slowdown73

Is there an extended version available yet?

Just read on Facebook today that Paloma has confirmed she is working on a new album!

How much is it?

Latest figures - 96 deaths today, highest since March and 4,567 hospital admissions. I know these figures are low in comparison to the first two waves but let’s remember these figures will no doubt substantially increase over the next few weeks and this didn’t have to happen as cases were really low only 6-8 weeks ago and this is the result of very bad decision making and sheer incompetence on behalf of a government who has lost any credibility they might have achieved through a relatively good vaccine programme.

Getting this album for 99p on Amazon due to a special offer if you update your preferred credit card to MasterCard, you get £10 off!

I think we’ll have to agree to disagree about whether it’s the right time to fully open up. I personally think it’s the wrong decision and don’t see how any responsible government can justify going ahead at a time when case numbers are significantly rising as a result of the Delta variant. The argument that delaying until the Autumn will lead to a larger wave is hardly a justified reason to unlock now and it’s not based on facts but mere speculation. In fact, if we had delayed until the Autumn then we might be in a better place due to most adults being fully vaccinated but regardless of that, a more cautious approach is needed to ensure infections remain at a manageable level in the future. As you rightfully point out, the football is highly likely to be a big factor in the increase in cases but once again this is the result of poor political judgment. At least other countries are being more sensible. In Japan, the Olympics are still going ahead but without any audience. Respiratory diseases are common every winter and play a significant burden every year on the NHS so the last thing they need is to be dealing with a large surge in covid hospitalisations which looks increasingly likely due to the current approach. Up until 6-8 weeks ago, there were barely any deaths so the current situation could have been completely avoided if better decisions had been taken instead of the government playing with people’s lives and giving mixed messaging. Giving people the ‘choice’ and ‘personal responsibility’ over things like wearing a mask during a pandemic is crazy and causes confusion, conflict and more division. There are already lots of people not adhering to the rules and clarity is needed. Unlocking now is dangerous, reckless and merely for short term gains by a government who has been highly incompetent right from the beginning of the pandemic. It’s a political decision but if you have high levels of infection in society then that’s hardly a sound footing for future prosperity and if it goes wrong then it will have significant repercussions not only for our country but also the world.

I couldn’t agree with you more. Johnson is a Moran. He and his government don’t have a clue. The thing is this doesn’t have to happen and it’s a choice as a result of very bad decisions. No other country is taking this reckless and dangerous approach. In addition, there is a new variant called the Beta variant (originating from South Africa) that is currently affecting France and this shows just how easy it is for new variants to develop. As a result, fully vaccinated people will still need to quarantine upon return from holidays in France. This is the only positive change in policy I’ve heard all week from the government.

Yes, there will be all the usual respiratory viruses around in the autumn but that’s inevitable anyway as more people are mixing. That’s why, I’m making the point again that the current approach is completely reckless by allowing the virus to rip through the population and largely affect those who are unvaccinated. Case numbers and deaths are already rising and there is usually a lag effect of between 3-6 weeks so we haven’t even seen the peak yet and by autumn time, I expect things will be much worse. The NHS is likely to be overwhelmed again, there will be considerable disruption to many sectors of industry due to the need to self-isolate and the possibility of a dangerous variant increases with higher cases. And that will be on top of all the usual respiratory conditions and flu which the NHS has to deal with in the autumn! Why do you think there have been so many other countries such as Italy and New Zealand along with numerous health experts who have criticised the approach and virtually no other countries are following our reckless approach?

Why do you think delaying lockdown until later in the year when we have better vaccine coverage will be far worse? There is no scientific evidence to suggest this and in fact, I would say all the evidence points to the opposite. For example, if you take Preston which you referred to, high vaccine coverage is already having a positive impact on cases. I repeat again that it makes no logical sense at all to unlock everything now and carries significant other risks which I’ve already outlined and the approach has been heavily criticised by many health experts.

I don’t have the exact vaccination figures for Israel but their infection levels are much lower than ours and Israel has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. The problem in the U.K. is that we still have around 40-45% of our population who are not vaccinated and rising infection levels due to the delta variant. Most of the new cases here are in people who aren’t vaccinated which on the one hand is positive because clearly vaccines are working. Opening up fully should only take place in the right conditions such as a low level of infections and with appropriate other mitigation measures. As I’ve said before, I think realistically we are all going to have to accept some level of restrictions in the future again due to the pandemic.

