Covid - Plan B & Omicron

[Chippy_Tea]

and it is really not a good idea to follow the lemmings over the cliff just because they broke their own rules and (presumably) got away with it by managing not to infect each other. Spite and revenge have a habit of coming back to bite you on the ar5e

Well said.

 

[trummy]

I have said on this forum that anything coming from No 10 I now take with a pinch of salt. Thats still the case, scientists and Doctors I will take heed of, and will LFT before venturing out into society (and then be very careful) but I guess I have relaxed a little knowing that the latest variant appears a little less potent than its previous incarnations. Some Drs have suggested we will all be exposed to Omicron, but what is very important is we take as much care as possible, so the NHS does not become so overwhelmed that those needing a bed cannot get one. I cannot imagine the stress that the front line nurses Drs and support staff went through before bumbling Boris and his crew faced reality a year ago.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I am now in the feck em camp, to lead a nation means by example not ripping the rule book up and flushing down the bog, and the one's who wern't having partys were raking it in on the ppe gravy train, the Tory party is tainted from top to bottom

How many Tories were at these parties (i don't mean the alleged ones) i bet its very small percentage but the press wanted to make it a huge issue as it sells papers.

You may not be happy at how a few of them acted but why make the same bad decision yourself and risk your family this Christmas just because you don't like the fact a small number broke their own rules.

 

[Leon103]

Hi Leon, if you read my original post you will see i abided by the rules of lockdown one, we did not drive hundreds of miles to see anybody, also myself and wife are triple jabbed both kids are double jabbed and trying to get a third, please read posts before commenting, i am now following the leaders, by the way my in laws lived less than 2 miles away when they were alive

It was more an hypothetical question. Notice the ? In my post? Perhaps have another read.

I hope there isn't a lock down.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Chippy i have never said i am going to be stupid i never have been, i am just taking no more notice of the advice they give we are looking after ourselfs from now on, i should be going to my mates tomorrow but am no longer going, as i write this both my kids are doing self tests as they both work in retail

 

[Leon103]

How many Tories were at these parties (i don't mean the alleged ones) i bet its very small percentage but the press wanted to make it a huge issue as it sells papers.

You may not be happy at how a few of them acted but why make the same bad decision yourself and risk your family this Christmas just because you don't like the fact a small number broke their own rules.

2nd best post in this thread.

 

[Rodcx500z]

So during lockdown 1 were you willing to risk your family by driving the length of the country to stay with in-laws?

They are all corrupt and do what they like, doesn't mean everyone acts thr same way.

I think a lot of people want to act had they want because there is now a less risk to their life compared to 1st lockdown.

I hope everyone that breaks any law gets caught.

It was more an hypothetical question. Notice the ? In my post? Perhaps have another read.

I hope there isn't a lock down.

Ok Leon i missed the ?, what i will say is i am taking no notice of anything they say from now on by that i mean we will always abide by the law, but do things our way to stay safe,

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Hi Chippy i have never said i am going to be stupid i never have been, i am just taking no more notice of the advice they give we are looking after ourselfs from now on, i should be going to my mates tomorrow but am no longer going, as i write this both my kids are doing self tests as they both work in retail

You will notice i edited my post to remove the word stupid as i can hardly pull others up for posting in that manner if i then do it myself.

i am just taking no more notice of the advice they give we are looking after ourselfs

Haven't we been basically looking after ourselves for the last two years based on the advice they gave, how can you take no more notice of the advice they give and expect to stay safe?

 

[Rodcx500z]

Chippy one reason is, we should be in lockdown now but they are frightened to death of doing it they have brought this on by their own actions, so the advice they are giving now is of no use whatso ever, the longer they leave it this virus will never go away, this is the weakest pm i have ever known in my life time

 

[An Ankoù]

Chippy one reason is, we should be in lockdown now but they are frightened to death of doing it they have brought this on by their own actions, so the advice they are giving now is of no use whatso ever, the longer they leave it this virus will never go away, this is the weakest pm i have ever known in my life time

I think that sums up what I've been trying to get across in my rambling way. Boris needs to reign as he has no authority anymore. The trouble is that there's no-one in the cabinet with the integrity to take over. There must be a number of decent candidates among the elected members, but the Con Party isn't in charge, the ERG is. We're all doomed.

 

[Leon103]

Ok Leon i missed the ?, what i will say is i am taking no notice of anything they say from now on by that i mean we will always abide by the law, but do things our way to stay safe,

Brilliant. That's what I expect everyone to do.

 

[Leon103]

Chippy one reason is, we should be in lockdown now but they are frightened to death of doing it they have brought this on by their own actions, so the advice they are giving now is of no use whatso ever, the longer they leave it this virus will never go away, this is the weakest pm i have ever known in my life time

Could also be a cost issue. They can't keep printing money. Inflation is already high and interest rates increased.

 

[VW911]

I'm of the opinion that we need a short lockdown. (Mainly because I don't want the Mother-in-Law round for Christmas dinner!)
I have the feeling that delaying it is an attempt to gain "herd immunity", but by stealth....

 

[Rodcx500z]

Could also be a cost issue. They can't keep printing money. Inflation is already high and interest rates increased.

Hence lockdown by fear tactics so they don't have to pay furlough again, i don't know the answer to that one

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Chippy one reason is, we should be in lockdown now but they are frightened to death of doing it they have brought this on by their own actions, so the advice they are giving now is of no use whatso ever, the longer they leave it this virus will never go away, this is the weakest pm i have ever known in my life time

Before i post this i will remind members I am not a tory voter and never have been so i am not trying to make excuses for their decisions.

A few months ago Covid was on the decline and a fairly normal Christmas was looking likely then bang Omicron arrived and we were told infections were doubling daily and by new year if it carried on nearly the whole of the country would have it.

