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Off Topic Coronavirus

Discussion in 'Queens Park Rangers' started by Sooperhoop, Feb 8, 2020.

  1. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    oooooh all hands on deck <wah>
     
    #16121
  2. Goldhawk-Road

    Goldhawk-Road Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I'll answer the wine point on the Politics thread, Ellers
     
    #16122
  3. Goldhawk-Road

    Goldhawk-Road Well-Known Member

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    Robert Peston on Twitter:

    The important difference between AstraZeneca's relationship with the UK and with the EU, and the reason it has fallen behind schedule on 50m vaccine doses promised to the EU, is that the UK agreed the deal with AZ a full three months before the EU did - which gave AZ an extra three months to sort out manufacturing and supply problems relating to the UK contract (there were plenty of problems). Here is the important timeline. In May AZ reached agreement with Oxford and the UK government to make and supply the vaccine. In fact Oxford had already started work on the supply chain. The following month AZ reached a preliminary agreement with Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy, a group known as the Inclusive Vaccine Alliance, based on the agreement with the UK. The announcement was 13 June. BUT the EU insisted that the Inclusive Vaccine Alliance could not formalise the deal. The European Commission insisted it should take over the contract negotiations on behalf of the whole EU. So were another two months of talks and the contract was not signed till the end of August.

    What is frustrating for AZ is that the extra talks with the European Commission led to no material changes to the contract, but wasted time on making arrangements to make the vaccine with partner sites. The yield at these partner sites has been lower than expected. The problem is in the course of being sorted. AZ say it is working 24/7 to make up the time and deliver the quantities the EU wanted. It says its contract with the EU - as with the UK - was always on a "best effort" basis, because it was starting from scratch to deliver unprecedented amounts for no profit. AZ is not blaming the EU. But it does not understand why it is being painted as the "bad guy" given that if the deal had happened in June, when Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy wanted it done, most of these supply issues would already have been sorted. A pro-EU source at the company says "I understand Brexit better now".
     
    #16123
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  4. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    <applause>
     
    #16124
  5. Bwood_Ranger

    Bwood_Ranger 2023 Funniest Poster

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    That last sentence is an absolute zinger.
     
    #16125
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  6. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    It's not a one-upmanship with the EU, it's actually relief that we didn't sign up to that stupid staple counting agreement.
     
    #16126
  7. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    Mr Hunt told the Telegraph: 'If the EU were to take action unilaterally that restricted supplies of vaccine bought legally and fairly by the UK, it would poison economic relations for a generation. At such a critical moment, the world needs vaccine nationalism like a hole in the head.'

    Bloody hell Jeremy!
     
    #16127
  8. rangercol

    rangercol Well-Known Member

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    Amazing how 'the usual suspects' just can't help themselves in their defence of the EU.
    The EU are behaving in their usual way, but some people will never see any fault with them.
    We absolutely should be cooperating world wide on this thing, but the EU won't, that's for sure.
    And on this comment from Beth and others that all members could have done what we did.....
    Well they didn't and many experts are commenting that we wouldn't have been 'allowed to' either.

    We'll go around in circles on this now, so I'll hand over to the cult members (one of which will appear in approximately 1 minute).
     
    #16128
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  9. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    Brendan Clarke Smith, 40, Tory MP for Bassetlaw, and Lee Anderson, 54, Tory MP for Ashfield both managed to get themselves vaccinated while ‘volunteering’ at local centres. Neither is in any priority group and both have already have COVID-19.
    ‘There was some left over and I had it to protect others while I am volunteering’ said Clarke Smith.
     
    #16129
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  10. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    Is the minute up?
    Just watched the BBC Politics show where the European correspondent said that The EU are 'dissatisfied' with the response from the Pharmaceutical company. It added that it just want's 'transparency' on how many vials go to a third country (us) and then a sinister turn from a German minister who wants it 'regulated' as to how many vials go elsewhere.
    What was also interesting was the reporter said the EU would need the UK for vials at a later date... do you think the term "back of the queue" should have been 'chickens come home to roost?"
     
    #16130

  11. qprbeth

    qprbeth Wicked Witch of West12
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    I must be that cult member Col.

    But I am just trying to give information, for my understanding
    as well as for the forum. Germany definitely worked outside the EU program, and the report implies other countries did too


    Commission takes evasive action over Germany’s vaccine side deal
    By Gerardo Fortuna | EURACTIV.com

    8 Jan 2021 (updated: 10 Jan 2021)

    please log in to view this image

    The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is under fire over the 30 million extra doses of vaccine purchased by Germany outside the EU framework. [EPA-EFE/WALSCHAERTS]



    The European Commission on Friday (8 January) refused to provide an answer on whether Germany’s bilateral deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for 30 million extra doses has broken the commitment to joint procurement of vaccines.

    A controversy broke out over the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines by the German government in addition to the share jointly procured and distributed on a pro-rata basis by the EU.

    In recent months, the Commission has sealed contracts with different manufacturing companies, including a major one to purchase in advance 200 million doses of the vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, the first to have received EU regulatory approval.

    On 8 January, the Commission secured 300 million additional jabs of the Pfizer-BioNTech in the wake of criticism from Germany that it had not ordered enough doses of the only vaccine currently distributed.

    At the end of December, a German health official confirmed in a press conference that Angela Merkel’s government had signed a separate deal with Pfizer-BioNTech in September for 30 million extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

    Also in December, Germany’s health minister Jens Spahn said that the EU cannot prohibit forever other EU countries from buying additional vaccine doses on their own.

