Chris Whitty & Patrick Vallance @ 11.00 - what will follow?

Callistemon

To counter some of the conspiracy theories being perpetrated on Gransnet by a poster, perhaps everyone might want to check out the claims for themselves:
www.snopes.com/collections/coronavirus-gates-foundation

I expect Snopes has been infiltrated by a Soros/Gates conspiracy too!

Kookie

Lemongrass
They are damned if they do and damned if they don't i would like a update Weekley from the scientists prefer no media questions as they just twist what is said

I check the data almost daily anyway. Those briefings were a farce.

LauraNorder

I would appreciate a regular briefing from Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance, without journalists asking repetitive and inane questions, perhaps fortnightly unless there is an issue to address in between. I would then like to see a government spokesperson following up a day later with any adjustment to the rules related to the science.
I do think the public need explanation for each rule. The six person rule indoors especially needed explaining re viral load.

Do you think that the doubling of cases in 8 days is an issue, especially as the number is undoubtedly higher because those who can't get tested will include some positives?

Clear concise without ambiguity information and action we are expected to take would be great! A uniformed approach across the UK is what is needed!

Teddy The nation was told it should go back to office working, 8 million children should be crammed into classrooms and that it was people's duty to eat out. It didn't lead by example when Cummings diluted the rules and got away with it.

Unfortunately, there are still idiots who talk about masks as muzzles and think it's an infringement of personal liberty. There are those who think the figures are exaggerated or even a hoax. Any responsible government knows that it needs to lead not play for votes.

Good post Teddy??

I agree LauraN that would seem an adequate response,
I realise that some like a daily report, but for me it would be OTT and surplus to requirements.?

Lock down worked before,the NHS was not overwhelmed.Masks,distance and hygiene. Nobody took our freedoms away. Some members of the public knew better and had parties,raves,protests,large crowds,all over the country. Now Covid is creeping up again. Boris was accused of not having lockdown soon enough. He has to do something now.Whatever he does ,will be seen to be wrong. He cannot leave it or risk filling the Nightingale hospitals.Covid is a killer for some and spreads quickly.The government must despair of how selfishly part of the nation has behaved.

I would appreciate a regular briefing from Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance, without journalists asking repetitive and inane questions, perhaps fortnightly unless there is an issue to address in between. I would then like to see a government spokesperson following up a day later with any adjustment to the rules related to the science.
I do think the public need explanation for each rule. The six person rule indoors especially needed explaining re viral load.

Lemongrass
They are damned if they do and damned if they don't i would like a update Weekley from the scientists prefer no media questions as they just twist what is said

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I certainly wouldn't label you, Tillybelle. Be strong and stick up for what you believe.
They are still pushing the 'fear' factor as well as behavioral psychology now.
Some tend to use the word 'conspirator' because, just maybe, there is some truth there and they are afraid to even contemplate the idea.
The world's banking system is in collapse - the truth will OUT before too long.
Believe in yourself and don't let others influence what is your free choice.

Well said that woman!

To counter some of the conspiracy theories being perpetrated on Gransnet by a poster, perhaps everyone might want to check out the claims for themselves:
www.snopes.com/collections/coronavirus-gates-foundation

The Government will be kicked about whatever they do or say.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-641373-screenshot-2020-09-21-at-15-07-09.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-564842-screenshot-2020-09-21-at-16-05-26.png

Alegrias and hollysteers
Thank god the conspirator theorist has gone. Spoke too soon.

You are clearly labelling me and making personal attacks directly at me. this is not what we do on GNet. I shall report it.

I have given information, using only facts available in the public domain and given the references where I can or where relevant. Anyone can verify them. Some research which was available for several years and has been Peer reviewed, has been censored, mysteriously, since it was simply ordinary scientific medical research.