So they basically had two options -

1 - Bring in plan B straight away ruining Christmas for most of us and killing the pub trade and many other businesses.

2 - Call for everyone to get boosted as early as they can meaning they can have a small family Christmas and hopefully businesses will survive.

They chose 2 and lets face it if you were in their position i very much doubt you would have chosen option 1.

Listening to 5 live today it would seem Omicron is very infectious as they said but people were ringing in saying they have had it and it wasn't much worse then a bad cold if this is the case and people are far less likely to end up in hospital if they get Omicron wouldn't hitting us with plan B straight away and not waiting to see how it effected us have been a knee jerk reaction?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out a £1bn fund to help businesses hit by the rise in Covid cases, including the leisure and hospitality sector.
Hospitality businesses like pubs and restaurants will be able to apply for cash grants of up to £6,000 per premises.
The government would also help some firms with the cost of sick pay for Covid-related absences, Mr Sunak said.
And he announced an extra £30m to help theatres and museums.
Many hospitality and leisure firms have been hit by a collapse in bookings and reduced footfall due to people's fears over the spread of the Omicron variant.
Mr Sunak said the new support was "generous" and recognised the situation facing businesses in the run-up to Christmas.
Some industry figures have welcomed what they described as "unprecedented" support, but others said the measures do not go far enough.
Businesses other than hospitality and leisure can apply for some of the funding.
However, the chancellor would not be drawn on whether more help would come should further restrictions be announced, as ministers come under pressure to tackle the rapid rise of Omicron.

The announcement on Tuesday means:

• Restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres can apply for a grant of up to £6,000 for each of their premises. The Treasury is setting aside £683m for these grants and it will be provided under existing council-run schemes
• Other struggling businesses outside leisure and hospitality can apply to local councils for a different grant under the Additional Restrictions Grant, which has been topped up with £102m
• The Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme is being reintroduced, meaning business with fewer than 250 employees can claim money to cover sick pay for employees who are affected by Covid
• An extra £30m for arts organisations through the existing Culture Recovery Fund.

Asked if more support would be offered, the chancellor said he would "always respond proportionately and appropriately to the situation we face".
But he added that he thought the new measures announced were comparable to the grants that were on offer when businesses were fully closed earlier this year.

Full article - Covid: Rishi Sunak announces £1bn fund for businesses

 

[An Ankoù]

Before i post this i will remind members I am not a tory voter and never have been so i am not trying to make excuses for their decisions.

A few months ago Covid was on the decline and a fairly normal Christmas was looking likely then bang Omicron arrived and we were told infections were doubling daily and by new year if it carried on nearly the whole of the country would have it.

So they basically had two options -

1 - Bring in plan B straight away ruining Christmas for most of us and killing the pub trade and many other businesses.

2 - Call for everyone to get boosted as early as they can meaning they can have a small family Christmas and hopefully businesses will survive.

They chose 2 and lets face it if you were in their position i very much doubt you would have chosen option 1.

Listening to 5 live today it would seem Omicron is very infectious as they said but people were ringing in saying they have had it and it wasn't much worse then a bad cold if this is the case and people are far less likely to end up in hospital if they get Omicron wouldn't hitting us with plan B straight away and not waiting to see how it effected us have been a knee jerk reaction?

Option 3- Close the border to travellers who had been in South Africa. (Far too late now, of course).

Neither am I a Tory voter, but we've got an elected Tory Gov't (laughingly so called) and if that's to change then we make that change at the polls. My issue is with what's called the Leadership- there isn't any. There was plenty of warning that a new and highly infectious variant was circulating in South Africa so what did the Gov't do about limiting the danger from SA? NOTHING! Other countries, notably Oz and NZ (particularly NZ) have closed their countries to all outsiders in the past. Australians abroad couldn't even get back home!
As a matter of interest, does anyone know if there are any plans to reopen the Nightingale Hospitals? Are they still there?

 

[Flat Foot]

As for the bbc, over the last six weekends tens of thousands of people have protested in the centre of london, Birmingham, Manchers and Liverpool, every single one against the british governments handling of the covid situation and yet not once has that ever been mentioned in the main stream news channels, bbc or itv. Dont remeber a single BBC person outing Saville. Anyone mention recently that Jeramy Vine goes to court this year on a massive slander court case and criminal actions brought by the him and the BBC via the police against another person, strange that and yet people believe they get the best service from the most curroupted and twisted news channel.

1) there's a protest practically every day in London. Yet people always seem to think their protest is unique and deserves wall to wall media coverage. In reality half the time you'll only hear about them if someone you know attends
2) every time someone says "no mention at all" there's usually a mention on the various news sites. This was and a cursory glance would prove that to you

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Option 3- Close the border to travellers who had been in South Africa. (Far too late now, of course).

That would have worked for a sort time but what about people who had already entered before Omicron became so widespread it was announced as the new version they would have already been here spreading it.

Would we have banned all travellers from every country that announced they had it imagine the uproar if you basically locked everyone out of the country two weeks before Christmas.

 

[An Ankoù]

Would we have banned all travellers from every country that announced they had it imagine the uproar if you basically locked everyone out of the country two weeks before Christmas.

You're right of course and therein lies the rub: the trade off between political expediency and "press points" on the one hand and human lives on the other. Taking some kind of action, whether it be a ban, or a quarantine, requires a bit of balls. Having a contingency plan for just such an eventuality requires a bit of foresight, but the Govt is too embroiled in scandals to think of running a country.
Interestingly, not many countries have acted in a timely way to try to stem this tide and I wonder if it's not really the variant that's the worry, but the overwhelming of hospitals. I do wish people would come clean on this: if they have a plan at all.