Generic Virus Thread

[bickster]

1 minute ago, Genie said:

Again I agree, but the powers that be could state that region X consists of the areas A,B,C&D and the average r/1000 or 6 week average needs to be below Y before the tier will be reduced.

I’m sure they have some logic behind their planning and it would probably help their credibility if would be more open about it.

I realise why you want it to be like that but it just can't be, there are too many variables to consider and it can't be simplified the way you want, The regions are already defined but what happens 3 or 4 regions away can still have an impact in a sort of domino effect

If you look at Warrington for example to the east it has Merseyside and to the South it has Cheshire but above it Lancashire and Manchester, it must have been a really close call whether to put it in Tier 2 or 3. If Merseyside's rate hadn't dramatically dropped, regardless of what happened in Warrington, I think it would have found itself still in tier 3

[bannedfromHandV]

37 minutes ago, bickster said:

I realise why you want it to be like that but it just can't be, there are too many variables to consider and it can't be simplified the way you want, The regions are already defined but what happens 3 or 4 regions away can still have an impact in a sort of domino effect

If you look at Warrington for example to the east it has Merseyside and to the South it has Cheshire but above it Lancashire and Manchester, it must have been a really close call whether to put it in Tier 2 or 3. If Merseyside's rate hadn't dramatically dropped, regardless of what happened in Warrington, I think it would have found itself still in tier 3

Leave Warrington out of it, we’ve done our tier 3 time!!

[Stevo985]

Mass testing starting in Birmingham tomorrow I believe...

[bickster]

FAO @Genie

Flicking through this guys media on Twitter is quite interesting

[Genie]

1 hour ago, bickster said:

FAO @Genie

Flicking through this guys media on Twitter is quite interesting

Thank you. 
In a later tweet he mentions that areas that seem harshly rated (ie Stratford) are surrounded by areas in the higher tier.

An exception to that is inner London which remains tier 2 surrounded by tier 3 regions. There but could be specific geographical reasons for that, obviously not because those making the decisions are based there  

[chrisp65]

The figures for infection rates in Wales yesterday were horrific. The highest they’ve been at any point since the start.

But they’ve kinda made this promise that we can have a few days at Christmas so I’m not sure how they’re going to square that circle, other than announcing something pretty immediate as another 2 weeks lockdown right before Christmas. But they’ve already done that experiment and 2 weeks isn’t long enough. 

Interesting couple of days coming up.

 

[Genie]

The scenes in London yesterday were unbelievable. Thousands of protesters but this time no masks, no social distancing, and the fact that they are anti-lockdown there’s probably a higher than average number of virus carriers in there.

We must be heading back towards >1000 deaths a day.

This government continue to get everything wrong. The Christmas arrangements were too early and it’s going to look like a terrible idea as time goes by.

The 3 family, unlimited numbers thing is going to be carnage.

Edited November 29, 2020 by Genie

[Davkaus]

25 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

The figures for infection rates in Wales yesterday were horrific. The highest they’ve been at any point since the start.

But they’ve kinda made this promise that we can have a few days at Christmas so I’m not sure how they’re going to square that circle, other than announcing something pretty immediate as another 2 weeks lockdown right before Christmas. But they’ve already done that experiment and 2 weeks isn’t long enough. 

Interesting couple of days coming up.

 

They tried to dangle the carrot in front of the country as a reward for good behaviour, and it's not going to go well if they try to take it back now.

I think the problem is that they know a significant chunk of the population will simply refuse to adhere to restrictions over Christmas. It seems they've just decided to go along with it to try to prevent the view that the restrictions are just to be completely ignored.

[trekka]

[Xela]

The Government have put themselves in a no-win position now. Need to lockdown as deaths are going up... then lockdown was too late, now the new lockdown tiers are too strict and destroying business. If they'd been lifted it would have been criticised as well for being too soft. Letting people get together for Christmas is criticised but if he'd put lockdowns in over Christmas, it would have been criticised more. 

As others have said, people will do what they want over Xmas anyway. 

