Covid-19 pandemic

[Seven Saxon Kings]

If it was allowed, wouldn't you meet up with friends for a socially-distanced meal or drink before you were vaccinated? I'm pretty cautious, especially as my wife is shielding, but I did allow myself the odd get-together last Summer.

I'm moderately hopefully that some football games will have limited crowds in before the end of the season, but obviously that's far from certain.

I did a little bit of that last summer but that's when there was no certainty of whether or when there'd be a vaccine, and therefore if and when there'd be a safer opportunity. Now it's in sight I'll be waiting, unless cases drop incredibly low.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I did a little bit of that last summer but that's when there was no certainty of whether or when there'd be a vaccine, and therefore if and when there'd be a safer opportunity. Now it's in sight I'll be waiting, unless cases drop incredibly low.

Fair enough. I reckon al fresco socialising is fairly safe, and will be especially so by the Summer, as long as new variants aren't clouding the picture. But I wouldn't blame anyone for taking an ultra-cautious approach if their jab is just weeks away.

[Moonlight Shadow]

I don't have concerns about outdoors socialising in small groups, obviously big mass gatherings with everyone rammed together are another matter but even then the main concern would be in stadia and the likes.

[Artificial Hipster]

Yeh, but their idea of fun is organising poorly attended marches or filming empty hospital corridors. You'll be eating and drinking in a pub's beer garden or getting some live football. You'll be grand.

I had a lovely time eating and drinking and soaking up the early spring sunshine in a pub's beer garden this afternoon. Ok so I was on my own, the drink was from a flask of coffee and the food a slice of home made chocolate brownie that I'd taken with me on my bike ride but the overall ambience coupled with the generally positive news about the vaccine roll-out and dropping case numbers gave me reason to feel genuinely optimistic that things will be a good deal better by the time summer comes around.

For a moment I even allowed myself to lose consciousness of the fact that if any set of twats could still fuck up our chances it's this set of twats we've got in charge.

[Balderdasha]

Africa exceeded 100,000 deaths a couple of days ago. Still far fewer deaths than the UK and for an estimated population of about 1.36 billion.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Our local community hall hosted a little event today, about 20 people of whom half were adults in and out of the yard and the building. I've no idea what they were thinking having a gathering. They've done this before but by stretching the rules not flagrantly breaking them.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Leaking to favoured racist paper behind a paywall

https://twitter.com/sacha_lord/status/1363558015568347137?s=21

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...droidApp_Other

In the Guardian now, official announcement is tomorrow btw.

It gives the lobbyists time to influence the decision I suppose.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Sir Keith is going to love the plan as it includes four tests. Did he have a hand in drawing it up?

[Patrick Thistle]

Jesus guys, can I not vent a bit without you lot guilt tripping me....?

You want a real backlash, try saying something about schools.

Have to admit I don't mind staying in and not being made to feel guilty and selfish for it. Although there are times when I just think "fucking Covid!" when I think of something I'd like to do but can't.

[Patrick Thistle]

There was a comment in a radio news report today that the vaccine both protects recipients and reduces transmissibility which if true is fantastic news.

[San Bernardhinault]

Leaking to favoured racist paper behind a paywall

https://twitter.com/sacha_lord/status/1363558015568347137?s=21

The leaking is bollocks, but that doesn’t look like a particularly bad timeline given current and expected trends in infections and vaccination. In fact, golf and (outdoor) tennis should be fine right now and it’s a bit odd that they’re currently banned. Just to be clear, both would be crap in Britain in February, but they should be fine covid-wise.

[San Bernardhinault]

And broadly speaking, I think SSK’s fears are probably misplaced. I think infections are falling and vaccination will drive infections much lower. Hopefully this will be rapid enough - it looks rapid now - that things will reopen for everyone in a month or two because infections generally are at trace levels, rather than there being a passporting scheme for the vaccinated vs the unvaccinated. There will almost certainly be vaccine passporting schemes for international travel, and I think that’s understandable. But for domestic stuff my guess is that things will reopen based on societal infection rates rather than on vaccination status.

