Covid - Plan B & Omicron

[DavidDetroit]

That should only be clever enough to fool a third grader, not an adult. People don't seem to be able to look a little bit under the surface. We don't have what you would call "informed voters" here, as a whole. That's putting it nicely.
I don't know much about the PM. That's the state I want to get back to with US politicians (not knowing about them).
I did a two year stint of paying attention to every last thing I could get my hands on in American politics. It was not good for me and it didn't change anything. I was stressed out most of the time. I did know when someone was saying something stupid about politics though.
I let my wife do the heavy lifting. She gets me up to speed with candidates so I'm responsibly making a decision but also so I don't have to get back into it (it was like a sickness; I couldn't stop reading everything).
Don't worry, she's way smarter than I am.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

The UK PM has to go out of his way, do a lot of styling, to make his hair look so disheveled....Seriously, has the PM said why he chose that style?

It's contributed to how a man born to immense privilege has been able to rebrand himself as a man of the people, whilst portraying his opponent as the elitest despite having come from a relatively modest background.

It became a bit of a running joke on the panel show he used to occasionally appear on, how his hair would go from tidy to ruffled between takes, he's known for messing it up before going on camera. This piece gives you some idea of where he's coming from :
https://theconversation.com/scruffy...ok-is-part-of-a-long-british-tradition-168773Johnson’s signature scruffy style conceals privilege by pretending to thumb its nose at it.

It goes deeper than that though, I think this piece (from a well-known TV/radio presenter who ended up being his "straight man" at an industry awards ceremony) is quite telling on how the whole appearance of being shambolic is a carefully-crafted act, it tells you a lot about him. When he's in an environment that he's used to... :
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/my-boris-johnson-story

 

[Chippy_Tea]

 

[DavidDetroit]

It's contributed to how a man born to immense privilege has been able to rebrand himself as a man of the people, whilst portraying his opponent as the elitest despite having come from a relatively modest background.

It became a bit of a running joke on the panel show he used to occasionally appear on, how his hair would go from tidy to ruffled between takes, he's known for messing it up before going on camera. This piece gives you some idea of where he's coming from :
https://theconversation.com/scruffy...ok-is-part-of-a-long-british-tradition-168773Johnson’s signature scruffy style conceals privilege by pretending to thumb its nose at it.

It goes deeper than that though, I think this piece (from a well-known TV/radio presenter who ended up being his "straight man" at an industry awards ceremony) is quite telling on how the whole appearance of being shambolic is a carefully-crafted act, it tells you a lot about him. When he's in an environment that he's used to... :
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/my-boris-johnson-story

I was telling another poster here how we fall for the fake branding here in the US. I don't get it and it kills me.
Just the fact that a person does what you explained above should be enough to be a deal breaker.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The health secretary has refused to rule out further Covid restrictions for England, as the Omicron variant spreads around the country.
A further 10,000 Omicron cases were confirmed in the UK yesterday and a major incident was declared in London, where cases are highest.
Asked about possible new rules to slow the spread, Sajid Javid said there were "no guarantees in this pandemic".
And he described warnings from scientific advisers as "sobering".
When it was suggested to him he was not ruling out a circuit-breaker or new restrictions before Christmas, Mr Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr: "There are no guarantees in this pandemic, I don't think.
"At this point we just have to keep everything under review."

A further 90,418 daily Covid cases were reported across the UK on Saturday, after days of record highs.
And leaked notes from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergency (Sage) suggest that, without intervention beyond current Plan B rules in England, hospital admissions could reach 3,000 a day.
On those notes, Mr Javid said: "It's a very sobering analysis. We take it very seriously."
However, he added: "We do have to challenge data and underlying assumptions, I think that is appropriate, and take into account a broader set of facts."
Current Plan B rules for England include Covid passes for certain events, face masks in more places and people being urged to work from home if they can.
Other nations of the UK have similar rules - and Scotland has gone further by asking people to limit social contact to three households at a time in the run-up to Christmas.
Wales has also ordered nightclubs to close from 27 December.

Full article - Covid-19: No guarantees on new restrictions - Sajid Javid

 

[Chippy_Tea]

• How many cases are there in my area?
• 
  
• What are the latest Covid rules across the UK?

 

[johnny108]

“Live in fear!”

 

[Chippy_Tea]

“Live in fear!”