I agree with you fully. I am also genuinely scared about the future and I have been double jabbed. I personally feel it is the wrong decision to be unlocking everything and removing compulsory measures like masks and social distancing at a time when cases are rising sharply due to the delta variant. A number of health experts have criticised the approach and there is virtually no other country I know of who are following this approach. Even well vaccinated populations like Israel have reintroduced measures such as compulsory masks. It is a highly risky situation and I know there are people who are saying there will never be a good time to unlock and it’s now or never but that doesn’t justify going ahead with it. Spain reopened nightclubs and saw cases increase by 8 times and have since closed them again. We are still in a very perilous situation and high infection rates carries the risk of another more dangerous variant developing and living in a society with high infection rates brings many challenges such as disruption to services due to people having to isolate and means life will be far from normal in any sense.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguard...rld-experts-say Interesting article in the Guardian today raising significant concerns about the governments unlocking!

Most of the new infections in the U.K. are in people who haven’t been double vaccinated though. While the vaccines aren’t perfect, they have certainly broken the link between serious illness and death in most people but there will always be a small percentage of people who even if vaccinated will catch the virus and be unwell. In terms of comparing other countries, Israel has an average of just over 500 daily infections at present based on a population of 9 million. Their covid rates are no way near as high as the U.K. and probably because their vaccination coverage is higher than us and they have reinstated some compulsory measures to protect people. Waiting a few more months before unlocking in this country would have given us a much better footing as more people would have been vaccinated and the exit wave would most likely have been less but of course that is also dependent on what happens elsewhere in the world. If a new more dangerous variant develops in the meantime then we will all be back to square one with lockdowns again. That risk has been amplified by the governments approach as rising case numbers make it an increased risk of the virus mutating.

I don’t think this will be a hit. It’s not as good as her other tracks.

Yes, fully agree with your comments. Johnson is an idiot and his government are completely incompetent. They need to be held to account for all their failures over the managing of the pandemic!

The exit wave would have been much smaller though if they had waited until all adults were fully vaccinated before pressing ahead with reopening and continued with some mitigation measures. I don’t think we’re over this by a long shot and if we get a more dangerous variant come along due to rising cases then that could set us back significantly.

The government could have done a lot more. Unfortunately, the reality is that we will have to continue living with some form of restrictions for the foreseeable future and I suspect further restrictions will be required again by the autumn time. For a start, there needs to be an effective track and trace system. Continued mandatory mask wearing and social distancing in all public places - this isn’t much to ask in the current climate. Any further lifting of restrictions should only have been done when all adults were fully vaccinated and not while cases are rising. More support is needed for businesses who are unable to open instead of pulling the plug and some additional measures in high risk areas. The rules are confusing and should be aligned between the four nations.

68 deaths today and 48k of new cases. While the deaths are not high in comparison with the peak of the last wave, I can’t help but feel the current situation could have been avoided if this lousy government had made better decisions. They have clearly not learned from their previous mistakes and those figures will rise in the coming weeks due to the impact of unlocking everything and removing all restrictions. No other country is going down this route and it’s been heavily criticised by health experts and the WHO.

It’s not a good situation. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that covid rates are low in people who have been vaccinated. Most of the new cases are in young people and those who haven’t been double jabbed. That’s why I think it was a big mistake to ease all restrictions so soon when just over 50% of the population are fully vaccinated. Unfortunately this time around, cases will continue to increase as there are no restrictions to bring them down.

Unfortunately, they haven’t. All rules will be relaxed from next week and masks / social distancing will no longer be compulsory and left to individuals to decide. Absolutely crazy at a time when cases are rising steeply. I can see this causing a lot of conflict particularly on public transport and in public places like restaurants etc. I will stop going to my gym if the pull the social distancing. Not prepared to risk it!

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguard...unger-this-time Another interesting article from an intensive care doctor. He highlights that they expect the current wave to be slower but more protracted than the other waves and this will have a significant impact on the NHS resulting in pre-surgery being cancelled etc.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguard...ed-after-summer Interesting article in the Guardian today which raises many of the concerns I’ve highlighted about lifting restrictions too soon and risks of further variants emerging and possibility of further lockdowns needed in the future!

According to the guardian, hospital admissions have increased by 815 cases to 2731 in the last week.

Monday 12th July - there is set to be an announcement. I think it’s crazy that each of the different segments of the U.K. will set their own dates and rules. It should be universal.

The rules are confusing and inconsistent. They constantly keep changing too.