[Patrick Thistle]

Africa exceeded 100,000 deaths a couple of days ago. Still far fewer deaths than the UK and for an estimated population of about 1.36 billion.

For reference

https://twitter.com/bbchealth/status/1363719050287865857?s=19

Direct link to article
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-africa-55674139

A nice touch - they named all their researchers in various countries.

[DCI Harry Batt]

I'm not not doing things because they aren't allowed, tbh. I'm not doing things because I think it's a bad idea to do them. If I thought it was a good idea, then I'd need to think about the "allowed" thing. But I don't so I don't.

Now, what's allowed and what's a good idea are related things, of course. But they aren't the same.

[wingco]

So, anyone else think it's incredibly reckless, opening all the schools at once on March 8 in the face of clear and grave misgivings from Whitty and the teaching unions? The numbers are/will be nowhere near low enough, surely. Be nice for our opposition to raise an objection, but of course, Starmer's committed to the same course, no ifs or buts...

[hobbes]

I think they're gambling on cases maybe going up, but hospitalisations staying down because the most at-risk have been vaccinated.
And those numbers disappearing into noise as the kids are only back 3 weeks before Easter Holidays.
So you've got a low base of infection in school aged kids from the lockdown, that won't have a chance to grow too much before there's a 2-week firebreak.
Then you're into Mid-April with the March infections blown through and they're starting again with a low base and another 10 million people first dose vaccinated.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

So, anyone else think it's insane, opening all the schools at once on March 8 in the face of clear and grave misgivings from Whitty and the teaching unions? The numbers are/will be nowhere near low enough, surely. Be nice for our opposition to raise an objection, but of course, Starmer's committed to the same madness, no ifs or buts...

https://twitter.com/jonlis1/status/1363776578535247874?s=20

(apparently he then went on another TV show and said the same thing).

[DCI Harry Batt]

So, anyone else think it's terrible, opening all the schools at once on March 8 in the face of clear and grave misgivings from Whitty and the teaching unions? The numbers are/will be nowhere near low enough, surely. Be nice for our opposition to raise an objection, but of course, Starmer's committed to the same recklessness, no ifs or buts...

I think it's an extremely reckless thing to be doing. (I'd not use "insane", or "madness", for reasons we've discussed here before many times.)

I hope they get away with it, but even if they do, it will still have been an extremely reckless thing to have done.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

...and here it is

https://twitter.com/PeterStefanovi2/status/1363758728957353984?s=20

[Capybara]

Yeah but Diane Abbott.

[Patrick Thistle]

So, anyone else think it's insane, opening all the schools at once on March 8 in the face of clear and grave misgivings from Whitty and the teaching unions? The numbers are/will be nowhere near low enough, surely. Be nice for our opposition to raise an objection, but of course, Starmer's committed to the same madness, no ifs or buts...

This is driven by the economic pressure to ensure people are available to go back to work. That's my hunch why they're prioritising the very little kids who need the most attention at home.

[steveeeeeeeee]

So, anyone else think it's insane, opening all the schools at once on March 8 in the face of clear and grave misgivings from Whitty and the teaching unions? The numbers are/will be nowhere near low enough, surely. Be nice for our opposition to raise an objection, but of course, Starmer's committed to the same madness, no ifs or buts...

It's a bit early, but unless you go back then, kids will be off school until close to the end of April because it is a short term coming up. It's the best worse choice imo and as a teacher I accept it.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Those Zahawi clips saying first week of March is 3 weeks after mid-April - bloody hell! Still no doubt Keir Starmer will delicately avoid being critical of it because focus groups.

[Capybara]

Those Zahawi clips saying first week of March is 3 weeks after mid-April - bloody hell! Still no doubt Keir Starmer will delicately avoid being critical of it because focus groups.

It's genuine WTF isn't it? Did either of the presenters pick him up on it?

[wingco]

"Incredibly reckless" works just as well, so I've changed it to that. I fervently hope they get away with it too but I hoped they'd get away with "saving Christmas" too...