I know everyone blames Christmas but perhaps even more so I think schools remaining open in late November and December have contributed to this high death rate, children unknowingly passing it to their parents and then parents unknowingly passing it into the community perhaps via those busy Christmas shopping scenes we saw in the news. Schools should have been closed earlier.

Edited January 8, 20214 yr by Road Salt Mixer

I know everyone blames Christmas but perhaps even more so I think schools remaining open in late November and December have contributed to this high death rate, children unknowingly passing it to their parents and then parents unknowingly passing it into the community perhaps via those busy Christmas shopping scenes we saw in the news. Schools should have been closed earlier.

 

There are loads of blame factors. Not sure I agree schools should have been shut earlier across the country.

 

Clearly if the Government knew about a more infectious strain, it was mad to do what they did in December. in the South East/London Similarly people were going to do what they wanted about Christmas regardless. People were desperate for a bit of normality so were travelling across the country. Liverpool and York have two of the fastest growing rates in the country.. no surprise these were littered with people from Tier 3 areas craving a pint. People just do what they want these days, although I suspect all the stories coming out will change some people's behaviours at least.

The situation in London hospitals is so bad. :( My dad is having to do 12 hour shifts now because of how busy they are and says that things are getting really really bad. I do hope that the opening of the Nightingale hospital in London next week will help to alleviate a bit of the pressure from London hospitals.

 

 

It’s really grim.

 

In Berlin hospitals there is THREE times as many people than there was in the first wave. We are approaching the point where the number of people in ICU is higher than the number of folks in hospital during wave 1. which is staggering and terrifying.

 

 

I do wonder for like Berlin and London if their status as major capitals with world class hospitals contributes to the lack of beds as much as the actual spread in the City does. Theres no denying the Situation in Berlin has been atrocious for months now but there’s still capacity in our system (14,6% of ICU beds are available City wide) and I wonder how much of our capacity is taken up by covid patients from outwith Berlin. Charité is one of the best hospitals in the entire world and we have 40 people on ECMO in the city (I’d be shocked if the NHS had that many ECMO machines UK wide tbh) and more deaths in city hospitals than in the city death count, so we must be picking up severely sick people from the whole of Eastern Germany (as well as those from other EU countries that Germany has been taking in)

 

Like I’m happy that Berlin is taking people in and giving them a fighting chance of making it thanks to a world class hospital but it would be interesting to see the stats for places like Berlin and London with imports removed to better understand the underlying trend from the cities themselves.

The fact these restrictions are just in place now and not since last April baffles me Re travelling into and out of Britain!

Edited January 8, 20214 yr by steve201

Scientists say the current lockdown is still too lax and have called for masks to be worn anywhere outside. They say too many people are still mixing and schools are taking sometimes up to 50% of pupils in as the rules around critical workers children is being abused or is too wide. They say too many people are on the tube and in supermarkets at once.

 

From The Mail

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-91...amp;si=23290293

 

 

Experts are calling for an even tougher lockdown after Boris Johnson last night begged families to stay at home, with the Government launching a new campaign blitz to scare people into obeying the rules.

 

Scientists warn the current measures are too 'lax' and can't contain the new coronavirus variant, so are demanding stricter restrictions as 'interactions are now riskier' than in the first wave of the pandemic.

 

Despite around 90 per cent of the population 'overwhelmingly' sticking to regulations, the streets and public transport remain busy, allowing the virus to spread, with one expert describing the emergence of the new variant as a 'pandemic within a pandemic'.

 

As a result, ministers are considering introducing tougher measures as part of the crackdown, including possibly making face masks mandatory in busy outdoor areas.

 

Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director of Public Health England, said the more coronavirus patients the NHS has to deal with, the more difficult it is to keep other services open as he urged anyone doubting the seriousness of the situation to read and listen to the words of staff and patients.

 

He told BBC Breakfast: 'I would encourage people to read, look at the programmes that you're running on TV where you're interviewing doctors, where you're interviewing patients who've had this very severe disease and are suffering from the long-term effects of it.

 

'This is the reality and that is the truth. So the advice would be listen, read, but stay at home. Protect yourself, protect your families.'

 

The concerns have sparked suggestions from other experts that the current level of restrictions are not robust enough to combat the ongoing soar in cases.

Edited January 9, 20214 yr by common sense

I’m dubious about the effect of masks being worn outside, though I suppose it would be incentive to stay at home.

Just been down the High St. to collect something from Argos and it's very quiet. Hardly anyone about and no queues at Argos with Sainsburys and Iceland virtually deserted.

 

Came home and men in all the protective gear, with police there too, taking someone round the corner from us in an ambulance.

Edited January 9, 20214 yr by common sense

I’m dubious about the effect of masks being worn outside, though I suppose it would be incentive to stay at home.

I don't know about the efficacity but we've been wearing masks in all settings in France for ages 7+ for months now. I wear masks in other people's houses when doing private tutoring so for me it's not just public spaces. It feels weird to see videos of news reports in English streets - and also the Houses of Parliament - where people aren't wearing masks. I also heard that in some schools in Britain, masks aren't mandatory for pupils, and if this is widespread then I'm sure that contributed to the need for them to close.