There is no need to live in fear but people need to be aware how quick this is spreading or they will become complacent and it will end badly, if we follow the advice get a booster wear a mask and keep our distance we will be fine that advice got the original version under control and will do the same for this version,

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Netherlands enters lockdown as Europe tries to contain Omicron spread

The Netherlands went into lockdown on Sunday and the possibility of more COVID-19 restrictions over the Christmas and New Year period loomed over several European countries as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads quickly.

While the Netherlands took the plunge and shut down much of public life to prevent its healthcare system from being overwhelmed by an expected surge in cases, several other European governments are considering more curbs – at a time when people are normally spending money on shopping, entertainment and travel.

Britain reported a surge in cases of Omicron on Saturday, with 25,000 recorded so far. Government advisors said this could be the tip of the iceberg and health minister Sajid Javid declined on Sunday to rule out the chance of further COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas.

Javid said the government was taking the “sobering” advice of its scientists seriously, was watching the data on an “almost hourly basis” and would balance that against the broader impact of restrictions on areas such as businesses and education.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reeling after a series of scandals and missteps, and more than 100 of his own Conservative lawmakers this week voted against the government’s latest measures to tackle COVID-19.

Javid said Johnson was not too politically weak to bring in further curbs if necessary.

In Italy, the government is considering new measures to avoid a surge in infections during the holiday period, local newspapers reported on Sunday.

https://q107.com/news/8461776/netherlands-lockdown-europe-omicron/

 

[trueblue]

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Todays latest -

 

[The Baron]

He looked mega stressed when I watched the announcement. Just a matter of when its going into lockdown-ish?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Just a matter of when its going into lockdown-ish?

My prediction is Wednesday 29 December.

 

[Rodcx500z]

My prediction is Wednesday 29 December.

Monday 27th, do i care not any more, all those people who's family members died alone no proper funeral while they were lording it up, no they can f--- of not often i get in this frame of mind but enough is enough

 

[Class68driver]

From nearly every person I've spoken to they can announce whatever restrictions they like but people are just not going to follow them this time. The whole debacle of Christmas parties at Downing Street and the wine and cheese "work meeting" has meant most have had enough. We have plans Christmas day and Boxing day which we will not be changing, it's a small gathering of grandparents, us and children, we will all lft just to make sure. We also have another set of friends with their two children coming for New year again we will lft and as long as we all test negative we will not be changing our plans. Any good will I and many others had has long since gone and we will now conduct our lives safely using personal responsibility. Boris and his chums can go and whistle.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If that's what you want to do fair enough its your family and your risk but I don't think this "well some of the Tories ignored the rules so feck em" mentality I am hearing on 5 live this morning is the best way forward, one guy even said he hasn't had a vaccine but because he has had Covid and some of his family are jabbed he will carry on with his plans to have a family Christmas.

 

[An Ankoù]

My prediction is Wednesday 29 December.

Thursday or Friday of this week, I reckon. A lockdown if he's got the baubles to do it and a curfew if he hasn't.

 

[AlBrew]

If that's what you want to do fair enoughits your family and your risk but I don't think this "well some of the Tories ignored the rules so feck em" mentality I am hearing on 5 live this morning is the best way forward, one guy even said he hasn't had a vaccine but because he has had Covid and some of his family are jabbed he will carry on with his plans to have a family Christmas.

I was just thinking the same thing, what have a bunch of stupid politicians got to do with your own choice to be sensible, risking your family's safety to stick it to the man.

 

[Rodcx500z]

All my life i have stayed in the of bounds of the law worked hard payed my dues, did lockdown when told had my jabs 3 of, then i find out these feckers are pissing up my back and sticking their fingers up to the good folks of this great nation, we will still be sensible and have a family Christmas as for another lockdown Boris and co can feck off, and to use their words hear hear ha ha ha order order I SAY ORDER

 

[DavidDetroit]

Most politicians in one of our political parties openly disregard COVID protocol at every turn. The other party had a few hiccups with following it.
Ideally, a group/country would rely on the logical, best-guess, scientific reasoning and info for combating the virus that is currently available. The professionals should be the source upon which to base personal lifestyle choices, not politicians. As such, a politician should only recommend to the people what has been determined to be the best avenue from information provided to them by those who are qualified.
If I understand the UK situation correctly, citizens have discovered that politicians told the general population to do one thing while they did another? That would make them a number of things (none of the terms flattering).
Regardless of how poorly leadership behaves, it's no reason to adopt their behavior or abandon doing the right thing. My mom used to say (a lot), when I was a kid: if so and so jumped off a bridge, would you?