    However, in an annex to the Commission’s vaccine strategy presented in June, the EU-27 countries agreed “not to launch their own procedures for advance purchase of that vaccine with the same manufacturers.”

    The reason behind this commitment to joint procurement was not to leave behind countries with less money and less bargaining power in the vaccine race.

    The German side-deal could, therefore, be in violation of the obligation not to negotiate separately, although the exact legal nature of the Commission’s document is still unclear.

    Asked to clarify the issue at a press conference on Friday, the Commission refused to reply to the many questions on the issue, saying that reporters should direct the questions to the German authorities.

    “Our focus is on ensuring that there are enough doses for every member states,” said a Commission’s spokesperson, declining to answer if Germany could be hit by an infringement procedure for having acted this way.

    The bilateral negotiation with Pfizer-BioNTech occurred when Germany was holding the EU rotating presidency and preaching the benefits of joint purchasing of vaccines alongside the Commission.

    Announcing the new extra doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen made clear that the EU opposes any kind of separate bilateral deals and negotiations between EU member states and pharmaceutical companies.

    “We have all agreed that there will be no parallel negotiations or parallel contracts,” she told reporters, adding that the EU negotiations are the only binding legal framework when it comes to vaccine purchases.

    However, the Portuguese health minister Marta Temido, who is now holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council of health ministers, has confirmed this morning that some countries have purchased vaccines on their own side.

    “We also know that these purchases were made after the joint negotiations that an EU level had taken place,” she added.

    According to the Portuguese minister, these side purchases were made after the EU negotiations and the distribution of the vaccines will be performed in accordance with those contracts. “The role of the presidency is to ensure that the contracts in place are respected,” she concluded.

    EU makes new deal with Pfizer for another 300 million vaccine doses
    The European Commission has sealed another deal with Pfizer-BioNTech to provide 300 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. The new deal will add to the existing 300 million doses for a total of 600 million.


    I can see this issue pulling apart the EU more than Brexit would ever. One rule for the rich another for the poor
     
    #16131
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  12. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    An interesting revelation from Dido Harding yesterday, primarily in defence of her own poor performance, but perhaps providing one explanation as to why we have worse Covid death rates than pretty much anywhere else in the world. Firstly, less than 60% of people who have tested positive for the virus and have been told to isolate are actually doing so, and secondly, she believes that many more people with symptoms are just not getting tested at all because they fear being told to isolate when they can't afford to.

    Workers with Covid 'too scared' to get tested due to lack of cash support, Dido Harding says (thelondoneconomic.com)

    If the government won't provide the appropriate financial support for those required to isolate, we will have 'the pandemic we deserve', to coin a phrase.
     
    #16132
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  13. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    Beth what makes me smile about Germany's cheeky side deal is it just proves that all that 'unity' rubbish is a load of old tosh and when it comes to it, it's each man (state) for themselves?
    Once again this is not a one-upmanship but relief that we didn't get involved with that doomed agreement.
     
    #16133
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  14. Bwood_Ranger

    Bwood_Ranger 2023 Funniest Poster

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    I’m not going to post the facts again that disprove this as you’d rather believe a comforting lie, as you have every right to.
     
    #16134
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  15. Trammers

    Trammers Well-Known Member

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    Just be pleased that for once the UK seems to be doing the right thing regarding securing vaccines for the population.......

    Here, we've been told that Level 5 lock down is being extended to 5th March at the earliest. So far we've vaccinated around 140k people with first doses of the Pfizer vaccine, less than 2% of the population and it looks like we're only going to get 200k doses of the AZ/Oxford vaccine in February which is less than our original quota.....

    Meanwhile, Ireland expects to get around 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in February, if it is approved, instead of around 230,000 doses that were anticipated, RTÉ News understands.

    Another thing that you don't have to concern yourselves with is paying for the vaccine......although it is going to be "free" here the Doctors/Pharmacists who administer the jab are going to be paid €60 per jab by the government costing around €91m........nice work if you can get it.

    Like the UK schools are also an issue with teachers unions effectively ordering their members out on strike by telling them that it's unsafe to go into schools due to feeling unsafe......as has been pointed out to them what about the healthcare workers, shop workers, and others who are still working, should they stop as well because it's deemed unsafe.......some TD's have accused teachers of "going on the doss"......

    We are heading for a broken society.....
     
    #16135
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  16. Bwood_Ranger

    Bwood_Ranger 2023 Funniest Poster

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    I read about one of these or another MP a while ago. The defence was that they were ‘due’ a vaccine as all volunteers received one which is possibly true but sounds not terribly credible. I doubt even the dimmest MP would be naive enough to jump the queue without any justification.
     
    #16136
  17. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    I hope not but it's alarming when you hear all the news items regarding the effect this is having on Children, especially schooling and social care.
     
    #16137
  18. peter1954qpr

    peter1954qpr Well-Known Member

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    Beth can you answer this question for me,
    I'm due to start my radiotherapy treatment in the next couple of weeks for about 6 weeks, being 66 I'm estimated to have the vaccine during this period, will I still be able to have the jab, thank you
     
    #16138
  19. Sooperhoop

    Sooperhoop Well-Known Member

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    This sort of bullsh*t really helps...

     
    #16139
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  20. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    What do you expect with The Guardian?
     
    #16140

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