has anyone seen anything more shambolic than this evenings press conference?

annodomini

The Army was used to erect the Nightingale Hospitals which have been little used because of lack of trained staff. The Army and the other services have medical and nursing corps who could surely be called upon to staff the Nightingales. Why not?

I'm guessing the cuts in military spending means there are less doctors and nurses in the army. I'm sure they will be used when necessary.

I am in favour of the lockdown and wish it had happened before now but do not understand how as BJ says it will make it safer for families to be together at Christmas. A lot of people will have to return to work once the lockdown ends. Some like our son and daughter in law are key workers so will be going to work during the lockdown. Our grandchildren will be going to school. How then will it be safe for us over 70 year old grandparents to meet up with them at Christmas. Are we all going to be given a supply of Boris’ new amazing testing kits, results in 15 minutes, so we can test ourselves before meeting up. Sorry I’m too old to believe in fairy tales and old enough
to realise when we’re being lied to.

I think we have had clearer and more concise information in Scotland. I feel frustrated as the PM seems to be blustery and not knowing exactly what he is saying or meaning. I'm not saying we are any better as I see so many mostly younger people not following recommendations - DD2 is part of our extended household and is a nurse in CAHMS and I take her to work so she doesn't have to take public transport (as recommended) and we pass through a fairly affluent area of Edinburgh where I see parents taking children to school, not socially distanced and usually not wearing masks but walking and chatting with other parents and it is very frustrating. It is because people are not following recommendations that the transmission rate is rising again. I'm 64 and fairly healthy but I don't want to die of Covid because people don't follow guidelines. DD1 teaches P1 and many children in her class have lacing shoes (not advised) which they cannot tie so the teacher has to tie them kneeling down below their faces while the child coughs, sneezes, shouts allowing droplets to fall on the teacher. She is frustrated with this as she also does not want to contract Covid and cannot understand why anyone would send a child to school with lacing shoes when the child cannot tie them. Her son DGS1 has learned this skill over the last year P2/P3 but still has velcro fastenings for school shoes. How do parents think their child will be able to tie shoelaces when they have not learned?

Glad I don't live in England! At this rate it won't just be Scotland wanting to leave the union! Had TV on 4pm nil, 5pm nil, gave up at 5.30 and collected DD2 and DGS2 from well blown about Halloween fun outside in "storm" - "storm Granny storm!" Collected McDonald's, ate it. 7pm or after - who knows - during nappy change and PJs - there he is Bojo! No - graphs, graphs, graphs! Eventually blundering explanation of what is happening - no not UK as stated but only England phew! Gave up as DGS2 firing cars at me off coffee table! Back to Scotland's Tier 3 starting Monday!

We will be out of our lockdown just before you enter yours, Luckygirl.
Unless this is national it will not work.

JenniferEccles What was shambolic?
1) All DH could get on his computer was the press confernce with Boris et al with the graphics just visible on a monitor so far away they were illegible.
2) I had all the graphices, wuite clearly with a voiceover, except that the graphics were lagging behind the speaker so thaat I never saw the graph until the speake had move onto the next one
3) For me, the signer, was standing in front of the graphics so it was impossible to see the graphic fully anyway.

Other people had the same problems. That was what I meant by shambolic.

We need a proper lockdown as they have in France. My friend has just returned from her home there and said that they cannot go anywhere at all without filling in forms - which are checked. Fines for breaches consist of a gendarme taking you to a cash point there and then.

I hope for more. I hope not too many people die unnecessarily or suffer life-changing after effects.

Shambolic? What was shambolic about it ?

Much as I hate the idea of another national lockdown, it seems the PM felt he had no choice given the dire predictions from the two on either side of him.

Where they right? Who knows but would any Prime Minister be willing to risk it?

All we can hope is that not too many businesses are finished off for good after this.

Womblekelly the over 60s have always been classified as vulnerable - you only have to look at the graph of deaths by age group to see why

There is still no clarity. Instead of saying "work from home" - he said you can only go out for specific reasons including work, "let's say if you cannot work from home" - what the hell does that mean? Is this an instruction to work from home or not?

I only managed to see the slides by opening the press conference on my laptop and zooming in. But in any event, the slides were completely unnecessary - one graphic of the projected rise in cases and the current rise would have been more than enough. The ability of the human brain to turn to porridge when confronted with too much information is not to be underestimated.

I agree, annodomini and have been asking that question for a while now, but obviously not asking the right people.

The Army was used to erect the Nightingale Hospitals which have been little used because of lack of trained staff. The Army and the other services have medical and nursing corps who could surely be called upon to staff the Nightingales. Why not?

grumppa

Surreal moment: BBC2 tribute programme to Sean Connery includes a clip from a Terry Wogan Show. Who is sitting next to him? Boris Johnson!

Yes, I noticed that - and referred to them both as ‘sex symbols’. I thought it was Michael Parkinson show? Whoever was hosting, I can’t think of any meaning of the term ‘sex symbol’ which would be applicable to Johnson.

Surreal moment: BBC2 tribute programme to Sean Connery includes a clip from a Terry Wogan Show. Who is sitting next to him? Boris Johnson!

And so suddenly the over 60s are now classed as vulnerable

I'm more confused than ever after reading this thread.

Does this mean that when our fire break in Wales finishes, I can't come over to England to visit any of you?

TeacherAnn. I agree. The slides were interesting. I think it was unfortunate that the announcement was ‘leaked’ to the press before the arrangements had been fully agreed and polished.

I don't know if this link will work or if anyone is interested in a different view/opinion. It's a long listen (1hr. 48)
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-delingpod-the-james-delingpole-podcast/id1449753062?i=1000495618783

I did the same thing MrsWoo

Well.... thank goodness I have SIR Sean Connerys Bond films to look forward to this week... The BoJo covid announcements did nothing for me. Could not see the charts they produced. Shambles

BJ also distinguished between CV19 patients and non CV19 patients and putting medics in impossible situations

We were watching the BBC from about 5pm waiting for an official announcement. It was quite interesting with plenty of experts pontificating on the whys, wherefores and need (or not) for a second lockdown. When the official announcement eventually came we gave it 10 minutes, decided we couldn't make head nor tail of the graphs, and switched the telly off.

exactly vegansrock- there is s massive shortage to wo/man the main hospitals, never mind Nightingales

BlueBelle

Why whitewave we have 8 nightingale hospitals that have barely been used they have thousands of extra beds empty and waiting
This is a huge joke I live in an area where they’re is very little and we ruin everything we were building up
Idiots

It's not the number of beds that will be critical it's the staff needed to man them! It's anything but a bloody joke.

I have two intensive care nurses in my own family. They are beside themselves with worry. People need to stop blaming that twat cummings and the PM (not my choice either!).

The message was crystal clear even if the graphics were poor.