We need the vaccine asap

[Genie]

8 minutes ago, Xela said:

The Government have put themselves in a no-win position now. Need to lockdown as deaths are going up... then lockdown was too late, now the new lockdown tiers are too strict and destroying business. If they'd been lifted it would have been criticised as well for being too soft. Letting people get together for Christmas is criticised but if he'd put lockdowns in over Christmas, it would have been criticised more. 

As others have said, people will do what they want over Xmas anyway. 

We need the vaccine asap

I think an acknowledgement that people will want it get together over Christmas was valid. But why is it 4 days and unlimited numbers? Why announce it in November?

I can see police turning up at a house with 30 people in it and the claim being they are 3 family bubbles having a 4 day party.

They should have made a temporary, partial lifting of restrictions for Christmas Day only imo. You can invite a friend or a family member for the day who’d otherwise be alone, or vulnerable etc. The way it has been done is stupid.

Edited November 29, 2020 by Genie

[bickster]

9 minutes ago, Genie said:

They should have made a temporary, partial lifting of restrictions for Christmas Day only imo

Impossible. How do you travel there and back

[Genie]

14 minutes ago, bickster said:

Impossible. How do you travel there and back

Where are people travelling from? 
Maybe, an overnight Christmas Eve or Christmas Day then. It doesn’t need to be 4 days when 600+ people a day are dying of a contagious virus.

[bickster]

9 minutes ago, Genie said:

Where are people travelling from? 
Maybe, an overnight Christmas Eve or Christmas Day then. It doesn’t need to be 4 days when 600+ people a day are dying of a contagious virus.

Well there is no public transport on Xmas Day and pretty much none on Boxing Day either, it really doesn't matter where you are travelling from. But in my particular instance, my daughter is coming home from London and I would imagine this is far from a unique circumstance. In fact shortening the window actually makes the problem worse as PT will be crammed in the days before and after, a much worse scenario than families coming together

[Davkaus]

Public transport necessitates a two night window, but at that point you do have to consider if encouraging millions of people on to trains and buses on the same couple of days to travel up and down the country is a good idea. Perhaps if travelling on public transport to see distant relatives is your only other option, it's a good idea to stay put.

Edited November 29, 2020 by Davkaus

[bickster]

3 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

Public transport necessitates a two night window,

Keep going and remember which days xmas falls on this year

[Genie]

7 minutes ago, bickster said:

Well there is no public transport on Xmas Day and pretty much none on Boxing Day either, it really doesn't matter where you are travelling from. But in my particular instance, my daughter is coming home from London and I would imagine this is far from a unique circumstance. In fact shortening the window actually makes the problem worse as PT will be crammed in the days before and after, a much worse scenario than families coming together

I think whatever is suggested there will be a potential inconvenience to it. We’re mid pandemic, there needs to be an element of take it or leave it on the mini reprieve of restrictions.

If the window was open for getting my child back home from 200 miles away I’d get up early, pick him/her up then take them back at the end of the window. Oh but what about the people that don’t drive, etc etc. 

It’s literally life and death, we shouldn’t have this “ok let’s make it 4 days so 0.5% of people can get around the country on public transport even if the net result will be transmissions, hospitalisations and deaths”.

Its coming at it from completely the wrong angle.

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Genie

[bickster]

3 minutes ago, Genie said:

so 0.5% of people can get around the country on public transport

I think you are grossly underestimating the numbers

[bickster]

5 minutes ago, Genie said:

If the window was open for getting my child back home from 200 miles away I’d get up early, pick him/her up then take them back at the end of the window.

So on XMas day you think its a reasonable idea for me to drive to London and back, spend Xmas Day with the missus and daughter and then drive back to London at the end of the day. Thats 800 miles in one day with a family get together in the middle. Thats beyond silly and doesn't take into account more than one child

[Genie]

3 minutes ago, bickster said:

So on XMas day you think its a reasonable idea for me to drive to London and back, spend Xmas Day with the missus and daughter and then drive back to London at the end of the day. Thats 800 miles in one day with a family get together in the middle. Thats beyond silly and doesn't take into account more than one child

I did say 1 night stopover was reasonable. 
Don’t do the trips if you don’t want to do them, it’s just and option. There isn’t a right for the Government to accommodate every scenario. Aren’t students travelling home for Christmas at the end of their term anyway (circa 18th December?).