The following is information from The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine and some the BBC if it uploads ok.
From the Centre For Evidence Based Medicine: “The only ‘circuit break’ we need now is from among the Govt’s doom-mongering scientific advisors who specialise in causing panic and little else” say Prof Carl Heneghan and Dr Tom Jefferson. Prof Heneghan says;
This nonsensical term ‘circuit breaker’ is not the only aspect of the Govt’s rhetoric that needs closer scrutiny, because it is the irrational unscientific use of language that is partly to blame for driving Ministers into making these mistakes. It is unfortunate that Mr Johnson is surrounded by mediocre Scientific advisors. It is strange and concerning that the govt is still relying on mathematical modellers who have a 20 year track record of getting things wrong. (He then points out Ferguson about whom I advise you to do your own research). 'In the week ending September 17th the England’s National Influenza Surveillance Report shows that “Rhinovirus positivity had increased by 23% in 7 days”. It is likely that the new school year set this in motion as it does every year. Covid too appears to follow this seasonal pattern picking up in the colder weather, but the death rate – so far at least – does not appear to be rising."
Prof Heneghan says, “for now the only “circuit break” we need is an end to the current cycle of bad data, bad language and shockingly bad scientific advice.”

Professor Heneghan is far from being the only very distinguished Scientist in a top position who is speaking out against what the govt are saying. For example, Nobel Prize for Science winner, Prof. Levitt of Stanford made the correct prediction of the death rate regardless of lockdown in February last as 0.04 to 0.05%. (Compare that to Ferguson!) He is saying again, now, how the ‘science’ has let us all down dreadfully. E.g. “As a group, scientists have failed the younger generation.” “Almost all the science we were hearing from organisations like the WHO was wrong”. “Nobody said to me, ‘let me check your numbers’*, they all just said, ‘stop talking like that’”. *A real scientist would have asked to check the numbers. A person with an agenda to push out would want to shut the mouth of someone whose accurate science showed results which did not support their agenda as his message was not politically acceptable.

The numbers the scientists used are all government ones.

Meanwhile, using their appalling scientists and ridiculous data analyses the government continue with inhumane treatment of our elderly relatives, who, effectively, are imprisoned and unable to touch their family or go out and be with them for the last days of their lives.

I shall endeavour to illustrate the numbers with graphs:
Bar chart shows: picture of deaths in UK that week, situation hasn’t changed massively in last 2 weeks. This is what the govt is using to justify claims of 50thousand and continue lockdown and so on.
BBC graph: death rate per 100,000 people: yes, since 2008 it was the same then, but prior to 2008 we see it was much higher and we never shut the country down then or ever before. So the BBC headline, as before, is utterly misleading, and merely for fear propaganda.

Tickledpink said “I certainly don’t need . . . to decide what I can and can’t do. I have all the information I need to make my own mind up.”
Unfortunately that’s the attitude of a lot if the people who are responsible for spreading the virus. TP might mean that she is wearing a mask, social distancing, not going to large gatherings etc. and trying to keep herself and the community safe, but many others who say what she did simply mean they’ll continue to do as they like and tough on everyone else.

lemongrove

Honestly! If the government doesn’t make any announcements then they are castigated for it, and when they do they are accused of ‘stage managing’ things.
Apparently some people in Scotland want a daily dose of it.
I don’t want that, but think a weekly update would be beneficial, not only for an update but more to remind the public to keep on being careful, that this isn’t over yet and won’t be for quite a while.

We want a daily dose in Scotland because our First Minister appears at every briefing to take responsibility for any action and explains any decisions with compassion and empathy. She is well prepared for questions which she takes live from a range of sources and I have seen her only hesitate once. She has proceeded with caution and consideration and was close to eliminating the virus before restrictions were eased. She has had an interpreter for people with hearing impairment from the start and her companions at each briefing are relevant to the content of her briefing and are equally coherent and congruent in their delivery ....and more often than not they are women...

Gwyneth

Joesoap I agree I think it is about time the public started taking some responsibility and stop blaming the government for everything. Whilst many people have been careful, others really don’t care and have done what they like. I read somewhere that we have been and still are one of the worst countries in Europe for completely disregarding the guidance and rules. All people do in this country is complain and try to foist the blame on someone else. It’s evident throughout our society.

