Off Topic Coronavirus - 606 tales from the Inquiry

[lardiman]

A warning...

The "R" infection rate is rising slightly according to experts.

The data has roughly a 2 week lag on it.
This means the rise in R (if there is one) may be associated with the moderate but noticeable rise in the number of people flouting the lockdown rules over the last fortnight, before the Government relaxed the rules from Wednesday 13th May.

This coming weekend the weather is going to be fine.
If our parks and beauty spots fill with people after the relaxation of the exercise rules, we may see a significant rise in R and recorded infections coming through around the beginning of June.
If we do see that, the lockdown may have to be imposed at full strength again.
Also, buses and tubes are beginning to fill again - none of us knows how risky this is going to be.

In short - if you're considering going somewhere or meeting some family now that the rules have eased and there are some grey areas,
do it in the next 2 weeks.
Otherwise you may not get another chance for a long time.

Today, Matt Hancock is sounding very relaxed about the apparent slight rise in R.
That approach may not last.

 

[lardiman]

Dorks of the Year (so far)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-52...r-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest-in-london

Jeremy Cotbyn's brother Piers and a bunch of his loony left mates,
protesting against the Lockdown in Hyde Park today.

How f**king selfish are these people?
Putting their desire for personal freedom above the lives of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people.
These idiots should all be locked up.

They insult all the NHS workers and everyone else who risks their own life to help others.
Including the Police who had to deal with them.
And they insult the grieving families of the 34,000 who have died so far.
Presumably Piers and his chums would be happy to see half a million elderly folk die to satisfy their political ideology.
And some people say the Tories are killers

I swear I didn't even know there were any protests against the lockdown until 5 minutes ago.
But I should have expected a handful of rabid Marxists to have no sense of duty to other people.

 

[Clb74]

Dorks of the Year (so far)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-52...r-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest-in-london

Jeremy Cotbyn's brother Piers and a bunch of his loony left mates,
protesting against the Lockdown in Hyde Park today.

How f**king selfish are these people?
Putting their desire for personal freedom above the lives of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people.
These idiots should all be locked up.

They insult all the NHS workers and everyone else who risks their own life to help others.
Including the Police who had to deal with them.
Presumably Piers and his chums would be happy to see half a million elderly folk die to satisfy their political ideology.
And some people say the Tories are killers

I swear I didn't even know there were any protests against the lockdown until 5 minutes ago.
But I should have expected a handful of rabid Marxists to have no sense of duty to other people.

Seen a couple of pictures
What made me laugh a couple of them had masks on.

 

[lardiman]

Sir Keir Starmer is moaning again.
Criticising the PM for not keeping the four nations united in steps to ease the lockdown.

I'm sorry Keir, but the four nations of the UK is not a union of equals.
A nation of 60 million people, one of the largest economies in Europe, which feeds £billions into the other three nations, is not going to be held hostage by Nicola Sturgeon or the leader of the Welsh Assembly.

Scotland and Wales are free to do their own thing regarding the lockdown.
That is the essence of Devolution.
You can't spend decades supporting increased independence for the provinces of the UK, then have a moan when they use that freedom to take a different course from England.

Boris Johnson is nominally the premier political leader of the UK.
But in reality now and specifically with regard to the virus crisis, his authority is over England.
The other nations have their own leaders.
I'm sure Boris would not mind if the next General Election in England is decided by English constituencies only.
I don't think Sir Keir and Labour would be overly happy though.

Boris is doing what he thinks is best for England.
How can that be wrong, when Nicola and the other leaders are simply doing the same for their countries - not apparently wrong according to the Labour leader, or not worthy of his criticism anyway.

 

[deleted.....]

Dorks of the Year (so far)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-52...r-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest-in-london

Jeremy Cotbyn's brother Piers and a bunch of his loony left mates,
protesting against the Lockdown in Hyde Park today.

How f**king selfish are these people?
Putting their desire for personal freedom above the lives of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people.
These idiots should all be locked up.

They insult all the NHS workers and everyone else who risks their own life to help others.
Including the Police who had to deal with them.
And they insult the grieving families of the 34,000 who have died so far.
Presumably Piers and his chums would be happy to see half a million elderly folk die to satisfy their political ideology.
And some people say the Tories are killers

I swear I didn't even know there were any protests against the lockdown until 5 minutes ago.
But I should have expected a handful of rabid Marxists to have no sense of duty to other people.

Piers was peddling the utter b0ll0cks that Covid was linked to 5G again... Mr & Mrs Corbyn senior brought up a right pair as their sons!

If you want to say that Covid-19 escaped from a Chinese Lab then fine... I personally don't believe it but that is possible but to link the virus to 5G is utter garbage.

 

[lardiman]

Piers was peddling the utter b0ll0cks that Covid was linked to 5G again... Mr & Mrs Corbyn senior brought up a right pair as their sons!

