Anyone live in Leicester? The lockdown there has been extended.

Matt Hancock confused Kirklees and Keighly in an interview on the today programme, 3 days ago. Does make you wonder!
Do they know anything about the country?

MayBee70

Is it true that Johnson has said Sheffield is going to be next ? I missed the interview [or whatever it was].

Apparently Johnson confused Sheffield with Leicester.

Well, it's some city north of Watford - geography obviously isn't his strength!

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/boris-johnson-confuses-sheffield-and-leicester-1-6729817

Is it true that Johnson has said Sheffield is going to be next ? I missed the interview [or whatever it was].

Callistemon

growstuff

It sounds as though the police and public health officials are going to be kept busy.

Maybe people who have criticised sweat shops in undeveloped countries should have been looking closer to home.

More than anything, we all need transparency, the truth and good communication.

I agree.

We are being encouraged to buy goods which are Made in Britain in the belief they are manufactured under strict guidelines and that the workers are paid at least a minimum wage and that their working conditions adhere to H&S rules.
The same can be said for Italy, too, Italian leather goods are extremely expensive but the workers are not paid the going rate.

I agree with you Callistemon. It's all a sham.

I assume you support EU regulations on workplace practices and actually enforcing them tickingbird. Hopefully. the UK will transfer EU laws and actually do something about them rather than turning a blind eye. It's gratifying to read about your concern for immigrants.

I still don't see what difference it makes who the owners are. If they're breaking the law, they should be prosecuted. That will, of course, mean funding enforcement agencies properly and and ensuring the ted tape is tied firmly.

growstuff

It sounds as though the police and public health officials are going to be kept busy.

Maybe people who have criticised sweat shops in undeveloped countries should have been looking closer to home.

More than anything, we all need transparency, the truth and good communication.

I agree.

We are being encouraged to buy goods which are Made in Britain in the belief they are manufactured under strict guidelines and that the workers are paid at least a minimum wage and that their working conditions adhere to H&S rules.
The same can be said for Italy, too, Italian leather goods are extremely expensive but the workers are not paid the going rate.

According to what I read these factories have poor immigrants working around the clock for something like £3 per hour, and even being told to go in when they’re ill. The unscrupulous owners have also been claiming furlough payments. Just despicable. If true, it makes one wonder what type of greedy, uncaring people could do this to desperate people travelling here for a better life, only to be exploited. No doubt lodgings are provided where they’re crammed on top of each other. It sickens me.

tickingbird

*The owners* growstuff.

It’s obviously painful for you.

What are you going on about?

The owners growstuff.

It’s obviously painful for you.

welbeck

following all the cuts to public spending, the attack on so-called useless quangos etc, there are far fewer inspection officials to seek out and regulate all areas of public health and safety. including environmental health, trading standards, health&safety executive etc. anyone for sweatshops?
remember how the very phrase 'elf n safety became a watchword for mockery. not so funny now.
we don't notice how our lives depend upon standards and regulation until we complain at their absence/ inadequacy.

?

tickingbird

And just who do you think own these sweatshops?

The owners.

And just who do you think own these sweatshops?

following all the cuts to public spending, the attack on so-called useless quangos etc, there are far fewer inspection officials to seek out and regulate all areas of public health and safety. including environmental health, trading standards, health&safety executive etc. anyone for sweatshops?
remember how the very phrase 'elf n safety became a watchword for mockery. not so funny now.
we don't notice how our lives depend upon standards and regulation until we complain at their absence/ inadequacy.

It sounds as though the police and public health officials are going to be kept busy.

Maybe people who have criticised sweat shops in undeveloped countries should have been looking closer to home.

More than anything, we all need transparency, the truth and good communication.

Alexa

It seems a good idea to regard the virus as adapting to sporadic outbreaks .

Is it true about Leicester's clothing factories being staffed by underpaid Asian workers who have had to continue working as normal before the pandemic?

That is what an article in, I think, the Guardian reported. That the factory owners were claiming furlough payments for the staff but insisting they came in. The article also said that a large proportion of the clothing being made was, or is, for Boohoo.

It is a fact that there appear to be a lot of unregulated small clothing manufacturers in the affected areas.

I'm sure they would be willing to volunteer although they may have the right to refuse.

MayBee70

China have just vaccinated lots of the military.

I don't suppose the military had much choice. I'm not so sure our military would be so keen to be used as human guinea pigs.

Vaccines are the big unknown. It's not so much that scientists disagree but they just don't know. Meanwhile the only way to stop it is to prevent transmission. I don't think anybody seriously disagrees about that.

China have just vaccinated lots of the military.

Like everyone I guess I am desperately hoping one of the vaccines proves effective.

Then of course it’s essential that Trump doesn’t buy up the entire quantity.

Back to what we know/don’t know. I was thinking about immunity. I understand it’s not yet certain if catching the virus once gives any sort of immunity.

Apparently there’s a difference between antibodies and T cell action.

I am reassured that scientists all around the world are working flat out to beat this blasted thing !

We were there last year, Ealdemodor but unfortunately didn't have time for a visit although DH is keen to go (we were there for a funeral). I did manage to trace a bit of my family history around the area.

Going off piste a bit here, but, if this situation ever ends, I’d like to say that Leicester is a great place to visit!
The Richard 111 Visitor Centre is excellent, and there is plenty more - good shopping centre too.

I do think the Leicester system i.e. treating virus as sporadic outbreaks might work quite well.

I don't think that's entirely accurate JenniferEccles. However, this thread seems to share quite a bit with the Why Did the UK Have Such a Bad Covid-19 Epidemic? thread and I have just put a long answer on there. It seems pointless to repeat everything on two different treads.

We do actually know an awful lot about coronavirus - at least scientists do. The trouble is there has been so much misinformation and quackery.

Science is never something set in stone. Everything is always a hypothesis until something with better proof comes along.

The virus itself is very well understood and we know how it's transmitted. We know how it affects the human body and we know who is most likely to suffer from a more serious form of the virus and, in most cases, why. We know what host it needs and we know how to stop transmission. We don't have a vaccine yet and it's possible there will never be one, so the only thing which makes sense is to prevent transmission.

Of course, the optimal way to stop transmission is bad for the economy and the only serious disagreements seem to be between those who want to stop transmission and those who think that the economy is more important and that deaths of the most vulnerable are inevitable and unimportant.