Edited January 9, 20214 yr by Harve

If they wanna make masks mandatory outdoors, only if it’s impossible to keep your distance otherwise no

They don't even police wearing masks indoors in shops and on public transport, let alone expanding masks to outdoor settings.

 

They really need to refuse entry to people not wearing masks in any indoor setting unless they can show a medical note to prove they are exempt. The rules have been too relaxed without any real attempt at enforcement for way too long.

If they wanna make masks mandatory outdoors, only if it’s impossible to keep your distance otherwise no

 

Agreed, what on earth would wearing masks outdoors achieve for people exercising alone in empty parks. Ridiculous... are we not entitled to fresh air now either?

 

Not gonna happen anyway if no one is even bothering to enforce it indoors which is a fair rule.

 

I'm telling ya, they're gonna peddle nationwide house arrest at this rate.

Masks outdoors is in force here for busy shopping streets where it can be hard to keep 1,5m distance. Personally I don’t see what the big deal is. I wear a mask whenever I leave the house. I’ll wear it walking down the street to the supermarket

 

I ain’t taking no chances

Masks outdoors is in force here for busy shopping streets where it can be hard to keep 1,5m distance. Personally I don’t see what the big deal is. I wear a mask whenever I leave the house. I’ll wear it walking down the street to the supermarket

 

I ain’t taking no chances

 

Right? I really don't see the problem with wearing masks outside the house or for long periods. It's just a mask.

 

I personally wouldn’t want to be wearing a mask if exercising though. Busy shopping streets, fine. Quick walk to the local shop, fine. But not of walking or running for exercise, I wouldn’t be able to breathe well.

Masks outside is fine, but I'd like to see the science and benefits behind it, otherwise I don't really see the use personally.. inside yes totally fine and I completely understand. But they have to be clear - anyway I don't think it will come to that. I suspect we will ploddle along with the current measures knowing the biggest pain is yet to come but after that it should begin to get easier. Either that or they sort out the schools situation and be a bit more strict on key worker status.

 

For me I'd work on concentrating asymptomatic testing in badly affectes areas, similarly to what was done in Liverpool but on a smaller and voluntary scale.

The Queen and Prince Philip have today received their vaccinations at Windsor castle. Both are said to "feel fine" and had a "nice cup of tea" afterwards.

Slightly down on yesterday but the UK saw 1035 deaths yesterday.

 

I'm more scared of catching it than I've ever been since it started so only walking the dog and going to a supermarket once a week now until it eases.

 

Had the letter to go in a fortnight for my annual diabetic eye screening in two weeks. They were all suspended last year and mine should have been in May. My dad had glaucoma so my GP says she wants me to go every year for it,

 

Am not going now. Will ring on Monday. Not going to a health centre where there's also two GP clinics. They never find anything wrong so will wait until the situation improves. I believe you're far likelier to catch it a a health place or hospital.

 

 

Haven't heard from the DWP either about my annual ESA review so maybe they're suspended too. Good. Annually was far too often anyway when nothing changes. :rolleyes: Just 5 years exactly until retirement at 66 now and ESA ends and we both go on the old age pension. I read they were doing the assessments over the phone and had a huge backlog and concentrating on all the huge number of new benefit claims first caused by lockdown. Moving staff from the reviews to those.

Edited January 9, 20214 yr by common sense

12 people have been arrested by police on Clapham Common who broke up an anti-Covid, anti-vaccine protest. What's wrong with these people? Haven't they read how bad the situation is in London right now?

 

 

From BBC News:

 

Twelve people have been arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.

 

Police officers clashed with some of the maskless protestors who arrived in Clapham Common, some shouting "take your freedom back".

 

Six police vans were deployed to the scene while officers moved crowds away from the area.

 

Gathering for the purpose of a protest is not an exemption to the rules, the Met Police said.

 

One woman shouted from her car at the protestors "there's a pandemic going", while another bystander shouted "idiots".

 

One anti-lockdown protestor, who was detained at Clapham Common park, said "I stand under common law, not maritime law and this is assault" as he was put into handcuffs by police officers.

 

A large police presence remains around Clapham Common station, but almost all protesters had left the area as of 14:00 GMT.

 

It comes as a "major incident" was declared as the spread of Covid-19 threatens to "overwhelm" London hospitals.

 

City Hall said Covid-19 cases in the capital had exceeded 1,000 per 100,000, while there were 35% more people in hospital with the virus than in the peak of the pandemic in April.

 

 

Edited January 9, 20214 yr by common sense

The Queen and Prince Philip have today received their vaccinations at Windsor castle. Both are said to "feel fine" and had a "nice cup of tea" afterwards.

 

I seen this on twitter and knew I’d come in here to see you reporting it :lol:

 

On the mask issue I think it wouldn’t do any harm to enforce masks in all outdoor settings except exercise I wear it when I leave the e house for a walk now - why not doesn’t do any harm to be careful and it’s good in the cold weather to keep warm lol.

 

It’ll also maybe enforce the message of wearing them indoors more as people have said there’s ALWAYS some wee young twerp not wearing them on buses and no one does f*** all about it and you know by looking at them they have no issues other than being a selfish arsehole!

 

On the lockdown - anyone else thing this ones ridiculous - the amount of cars on the road is a joke - all essential journeys??