If you want to say that Covid-19 escaped from a Chinese Lab then fine... I personally don't believe it but that is possible but to link the virus to 5G is utter garbage.

Incredible.
Anybody who really believes that 5G drivel is in need of treatment for some kind of clinical paranoia.

How can any reasonable person believe something that is physically impossible?
Believing a mobile phone signal can transmit a virus shows a medieval ignorance of what these things are. An ignorance which would be inexcusable in a moderately educated person from the late 19th Century, never mind the early 21st Century.

Even fringe beliefs like Creationism or Intelligent Design do not dispute scientific, self-evident facts.
5G morons really do show how stupid and ignorant they are.

 

[deleted.....]

Incredible.
Anybody who really believes that 5G drivel is in need of treatment for some kind of clinical paranoia.

How can any reasonable person believe something that is physically impossible?
Believing a mobile phone signal can transmit a virus shows a medieval ignorance of what these things are. An ignorance which would be inexcusable in a moderately educated person from the late 19th Century, never mind the early 21st Century.

Even fringe beliefs like Creationism or Intelligent Design do not dispute scientific, self-evident facts.
5G morons really do show how stupid and ignorant they are.

The 5G morons say that the 5G signal reduces our resistance to the virus... in that case why are the WHO so sh1t scared that the virus will get into Africa? Is Africa the world leader in 5G telephony?

What does spread the virus is people like this on Wandsworth Common yesterday...look at all the middle class, white skinned Guardian readers.... feckwits!

You must log in or register to see images

 

[lardiman]

I don't mean to bring anyone down, but it looks as if the VE Day celebrations on May 8th caused a small spike in Coronavirus infections;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52715571

On one day cases jumped about 8 fold, just under a week after the street gatherings.
Will we see a more sustained rise now that parks and public transport are busier?
If we do, it will start to show within a week or so.

 

[Smudger603]

I don't mean to bring anyone down, but it looks as if the VE Day celebrations on May 8th caused a small spike in Coronavirus infections;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52715571

On one day cases jumped about 8 fold, just under a week after the street gatherings.
Will we see a more sustained rise now that parks and public transport are busier?
If we do, it will start to show within a week or so.

I walked down the seafront yesterday lardy, something I’ve avoided, and it was a like normal summers day bustling with people who I can only assume were out of area people. At this rate we will get a second wave unfortunately, Boris must rethink his easing strategy

 

[lardiman]

I walked down the seafront yesterday lardy, something I’ve avoided, and it was a like normal summers day bustling with people who I can only assume were out of area people. At this rate we will get a second wave unfortunately, Boris must rethink his easing strategy

Sorry to hear that Smudger.

I was hoping most of the people visiting parks & beauty spots were still trying to stay apart from each other.
The VE day article says it was the breaches in social distancing that caused the spike, not the events themselves.
But if folks are mixing together more or less as before, I too think there will be a second wave.

Our new limited freedoms may well last only to the end of this month.
Lockdown 2 will probably be stricter, and with less good will in evidence.
And we seemed to be doing so well...

Some people need a disinfected kick up the arse.

 

[Ken Shabby]

The same effect is here in Spain. A huge swathe of the population are coming out, and seem to not uderstand social distancing (joggers particularly, who are those who doing exercise are iikely to breath-propel th econtents of their lungs a bigger distance, are unable to minimally swerve to avoid people but merely continue on their head down/straight line run). Oddly the town next to where I live seems to be better at wearing masks.
I don't know whether a second wave was always going to happen, but the Oxford laboratory was quoted today that the trials 'could'nt be going better', so if we go into a second lockdown here and there when a solution may actually be coming our way, it's hugely selfish actions by some who will bring it dow on everyone. FFS, after what we've all been through, there's no need to rush the recovery now. Why not treat it as if Covid-19 is still very much among us, and try and de.escalate slowly?

 

[Smudger603]

The same effect is here in Spain. A huge swathe of the population are coming out, and seem to not uderstand social distancing (joggers particularly, who are those who doing exercise are iikely to breath-propel th econtents of their lungs a bigger distance, are unable to minimally swerve to avoid people but merely continue on their head down/straight line run). Oddly the town next to where I live seems to be better at wearing masks.
I don't know whether a second wave was always going to happen, but the Oxford laboratory was quoted today that the trials 'could'nt be going better', so if we go into a second lockdown here and there when a solution may actually be coming our way, it's hugely selfish actions by some who will bring it dow on everyone. FFS, after what we've all been through, there's no need to rush the recovery now. Why not treat it as if Covid-19 is still very much among us, and try and de.escalate slowly?

Don’t get me going on the “as the crow flies joggers” I wanted to thump one yesterday , he was blowing out his arse as he went passed us with sweat dripping into a trail behind him

 

[lardiman]

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-52721717

11,000 miles for a slap on the wrist.
Understandable though. New Zealand! What a Hell-hole for a millionaire to get trapped in.