I agree and why some people think this is all a hoax is beyond me.

I’d like to point out too that I’m not an SNP supporter and was never really wild about Nicola Sturgeon but she has gone up in my estimation and I still think she’s doing a reasonable job. It’s the idiots breaking the rules that are making things worse.

I've posted this before, but un Bolton, which has the highest infection rate in the country, the MP says it's partly due to "Covid scepticism":

“They genuinely believe it’s some kind of conspiracy. A lot of them don’t understand the rules either and so there are many who just aren’t following them – they think it is a way of controlling them somehow. It is very dangerous.”

I think we have a couple of Bolton residents on GN.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/coronavirus-conspiracy-theories-scepticism-behind-18967376

What a bunch of numpties!

Growstuff I agree with you.

I agree entirely with all those who say that the more people have the information, the more they are likely to follow the advice or, as in some cases now, law rather than advice.

However, I suspect that, although the information is out there, not everybody bothers to watch, listen or read it. Even on here I have read read people saying they no longer listen to the news because it depresses them. If they don’t keep up with the current situation, how can they know what they are supposed to be doing/not doing?

I am sure that, on the whole, most people on here are pretty well informed but I think there are a lot out there who are not or, maybe are ill informed.

I think that the more information we are given, ideally from a few different sources, the more likely people will be to 'do as they are told', or not, if the information points to what we are being told to do as nonsense.

As it is, a 'do as I say, not as I do', approach, with a bit of 'just because' thrown in is, IMO, the reason why there is some resistance to the rules. It's not that 'other people' are 'stupid', or that they have no 'common sense' (whatever that is); it is that the rules appear to make no sense, and there has still been no explanation of why it is wrong to have 7 people in the house, but ok to go to work on the bus and then go to the pub afterwards.

We are not children, and even if we were, the 'we know best' approach would still not work for those with an enquiring mind. I understand that people are all different, and there are those who prefer to have rules to follow than to think for themselves. Fine, but they should also understand that there are those who prefer to understand why they are being asked to do things - it should cut both ways.

I think that if people understand why they are making sacrifices, and what the impact of those sacrifices is likely to be, they will put up with significant inconvenience and suffering. If they are just told to do something (and particularly if they hear from others that if they don't it it is because they are 'stupid') they are far more likely to resist.

OmaforMaya

Joesoap

I think the Government are doing a good job in this very difficult siuation,I think it is the general public who are doing the damage by not adhering to the rules. Why cant people see it is up to everyone to do everything they can to help we are all in it together.

I am in total agreement with you. I too think that the UK Government is doing just fine. I am in Scotland where we have had daily briefings from the Furst Minister which became daily political broadcasts. At first in the early weeks she waited to see what Westminster was doing and then somehow managed to get her Covid broadcast televised first. Now whatever is broadcast from Westminster she waits a week or so then follows suit. So we are usually a week behind England in any closures or such. The Scottish First Minister and her SNP followers are under the impression that she is doing a great job yet Scotland has had more deaths from Covid than anywhere. It's a farce that she's done well and I like many here in Scotland take instructions from the UK Government and not from the Scottish Government...which to be correct is the Scottish Devolved Assembly.

I too live in Scotland and am certainly not an SNP supporter but many like myself have been impressed by Nicola's handling of the situation. Contrary to what you say she often makes a decision and Boris copies. In fact that is why he is accused of so many u turns! I feel sorry for grans in England as we have been able to hug our little ones for a good few months now and the rule of 6 does not apply to the under 12's so our gatherings are better thought through. We also have all children back to school and no blended learning which I still think is the case in some parts of England. I watch our Scottish briefings when televised. I did watch part of Chris Whitty today but he produced a map which did not even include other nations and only showed England! Apart from finding out the situation from Nicola and the medical advisors she often has on, I also look at the 'Travelling Tabby" site which shows you all the details for your area. Well worth checking regularly.