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March 29, 2024, 02:32:29 AM

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England drops all covid restrictions this week

Started by Fambo Number Mive, February 21, 2022, 05:27:17 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Fambo Number Mive

Johnson in the House of Commons now:

- requirement to isolate to be scrapped from Thursday, along with self-isolation payments.

- Free covid tests to end from April 1st, "But he says the government will continue to provide free tests for symptomatic people for the oldest age groups and those who are most vulnerable" - not sure how this is planned to work, surely the contacts of those who are most vulnerable and the oldest need tests as well.

- ONS survey to be kept, which is good.

And the usual bullshit from Johnson:

QuoteWith the population protected by vaccines and the capabilities to respond rapidly to a resurgence or new variants, Johnson says it's "time we got our confidence back".

We don't need laws to "compel people to be considerate to others" and can instead rely on their "sense of responsibility", he says.

If we don't need laws to compel people to be considerate to others, will the government be scrapping the entire legal system? As the "worst responses" threads showed, lots of people in the UK were not considerate to others even when we had laws, let alone now.

QuoteBoris Johnson says the UK will host a global Covid preparedness summit next month.

The cost of the pandemic has been huge but "we do not have to pay the price any longer", he adds.

Aside from all the vulnerable people who end up in hospital or worse with covid. But unless they are the Queen or Captain Tom, they don't matter. Instead it's all "we're saving money, we're saving money!"

I'd rather pay a bit more tax and save the lives of vulnerable people (or we could look at other ways to raise the money needed for testing).

Hancunt:

QuoteWe hear from former health secretary Matt Hancock, who agrees with his former boss, the prime minister, and says now is the right time to drop Covid measures, adding that this is "the first country in the world to be past the pandemic".

Johnson wants people to "set an example" by going to work. The latest step in the government making people who work from home feel like they are doing something wrong.

Also not sure what Johnson expects CV and CEV people with jobs to do given he's scrapped every measure that will keep them safe.


jobotic

The self-congratulation when we have had such a high rate of death compared to so many other countries, along with blatant profiteering and corruption.

Yet no one in Parliament can say this because they all went along with it.

Fambo Number Mive

From the BBC News liveblog:

QuoteWhile some will welcome the end of restrictions in England, we've also been hearing stories from clinically and extremely vulnerable people who are worried about Covid restrictions coming to an end. Here's what they have to say.

Ritchie Wildman is clinically vulnerable and lives with MS. He says he feels let down by the government over the end of isolation requirements.

"Nobody will be held to account for safeguarding myself or other vulnerable people," he says. "It feels like I've been given a prison sentence."

If there are no free lateral flow tests, Ritchie says he would feel unable to see people, adding: "I don't know at what point I will feel more comfortable being around others."

Jen Davies, from Sleights, North Yorkshire, has been shielding since February 2020, with health issues including a suppressed immune system and heart issues. Her partner Alan Backhouse is her full-time carer - they have chosen not to be vaccinated because of fears of reactions to the vaccine.

She says they have few visitors, but those who do come are asked to wear masks, gloves and aprons and her partner sanitises every item that gets delivered to their home. They plan to continue living this way.

Jen says the restrictions being lifted comes "at a very wrong time" for them.

Kat Stevenson, 50, from London, who has multiple health conditions, wants people to remember how vulnerable and frightened they felt at the start of the pandemic - as that's how she still feels now.

"It doesn't seem remotely sensible to swing from one extreme to another - where everyone is restricted to there being nothing at all," she says. "It's irresponsible."

She says: "No one who is clinically vulnerable is objecting to opening up everything but all we're asking for is support by wearing a face mask, especially in medical settings. The smallest gesture such as wearing a face mask makes a huge difference - it shows kindness and inclusion."

These are just three of the many people who Johnson is happy to put at a greater risk of hospitalisation or death so he can boost his popularity.


Fambo Number Mive

Hancock is such a vile person

QuoteFormer health secretary Matt Hancock agrees with Boris Johnson and says now is the right time to drop Covid measures.

He tells the House:

Isn't it extraordinary that despite that consensus on restrictions back then, the consensus on giving people back their freedom - which is often so much harder - that consensus only appears to exist on this side of the House?"

"Freedom" to go out and spread a disease. Because that was the only covid rule left.

jobotic

If we lived in a proper country Hancock would be in prison for corruption and manslaughter.

I know I'm stating the obvious, just fucking wound up.


Fabian Thomsett


Fambo Number Mive

I see Whitty and Vallance will be at the briefing at 7pm today.

Khan is going to drop the requirement for face coverings on Tfl. They'll be "recommended". So he's going along with all this bullshit as well.

