Government coronavirus response thread

[Sebastian Cobb]

Laura K straight into 'firefighting for no.10' mode on twitter. Awful woman.

I think there's a marked difference between her and Peston, in that Peston is a fawning imbecile, but I reckon he'd probably be very similar if another party was in charge.

[ollyboro]

the cunt himself

Cheers

[Danger Man]

I think there's a marked difference between her and Peston, in that Peston isn't actually fucking the Prime Minister

[idunnosomename]

dont be so sure

[Fambo Number Mive]

Doctors protesting outside Downing Street, which the media seems to be ignoring: https://twitter.com/martingeorge333/status/1266271295198515202

Lots of pro-Johnson wankers commenting underneath it

@JamesBl04750891
·
3h
I couldn't agree more. I value the service of these people, i want to support them. But when they come out an do this political activities BS i just lose all respect for them.

I imagine James does the Thursday clap each week. Respect doctors unless they express political opinions different to you. That's the Tory way.

[Johnny Yesno]

·
2h
'How will I know if someone rings me from track & trace & tells me to isolate, that they are genuine' John from Gloucester.

Jenny Harries, deputy CMO: 'It will be very obvious. These are professionally trained individuals. It will be evident from how they speak.'

4:31 PM · May 31, 2020

https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1267116489649393665

[Fambo Number Mive]

So we are currently at level 4 but will be at level 3 by Monday but are taking measures that we are only meant to take when we are at level 1?

[BlodwynPig]

So we are currently at level 4 but will be at level 3 by Monday but are taking measures that we are only meant to take when we are at level 1?

what do you think?

[BlodwynPig]

Seemed to have missed this 3 weeks ago. Why was he not sacked immediately after?

https://youtu.be/osgcTSVt7eU

[BlodwynPig]

Watch the priti patel one, how did that not make the news. Pathetic dumbos

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1267116489649393665

Based on Jenny Harries response then we should look for people who speak nonsensical elitist codswallop.

[EOLAN]

Seemed to have missed this 3 weeks ago. Why was he not sacked immediately after?

https://youtu.be/osgcTSVt7eU

As he said to Kay Burley recently; yes the Track and Trace may not be working in Great Britain on it's launch but the really important thing is that "it is working on the Isle of Wight".
And of course the media couldn't criticise the government for being too early in releasing the app because they previously criticised them for taking too long for implementing other measures. Can't be having that sort of inconsistency in criticisms.

[EOLAN]

Based on Jenny Harries response then we should look for people who speak nonsensical elitist codswallop.

Speaking of whom. Not surprised but there really wasn't much of a backlash in the Boris Johnson committee hearing. In the exchange with Yvette Cooper where she was directly quoting the words of Harries; Boris Johnson was just allowed to say "what she actually meant to say was...".

I don't regularly watch the Daily Briefings but there is so much absolute shit and codswallop that just gets swept away. They really do come across as incompetent and looking to cover up by show shallow sloganising and blather sentimising patriotism.

[jobotic]

https://twitter.com/kevinhollinrake/status/1267132617704513542

Here comes the "don't blame the government" propaganda.

Strange how he picks this demo rather than packed beaches covered in gammon and rubbish.

[DrGreggles]

Got a text from my boss again last night and an email from HR this morning, both reiterating that we are not to pay any attention to the government's advice.
Anyone else's workplace do something similar?

[BlodwynPig]

556 more deaths today. Great stuff.

[SpiderChrist]

556 more deaths today. Great stuff.

My brother got an email from his boss along the lines of "back to work as normal on 15 June, we'll give you a face mask or you can bring your own". No other details. Given that his work location changes regularly (building site one day, up on a roof installing aerials etc. the next) and he's an asthmatic, I don't think that's enough. I told him to go back and ask for more detail of where he's going to be working and what else they're going to do to to safeguard him.

[BlodwynPig]

Hancock fluffing again at the briefing and revealing no Joint Bio Security Task Force in operation yet - you know, the task force who were supposed to make the case for lowering the risk level on that coloured chart, the ones who would be best placed to advise on easing lockdown... GENOCIDAL.

I also don't understand why so many complaining that "we're coming out of lockdown too early" are happy doing just that. Michael Walker on Novara "I for one will be joining my mates in the park" and tonight "we'll all be back together again next week" - implying they'll all be in the studio again.

Bonkers. Selfish and BONKERS.

[Johnny Yesno]

556 more deaths today. Great stuff.

111 (with the usual caveat about the weekend), isn't it?

[Johnny Yesno]

I also don't understand why so many complaining that "we're coming out of lockdown too early" are happy doing just that. Michael Walker on Novara "I for one will be joining my mates in the park" and tonight "we'll all be back together again next week" - implying they'll all be in the studio again.

Seriously? I'm about a week behind. Can anyone else verify this? Buellers?

[Gamma Ray]

111 isn't it?

Discussed in another thread, the figure for the last day is 111 but another 450 deaths have also been added to the historic total.

