card you got when you were vaccinated can you? Have been using that previously. Bit of a faff…