Chris Whitty - another lockdown

Estimates still aren't forecasts though

I suspect that the scientists using the supercomputers to calculate R would be a bit put out at being told their calculations are guesstimates.

We might as well face the fact that life as we used to know it is over; Covid is with us for the forseeable and we will be forever in and out of lockdown.
There is never going to be an "ideal" time for us to unlock as there will always be new variants cropping up and spreading, without we all sit indoors in complete lockdown for the next 10 years by which time there will be no country left to come out to anyway.
The government have not, it is true, exactly covered themselves in glory in many respects but rather than everyone pointing the finger at them what about pointing it at China who are responsible for this whole mess in the first place and have yet to offer up an explanation to the world (and no, I don't buy the WHOs conclusion that the fact that it all started in Wuhan, 4 miles away from a lab experimenting with it is just "coincidence"). Various whistleblowers and documentaries have detailed lies and cover-ups which suggests they are not innocent victims in all of this as they would have us believe

Chris Witty isn't the government.
He is a reputable scientist who is pushed & pulled by Johnson et al.

The cases were rising before and during the announcements on easing lockdown

Living in Wales we have had a more cautious approach but are close to the English border. Huge influx of people going to the North Wales Resorts.

I know we are going to have to live with this but I believe they have given us enough rope to enjoy a few weeks sunshine and pleasure to get us ready for an Autumn/Winter lock down.

We have to do what we think is right and do our best to stay safe.

Even Andrew Marr says you are not safe as he had two jabs and still had Covid. Several of the scientific people from the University of Wales are saying that restrictions should not be lifted?

WoodLane7

We might as well face the fact that life as we used to know it is over; Covid is with us for the forseeable and we will be forever in and out of lockdown.
There is never going to be an "ideal" time for us to unlock as there will always be new variants cropping up and spreading, without we all sit indoors in complete lockdown for the next 10 years by which time there will be no country left to come out to anyway.
The government have not, it is true, exactly covered themselves in glory in many respects but rather than everyone pointing the finger at them what about pointing it at China who are responsible for this whole mess in the first place and have yet to offer up an explanation to the world (and no, I don't buy the WHOs conclusion that the fact that it all started in Wuhan, 4 miles away from a lab experimenting with it is just "coincidence"). Various whistleblowers and documentaries have detailed lies and cover-ups which suggests they are not innocent victims in all of this as they would have us believe

The WHO have amended their conclusion I believe. I agree that China need to be held to account for what has happened but now isn’t the time. I do think we should be looking to China and learn from them as they seem to have handled the pandemic far better than we have. I think it’s Taiwan that started to get a huge increase in infections after doing so well initially but have now got it under control again. Surely we should learn from countries like that?

I don’t know what the future will hold but I do think we need to get things into some sort of perspective.

We test far more in the U.K. than anywhere else in the world and if you test more you will find more positive cases. Also, for example, if you have no symptoms and therefore wouldn’t test but you have to test for work and you find you are positive and then get killed by a bus this, I believe, would go down as a Covid death.

This virus will be with us for a long time and we all, individually, have to be careful and respectful to others. Those that don’t act like this probably didn’t anyhow.

And for all those blaming the government and yes mistakes have been made, I would like to see how you would have done any better. It’s so easy in hindsight and you only have to listen to the radio to hear that there are so many different views. The government will never please everybody and I have to tell you there are a lot of people in the U.K. who don’t agree with everything you believe in.

Rant over….enjoy the sunny weather!

I do think we should be looking to China and learn from them as they seem to have handled the pandemic far better than we have.

China has far better population compliance than western democracies, so they would have handled it better. My granddaughter is a teacher in Qatar and there has been excellent compliance over restrictions there because the resulting penalty is a $40,000 fine or prison.

WhiteWaveMark,

So Boris Johnson is totally responsible for everything that happens with the virus. That is very wearisome to read. Many other countries are having large problems. Even Papua New Guinea where I worked for many years now has the Delta strain.
There is no magic ball to make forecasting the mutation of the virus and typical that you do not mention the economic failures that staying in lockdown will cause. I note that some groups are resolutely refusing the vaccination and there are pockets of anti social behaviour. The Government cannot legislate for sheer ignorance and stupidity, so just once can you write about something different?

I am in a difficult situation myself. I have booked to come home on September 5th but now I am worried that we will be facing lockdown. The NHS form which all incoming people have to fill in does not recognise any vaccination not given in UK so we have to test before the flight, then self isolate for 10 days but have 2 further tests on day 2 and day 8 which have to be booked in advance.
So everyone is affected by this ghastly virus and I certainly realise that I cannot blame the government for everything that hits the country. I expect some people in Belgium and Germany are having a very bad time just now, but they will not all blame their governments or the EU!
No doubt if you had been living in WW2 you would have been blaming the government for that too!

