But we don't have to go quietly. The rich are already having an easier time of the lockdown than most of us; big gardens, much more likely to be able to work from home so no money worries. Second homes for many too, they'll be mass-migrating to remote rural villages as soon as the lockdown rules are relaxed a bit. Right now that's a side issue, as I'm willing to believe we are essentially all in this together. But if Coronavirus becomes a poor person's disease that will never be acceptable to me. Every precaution, and especially social distancing, must be for everyone. Crowded tubes and buses cannot be accepted. Drivers should strike if necessary and we should support them.
Totally agree lardy TFL have already had numerous cases - you can’t socially distance on any form of public transport, planes are even worse using recycled air yet we allowed flights in and out for a considerable time after other countries restricted air travel ffs
Tbf Johnson has only said that they will be looking at ways to get us back to work and schools. He has not said when.
and this is what the Labour Party have been asking for over the past few weeks.... a pathway out of the lockdown once it is safe. Can't see a problem myself? People say that we went into lockdown unprepared and yet they then moan that we shouldn't be planning yet how to leave lockdown? You never know, the plan for leaving the lockdown may include a pay rise for NHS Staff?
The Labour Party has just been playing popularist politics over the last few weeks. Fair enough, that's their job by and large. And to their credit, they have not over played their hand. They actually agree with pretty much every policy the Government has implemented, but have been free of actually having to execute any of it, so are able to criticise any reports of poor implementation or lack of urgency on behalf of the Government, long before any investigation could substantiate these criticisms. Sir Keir Starmer has acted in a reasonably restrained manner - only getting in a few cheap shots here and there. That doesn't alter the position that asking people to cram themselves into tube trains and buses is totally unjustifiable, whether or not they are covering their faces. Such a move should be seen for exactly what it is - putting the economy before the lives of poor, working class people. If it happens, train and bus drivers should strike to protect the NHS and save lives. So it had better not happen. You and I don't want to see a second spike in this virus pandemic in London. But that is what we will get, if tube and rail stations swarm with people again, and bus stops are crowded. In many locations you cannot queue for a bus at 2m distance in the way you can queue to get into a supermarket. And a bus (or a tube carriage) cannot safely carry more than about 20 people. If the Government position is going to be this: Work from home if you're rich enough to be able to, Drive to and from work if you're rich enough and lucky enough to be able to, But if you must use public transport then hard luck, because your life doesn't matter as much as that of a richer person. Then they ought to come out and say as much right from the start. When money begins to matter more than lives, that should always be challenged. The ridiculous 'Project Restart' from the Premier League is an obvious example. Packing people back into tubes and buses like sardines will be no better. If that happens I hope Sadiq Khan does something useful for a change and stands up to the Government, and refuses to allow it.
I hope when we ease out of lockdown that all people that enter this country either by air ,sea or rail have been tested and can show they have a clean bill of health, this should become mandatory imo
Quite right lardy posted the same thing twice , didn’t want elfs picking me up on it but he did anyway
I thought I would try to learn Python in the current circumstances, with no Programming experience and being over 60 this is not as simple as they make out!
It's the effort that counts AHLL These last six weeks have proven to me what I already knew; That although I usually work hard for about 50 hours a week and take pride in jobs well done, at heart I am a lazy person. I have found 'slobbing around' and generally doing almost nothing* most days very easy. It's no bad thing our factory is re-opening gradually (2 days a week right now for a skeleton staff but probably more soon). I could really get used to being idle. Good news for my retirement in a decade or so - assuming my health allows me to make it that far! * well almost nothing except some of my CAFC season stats
A private Clinic in London is offering COVID19 antibody tests to anybody who wants to buy one. £175 each. And no verified evidence that they even work. Disgraceful. If you set up a market stall outside a supermarket and tried selling these tests to queueing shoppers, the Police would move you on or arrest you. But if you sell these things from a swanky Harley Street address that's apparently OK. It's quackery for the gullible, some of whom cannot afford £175 but might cough it up (if you'll pardon the expression) anyway because they are so driven by fear.
Obviously it's wrong on many levels, but, at the same time, I have scant sympathy for anyone daft enough to part with their cash.
Two ways of measuring the impact of Coronavirus deaths in various countries (1st May); 1. Casualties as absolute numbers 2. Casualties as a proportion of population (per 100,000) Neither of these charts is more or less valid than the other, since every death is a tragedy for the loved ones of the victim. But the lower chart gives an indication of the impact on particular nations, with regard to their population size. For instance; 1 person in every 1,504 has died from Coronavirus in Belgium. 1 person in every 2,475 has died from Coronavirus in the UK. 1 person in every 5,181 has died from Coronavirus in the USA. So the relative impact on Belgian society is likely to be greater than the impact on US society, even though the US has suffered about nine times the number of casualties as Belgium.
I agree that will be a factor, along with average age, ethnic mix etc. Belgium is claiming that its number of reported deaths is higher than that of all other listed countries, because it is the only country which is including 'suspected' Coronavirus deaths in care homes as well as 'confirmed' Coronavirus deaths there. There are bound to be some discrepancies of that nature. Not every country gathers its information in exactly the same way or by exactly the same rules. And of course (Mr Trump) this is not some ghastly kind of competition. The numbers are awful, but they are what they are. No political leader should be trying to make capital out of them. And opposition politicians should think well before attempting to either.