 

[lardiman]

Thought somebody made a good point on telly yesterday about some of the Government's old skool lockdown revisions.

Apparently you can now have the estate agents round to your house, or hire a nanny or other domestic cleaners/servants.
Probably a butler too.
But you can't visit family members in different households.

How many people earning less than £100,000 per year will be having the estate agents round regularly, or hire a nanny?
Not many Benny.
Guess the Tories could not resist throwing in a few treats for their well-heeled core voters.

 

[lardiman]

I'm a bit surprised about this advice...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52720089

Is anybody out there not washing their hands many times more than this every day?
I must be washing mine more than 20 times while at work, and nearly as many times at home.
I'm not obsessed or anything, just mindful of how important it is.
Whenever I go out anywhere, it's the first thing I do when I get home again.

 

[lardiman]

I find this story somewhat depressing, from a gender equality point of view.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52691164

I would imagine (not knowing them) that US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova would not indulge in the kind of silliness that reinforces the view that all women care about (even powerful, intelligent wonen) is accessorizing.

Matching coloured face masks?
Give me strength
Has anybody seen a male politician trying this?
No.
And the conclusion will doubtless be that men are more sensible about this matter (and by implication about everything else) and less prone to such superficial and whimsical distractions.
Indeed I'd go so far as to say this kind of thing seen among senior female politicians and leaders amounts to them trivialising the whole subject of the pandemic.

Face masks are not items of clothing.
They are not the same as a headscarf or a pair of shoes.
Except that now they are - thanks to the frivolous and opportunistic fashion industry, and the vanity of women who should be grown up enough to know better.

 

[Smudger603]

I find this story somewhat depressing, from a gender equality point of view.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52691164

I would imagine (not knowing them) that US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova would not indulge in the kind of silliness that reinforces the view that all women care about (even powerful, intelligent wonen) is accessorizing.

Matching coloured face masks?
Give me strength
Has anybody seen a male politician trying this?
No.
And the conclusion will doubtless be that men are more sensible about this matter (and by implication about everything else) and less prone to such superficial and whimsical distractions.
Indeed I'd go so far as to say this kind of thing seen among senior female politicians and leaders amounts to them trivialising the whole subject of the pandemic.

Face masks are not items of clothing.
They are not the same as a headscarf or a pair of shoes.
Except that now they are - thanks to the frivolous and opportunistic fashion industry, and the vanity of women who should be grown up enough to know better.

The worlds gone mad Lardy - packed down here again

 

[lardiman]

LONDON CONGESTION CHARGE INFORMATION UPDATE:

I was not aware of this, but the Congestion Charge in London was suspended some weeks ago.
Presumably to allow key workers to travel more easily.

The Charge was reinstated from Monday 18th May at its current level (£11.50 per day I believe)
and for the current time periods.

From Monday 22nd June the Congestion Charge is rising to £15 per day,
and it will apply for all 7 days of the week.
(I don't currently know if it will be 24 hours per day)

There may also be changes to the area covered by the Congestion Charge,
and changes to the separate ULEZ Charge.

Full details of these changes are not that easy to find on the internet at the moment.
I assume the Mayor of London will release details closer to June 22nd.

From what I gather so far, reinstating the CC was part of the conditions demanded by the Government before it was willing to give a bail-out package of several hundred million pounds to the GLA.
But raising the charge to £15 and changing the CC to 7 days per week were apparently NOT part of the Government's conditions. Mayor of London Sadiq Knhan decided on those changes himself - in order to help create large "car free areas" in Central London.
Any shop owners who have a problem with this policy should take up the matter with him.

Also I hear that there will be a reimbursement scheme for NHS workers who have to drive in the CC zone to do their jobs.

NOT an exemption scheme. They will still have to pay the Charge.
But they will get (some?) of their money back at some point.
That's very generous. Thank you Mr Mayor.

 

[lardiman]

Grim reading for anyone hoping that matters around the World are improving, as they seem to be here in the UK and other countries who are past the peak of the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52748894

Yesterday saw the highest number of reported cases in a 24 hour period.
106,000 infections confirmed in a single day.
And the virus is beginning to bite in the Developing World now.
Countries who will have no hope of avoiding their fragile Healthcare systems being overwhelmed.
And where the poor have almost no healthcare access even in normal times.

 

[lardiman]

The worlds gone mad Lardy - packed down here again

I see as well from the newspaper front pages that the beaches are filling up again
Still time for a bumper Bank Holiday weekend, complete with ice cream and 'kiss-me-quick' hats.

Pandemic? what pandemic.
Anyway, the NHS is OK now so it's back to life as normal.
I mean, we clap every Thursday evening don't we? What more do they want.

Let's see where we are three weeks from now.
No prizes for guessing.