[Johnny Yesno]

Discussed in another thread, the figure for the last day is 111 but another 450 deaths have also been added to the historic total.

Yeah, I saw that but that's not overnight. It's for a period of a few days.

Not defending it, of course. It's just there's enough confusion already without being vague about things like that.

[imitationleather]

Seriously? Can anyone else verify this? Buellers?

Nah I am pretty certain he meant that he, Aaron and Ash would next all be appearing on the show at the same time next week, as for the other episodes this week they are taking turns.

[Johnny Yesno]

Nah I am pretty certain he meant that he, Aaron and Ash would next all be appearing on the show at the same time next week, as for the other episodes this week they are taking turns.

Thanks. Blodders does talk a load of arse.

[BlodwynPig]

111 (with the usual caveat about the weekend), isn't it?

not according to worldometer

[BlodwynPig]

Thanks. Blodders does talk a load of arse.

Not fair. it's how I interpreted it. Michael was speaking a load of trash himself today and Aaron had to pwn him. Soft lad.

[BlodwynPig]

Discussed in another thread, the figure for the last day is 111 but another 450 deaths have also been added to the historic total.

ok, rate of change is still a shallow decline, R0 ~ 1.

[BlodwynPig]

Nah I am pretty certain he meant that he, Aaron and Ash would next all be appearing on the show at the same time next week, as for the other episodes this week they are taking turns.

Michael is 90% the host, Aaron is doing his own show tomorrow.

[Fambo Number Mive]

The UK's statistics watchdog has criticised the government over its handling of coronavirus testing data.

The chairman of the UK Statistics Authority says presentation of figures appeared to be aimed at showing "the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding".

Sir David Norgrove has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock saying the information is "far from complete".

The government says it releases full data.

A spokesman said the government was working with statisticians and that the approach throughout had been to "increase transparency around the government's response to coronavirus"...[On Sunday Mr Hancock announced that the UK had exceeded its target to increase coronavirus testing capacity to 200,000 a day by the end of May.

He described it as "an important milestone on our journey to control the spread of the virus".

While capacity for testing is over 200,000, around 115,000 tests were carried out in the 24 hours up to 09:00 BST on Sunday.

The headline total of tests adds together tests carried out with tests posted out. There are no data on how many of the tests posted out are then successfully completed.

It is not clear how many people were tested, however, and a person may need to have a few tests in order to get a result.

The government stopped reporting that number recently.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52889103

BBC has finally caught up with this.

[Alberon]

This is from the Telegraph-

Boris Johnson is to take "direct control" of the Government's handling of the coronavirus crisis after a chaotic fortnight in which his chief aide was accused of breaking the lockdown rules and the Government's test and trace plans were hit by setbacks.

I'm sorry? 'Take "direct control"'? Are you telling me that Johnson, the Prime Minister remember, hasn't been, presumably since he fell ill, in "Direct Control"?

Don't forget, this is in the Torygraph, not some lefty rag.

A shake-up in Downing Street will see the Government's entire approach to the pandemic run by two centrally-run committees, covering strategy and operational delivery.

Tory MPs said the changes could weaken the influence of chief adviser Dominic Cummings – who was heavily criticised for a 260-mile trip during lockdown – and allow Mr Johnson to tighten his grip on the fight against the pandemic after being treated in intensive care for the virus.

In the past fortnight, his Government has been criticised over plans to quarantine new arrivals in the UK, while a test and trace app to track people infected with coronavirus has failed to materialise.

It won't weaken Cummings influence. He has Johnson's balls in a bag around his neck.

The changes come after Mr Johnson appointed Simon Case, a key aide to the Duke of Cambridge, to a top permanent secretary role running 10 Downing Street.

A new strategy committee – dubbed "CS" – will be chaired by Mr Johnson, while the Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, will chair the new operations committee, known in Whitehall as "CO". Both will meet on a regular basis.

The new approach echoes the Government's Brexit planning last year which was led by an "XS" strategic and "XO" operational committee.

The committees will replace four ministerial implementation groups, set up at the start of the crisis and covering foreign affairs, health, economy and business and public services, each chaired by a Cabinet minister.

The regular Covid-19 committee meeting, which has been held every morning at Number 10, is being axed. One source said the new structure would give a more "cohesive" approach to tackling the pandemic.

It's only been four or five months since the government became aware of Covid-19.

Number 10 is also ending the weekend press conferences due to low audience figures, and only holding them on weekdays. Mr Johnson will host one of them.

When? Once a week? Once, sometime in the next year?

A senior Tory MP said Mr Johnson's shake-up was intended "to bring some order" to the decision-making process after a difficult two months.

The MP said: "Boris has decided that Cummings is there, but he is going to take more direct control. It is coming out of frustration – you are seeing his reawakening after a tough old time with the Covid-19 attack.

"He showed he had backbone [in backing Mr Cummings]. Cummings is not in a brilliant place – and he must know it. Boris knowing that makes him more determined to do it himself."

Fuck off. Just fuck right off.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/06/02/exclusive-boris-johnson-takes-back-control-coronavirus-crisis/