I think the entire world is “in over their heads” when it comes to Covid- humans are making it up as they go- understandably as this is a new phenomenon to us all.

Why does a scientist of any credibility allow himself to be 'pushed and pulled' by Mr Johnson et al?

I'm not surprised. Just been on a short break and for every young person I see not wearing a mask properly I see at least 10 over 60s not wearing them properly. Is it a fashion item to wear the masks as earrings or as chin straps to stop wrinkles? I'm not talking about people that are exempt but those rude s*ds that think one rule is for others and one rule for them on public transport and in enclosed spaces. No wonder the rate is increasing

I do think we should be looking to China and learn from them as they seem to have handled the pandemic far better than we have. I think it’s Taiwan that started to get a huge increase in infections after doing so well initially but have now got it under control again. Surely we should learn from countries like that?

China and Taiwan have totally different styles of government.
The two countries had completely different ways of handling the pandemic.

Even Papua New Guinea where I worked for many years now has the Delta strain.

Anniel we know someone who works there and, like so many others, normally travellled to and from Australia until restrictions were put in recently. He has just tested positive.

Callistemon

^I do think we should be looking to China and learn from them as they seem to have handled the pandemic far better than we have. I think it’s Taiwan that started to get a huge increase in infections after doing so well initially but have now got it under control again. Surely we should learn from countries like that?^

China and Taiwan have totally different styles of government.
The two countries had completely different ways of handling the pandemic.

So what were those ways? And why did they work so well?

Callistemon

^I do think we should be looking to China and learn from them as they seem to have handled the pandemic far better than we have. I think it’s Taiwan that started to get a huge increase in infections after doing so well initially but have now got it under control again. Surely we should learn from countries like that?^

China and Taiwan have totally different styles of government.
The two countries had completely different ways of handling the pandemic.

Both have followed a very similar process in handling the pandemic and we have a lot to learn from them. It is political ideology that is stopping such a sensible strategy

Do not blame the government or the scientific advisers, for the crass behaviour of the masses of the mindless ones, who either do not appreciate nor care about anyone but themselves, and their woeful behaviour. It may have escaped your notice that the greater majority of the elder population have now been given some protection against Covid-19 whereas the majority of the spreaders, obviously the younger members of society, have again caused a huge rise in people catching and dying from the disease. When will people listen and learn? Ever?

Covid is to blame and in particular at the moment in the U.K. the delta variant.

But the mitigation put into place is ALWAYS the governments responsibility.

Populism as a means of dealing with a pandemic? Wasn’t it argued that the British people would never adhere to a lockdown? I’m sure there are ways of getting the public onside that doesn’t involve shooting them or handing out hefty fines. We were all getting used to wearing masks (something Eastern people’s do that would never go down well here) until Johnson decided to tell people it was curtailing our freedom in some way, not actually keeping us safe. Well that bird has flown now. Do the people in New Zealand regard Ardern as some kind of gestapo like leader or someone who actually cares and wants to do everything possible to protect them?

I think the fact that they are going ahead with unlocking despite the numbers rising, speaks to what we’ve all known all along. They’re winging it. After all the restrictions and the hardships of the last 18 months, to suddenly say ‘well, you’re on your own now’ - which is effectively what they’re doing - doesn’t make any sense. If they didn’t trust us to be careful without legal restrictions before, what’s changed now ? I suspect Boris has more than one eye on his popularity ratings - too little, too late I fear, and have just seen something on the news about the people coming into contact with Sajid Javid not having to isolate, even though he’s not only tested positive, but has symptoms. So yet another case of one rule for them and another for us. I’ve got no intention of unlocking tomorrow, I’m CEV and intend to carry on as I have been doing until things are clearer re- mutations and the current spread.

Both have followed a very similar process in handling the pandemic and we have a lot to learn from them. It is political ideology that is stopping such a sensible strategy

No they haven't, not according to reports from Australian relatives of friends in both Wuhan and Taiwan.

The way Taiwan has dealt with this has much to be admired; the government was well prepared, had foresight and treated its citizens with dignity.

Pammie1 That has all changed now -
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57879730

I don't think any other sort of government would have made a difference with this Covid.
It is the scientists who are running the country.
Members of Parliament are just their puppets.
We should all rebel against the impositions.

wicklowwinnie

I don't think any other sort of government would have made a difference with this Covid.
It is the scientists who are running the country.
Members of Parliament are just their puppets.
We should all rebel against the impositions.

I think that it is quite the reverse.

Johnson is in thrall to the right wing of his party and of course his perceived popularity, which is why we have seen the u-turn today over isolating.

It is the Covid recovery group that is running the country. Johnson is their puppet.