Coronavirus: Please use this thread for all COVID19 talk!

Scummings facing a possible police investigation over the Barnard Castle trip:
https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-cummings-as-pressure-mounts?CMP=share_btn_fb

 

Another piece worth a read:
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/...ules-do-not-apply-coronavirus-lockdown-durham

 

I'm finding it difficult to make harsh judgement on a lot of behaviour I'm reading about or seeing on the TV. The reason being is that I realise that where I'm living I'm extremely fortunate to be able to keep within the guidance by HMG without getting in a car and have excellent community support for shopping etc. I often try to think what it must be like living with family, 3 or more floors up, no parks to speak of, and other issues which really make life even more challenging than it was even before lockdown etc. I come across some folk who seem hell hell bent on being judge and jury about others flouting the rules, and in many cases I'm probably in agreement but withhold opinion because I'm not in the shoes of those being accused of such things. I don't particularly like Dominic Cummings, I think he has transgressed rules we are all trying to observe and in doing so has put a stressed government into an even more stressed state. Yet I cannot get involved in joining the kind of judgement that seems to be coming from many. This may seem to be a weakness but I ask myself what would I do in these circumstances, probably the same, but until faced with such difficulties, I would naturally think to follow the rules. It's only when staring into the abyss of a problem do we really find out. These times really do test our reactions and subsequent behaviours.

 

The whole Cummings situation means that surely anyone who was fined for reaching lockdown, can have their fine overturned?

If it's the individual responsibility of each father to decide whether to follow the lockdown, then how can you fine anyone.

 

There was an interesting piece on the course of the pandemic in Turkey on the BBC News channel last night. A population of 83 million people was hit hard initially but from day one a strategy of testing and contact tracing was put in place and the peak of infection was passed in mid-April. To date they have had 4,340 deaths with positive tests for Covid-19.

Which of course begs the biggest question of all which Johnson and co. will have to answer one day: if Turkey can manage the crisis as effectively as that, and implement a coherent strategy for testing and contact tracing, why couldn’t we?

 

Jacinda Ardern carries on being interviewed throughout a minor earthquake. Just when you think you couldn’t love someone any more!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world...m-stayed-calm-during-an-earthquake-on-live-tv

Edit: Boris would have been straight into the nearest fridge!

 

The very lovely Mrs Godders and I have been packing our bags this morning as we have decided we are going to move in with our daughter for the duration. I am instinctively (which makes everything and anything permissible) worried that if the very lovely Mrs Godders should succumb to the virus I am too old and frail myself to care for her and because of my poor general health I would have to stay right away from her in isolation. This would be a matter of life and death so I feel perfectly justified in taking this action. We will catch a bus to the central station and get a train to Waterloo and transfer via the tube to Kings Cross and catch a train to Norwich. From there we will catch a local bus to her village. It will be really great being able to spend time with her and our grandchildren especially with her birthday coming up soon.

 

Can’t criticise you for this decision at all, Godders, but I can’t help thinking (in my cynical way) that this is exactly what that odious Cummings and his mate Spaffer want. The complete destruction of any lockdown protocol, virus running rampant and (hopefully - for them) further reducing the number of pensioners who are, after all, a dreadful drain on the economy.
The government can then say “we told people to be sensible, they ignored us. The NHS couldn’t cope, so we’ve brought in private companies who can .....”
It’s a scary scary time and, when I get home, I’m staying in lockdown and wearing a mask for both myself and those around me.
Please please please, if you do travel, wear masks and use loads of sanitiser. Don’t worry if people look at you for wearing a mask - they’re the ones who might well suffer.
Good luck to you all

 

So it's OK to go visit grandchildren , but it wasn't ok for me to go to my sister in laws Funeral ?

I did go BTW , but that doesn't take away the fact I got slated for wanting to do it by some on here !

 

The point I take from that tweet is that it highlights nepotism, or is it just a coincidence that Scummings sister is a director of a company given a big government contract.

 

I have no intention of doing this. I wrote it to illustrate how attitudes have changed and how very dangerous things are now thanks to the irresponsible behaviour of Cummings. Nobody said I must not do this indeed many supported the suggestion. If he doesn't resign or get sacked our fight against this virus will be set back weeks and many, many more people will die.

 

This isn’t good

 

Boris desperately banging on about how important it is for people to obey the rules...

 

The T0553R strain

 

OMG.

I have never ever seen a more incompetent person trying to answer questions. Ever. Ever.

 

“People will have to make their own minds up about that”

Er, I think you’ll find a vast number of us have, Boris.

 

So many arrs and umms it was hysterical. Talk about squirming!