Ferris

Get your vaccines and take your chances. It was always going to come down to that I suppose.

What else can they do, and how else could the pandemic end? I'm not asking to start an argument - I genuinely don't know. Keeping masks and distancing seems like such a low impact thing to ask people to do.

I suppose they could keep tests readily available so people at least have half a clue about the caseload in the population and can take one before seeing vulnerable people. That would be something at least. Maybe vulnerable people could be prescribed a load of them by their GP and test themselves and anyone visiting?

Kankurette

This has nothing to do with COVID and everything to do with Johnson trying to curry favour.
Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on February 21, 2022, 05:27:17 PMAlso not sure what Johnson expects CV and CEV people with jobs to do given he's scrapped every measure that will keep them safe.
Die.

Fambo Number Mive

If universal access to SSP (so including the self-employed, people on zero hours contacts etc) had been brought in in March 2020 with SSP at a liveable rate (£250 per week per person), that would have solved the issue a lot of people would have had with continuing isolation.

mikeyg27

I tested positive this morning and have been told to self-isolate. Does this mean from Thursday I can do whatever the fuck I want? (I won't).

Fambo Number Mive

How can Whitty and Vallence stand at the podium and go along with this? They should be ashamed of themselves.

jobotic

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on February 21, 2022, 06:45:57 PMHow can Whitty and Vallence stand at the podium and go along with this? They should be ashamed of themselves.

There have been other times when they've done the same. They should have felt shame before now.

Fambo Number Mive

They haven't even said how much a box of lfts will be or where we will buy them from. I presume pharmacies will sell them?

I've heard £30 but not sure how many tests that would get you.

Fambo Number Mive

Vallance claiming restrictions are being dropped "across the world".

I'm only aware of four countries dropping restrictions as well as England (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland) and I'm not aware of any of them going as far as England.

Fambo Number Mive

Johnson trying to make out that people going to work when sick is the fault of the sick employees not employers who pressure people to come in even when sick.

It's frustrating when people ask about topics like the Russia-Ukraine conflict at these briefings allowing Johnson to use up time talking about Russia and Ukraine allowing him to avoid questions of covid.

Disappointing to see few journalists wearing masks at the briefing.

Ferris

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on February 21, 2022, 07:22:28 PMVallance claiming restrictions are being dropped "across the world".

I'm only aware of four countries dropping restrictions as well as England (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland) and I'm not aware of any of them going as far as England.


Some western Canadian provinces are dropping them. Even my own fairly-sensible Nova Scotia is easing them in the next few months and they'll likely be completely gone by April.

The US got out ahead of everyone by never bothering in the first place.

shoulders

All the grifting companies who made a fortune from LFTs during flight testing requirements and restrictions can't simply go out of business.

Better to allow them to replace free healthcare at the point of need. Oh, you might say, but all they do is pay unqualified administrators to look at pictures.

Fambo Number Mive

Handy for Johnson the media are so focused on Russia and Ukraine. I note on the BBC front page that even someone leaving Strictly Come Dancing is higher up than Javid defending getting rid of all covid rules.

Fambo Number Mive

Simon Jenkins has written an article agreeing with Johnson's decision to remove all restrictions. Comments off of course.

Fambo Number Mive

QuoteFrom the week of 21 February 2022, the UK Health Security Agency will stop publishing dashboard updates at weekends.

The dashboard will be updated as usual from Monday to Friday. Daily cases and deaths by report date published on Mondays will include figures from the weekend. These will not be separated out to show daily figures for Saturday and Sunday.

H-O-W-L


No, not yet. Wait until the government decide to outlaw face coverings. Then we're fucked.

Dr Rock


Ferris

Hear hear! Thank you to our brave truckers and politicians I say!!

BlodwynPig

They have been forced to roll back on scrapping the Coronavirus Infection Survey, which is excellent news.

olliebean

Quote from: BlodwynPig on February 22, 2022, 06:31:31 PMThey have been forced to roll back on scrapping the Coronavirus Infection Survey, which is excellent news.

Is that the ONS one? Obviously it's good that it's being kept (although I think maybe the funding is being reduced?), but the drawback of that vs the current widespread testing is that the ONS data is always a week or two behind - so if decisions about what to do in the case of future variants are to be made based entirely on the ONS data, and you add Johnson's built-in delay between when something ought to be done and when he actually does it, we could be looking at any necessary future measures being introduced a month after they're needed.

BlodwynPig

You are quite correct, there is somewhat of a delay. In fact, I believe with the level of data costed in to the continued CIS, the delay will extend to months. From my perspective (wastewater), CIS was the best data set to validate WW results against.