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

Urmstongran Unfortunately the government don't have a crystal ball

Perhaps one of the GN members could lend them theirs? ?????

Universal Credit will improve in time. It replaced 6 different benefits & has been proven to substantially cut down on fraud as the various departments often didn’t share relevant information. The benefit system was unwieldy and in need of reform.

However I think we’ve discussed that in the past on its own thread.

Some scientists believe that C-19 is weakening. Many think locking down towns and cities independently isn’t necessary.

It will be interesting to see how this measure pans out. Unfortunately the government don’t have a crystal ball.

When even the Telegraph says:

In many ways, as Front Bench discussed yesterday, that the whole of Leicester has gone into another stringent lockdown is something of a failure of the test and trace system.

Then it is surely possible for government supporters to see that it is another failure of this government. Boris was declaring yesterday that the council's had received both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 figures but they plainly had not received what they needed. The Telegraph also reports that As the chief executive of Rochdale Borough Council put it: “We are lacking the community information which would allow us to go to a particular street and take test and trace measures”.

Governing a country is more than being a clever liar who can win an election with those lies. It's also being able to ensure that the administration of huge systems work for the good of the country. From Universal Credit to running the Public Health system it is obvious that the Conservatives are just not up to it. In both cases they have underfunded at the most important points and misunderstood the complexity, and in both cases lives depend on them.

Omitting to mention the “girlfriend” aspect of the relationship

Had he scrupulously observed 'the rules' he wouldn't have got the vital testing information out of the government any earlier. This is a complete red herring.

The government has already produced a report on the spike in Leicester

Without wanting to sound the least bit sarcastic I'd say that I'm amazed at the speed with which this report was produced and that it was produced so quickly is a credit to our highly professional Civil Service which some people want to see completely destroyed

Re No 5 on your list, growstuff it could be that more testing is the reason for the spike as claimed by the Mayor.

We will never know the true extent of this unless the whole population is tested and also tested for antibodies.
Does anyone know if more testing has been carried out in Leicester per head of population?

More testing = more cases
Less testing = fewer cases
It's called The Trump Theory

Did anyone see Peter Soulsby at his press conference though ? Very smiley, saying well yes, he did break the rules and visited a sick friend but she’s living with him now ! So that’s alright then
Omitting to mention the “girlfriend” aspect of the relationship

“Do as I say, not as I do “

Thank you Sparkling. I couldn't find it, but I didn't scroll right back.

To be fair, it wasn't just Facebook which was speculating about other places facing lockdown.

I get a bit fed up with people promoting silly stories too, which is why I try to find out the facts.

In answer to your question Growstuff, Paddyanne said Facebook had printed lists of other places about to be shut down in the UK due to Corona. It reminds me of what history tells us about fake news, Lord HawHaw was one of many that used fake news to further his cause in the Second World War, the problem is done people believe it. Another post on here day stated that 9 million Chinese were about to come to the UK to live. It is about time that people were called out for promoting these stories,

All the pubs in our village are closed but we have campsites and caravan parks that aren't.

I have heard about mini buses being hired to take people to Nottingham from the lockdown area. But, I have also heard that police will be able to stop any vehicles they are concerned about.

Furret

Good old English pub owners for being so sensible. Naughty Muslims for keeping mosques open.

Actually the first is hearsay and the second is a load of bollocks!

I agree, so does Public Health England.

Well, maybe!

The government has already produced a report on the spike in Leicester and the cause remains a puzzle. It doesn't appear to have anything to do with mosques or big gatherings.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/897128/COVID-19_activity_Leicester_Final-report_010720_v3.pdf

Some of the main points in the report are:

1 There are a similar number of males and females.

2 The majority of cases are between 18-65, with the number under 18 increasing.

3 The number of infections reflects the ethnic profile of the population ie approximately 50/50.

4 There is an excess of infections in the young and middle-aged, which isn't happening across England as a whole.

5 It's being suggested that the rise might not be quite so bad as it appears, but could be the result of more testing. It's possible it's always been at this level.

Good old English pub owners for being so sensible. Naughty Muslims for keeping mosques open.

Actually the first is hearsay and the second is a load of bollocks!

Did anyone see Peter Soulsby at his press conference though ? Very smiley, saying well yes, he did break the rules and visited a sick friend but she’s living with him now ! So that’s alright then ??
As to why the numbers are high in Leicester, many of the mosques remained open and men congregated outside after prayers and several hosiery factories ignored the ruling of businesses to close during lockdown. Add these factors to social distancing not being observed, people not staying home and it’s hardly surprising that Leicester is in a local lockdown. I feel so sad for small business owners who’ve spent money making everything as safe as possible and they still can’t open!
I’m in Leicestershire and know that there are several pubs in my town and surrounding villages that won’t be opening at the weekend as they don’t want to risk people travelling here from Leicester !

Death rates usually lag a couple of weeks or longer behind infection rates. It is being reported that it is mainly under 19s and workers that are driving these infection rates.

Probable cause? Infection spreading in schools and the workplace. If these then get passed on to 60+ relatives we can expect a rise in deaths, especially given the high percentage of BAME folks in Leicester.

Hope I’m wrong.

What did paddyanne write which was fake news? Sorry, I can't find it.

It seems nobody really knows the source or cause of the spike in Leicester.

Apparently, quite a high percentage are under 19. The average (mean) age of all infected is young(ish), which is possibly why there haven't been that many deaths.

Paddy anne, once again fake news on Facebook which you choose to believe. After all it's a chance to knock the government. It's dreadful for the people of Leicester and the expense and trouble it's put businesses to getting ready to open Saturday. This lockdown has occurred because of mindless individuals flouting the no distancing rules. Crowds gather, the police can only do do much, their hands are tied unless we become a police state, every step they take to quell them, violence erupts. The same people who if they get it will need tgecNHS. People have caused this, it's not a time to wallow in the fact it must be the governments fault. Rubbish. We know the rules, we know how Corona spreads, it's a pity the decent people have to suffer because of selfish, lawless individuals. How many have seen people touting the rules and said nothing? I hope they are pleased. It makes a mockery of the Thursday clapping. The sooner Facebook is no more the better. Take responsibility for your own actions.

I expect they will be looking at what the affected towns have in common.

Rochdale and/or Oldham might be next.

Deaths are down but positive cases are up, particularly for people in their 20’s and 30’s according to the news.

Who said it was?

Exactly, MawB. A lowered death rate at the moment is no guarantee for the future.

The importance of cases is as great as that of deaths
Yes it is excellent news if the death rate is going down - that may be due to a variety of factors, earlier diagnosis, more targeted and effective treatment, a lower average age of patients, fewer underlying health factors, plus I don’t know what else.
However if the number of cases is increasing, that could mean more deaths in the near future, depending on who has been infected and also, that the virus has taken hold in the community. What is in the community will also appear in the hospitals and care homes both among patients and staff.

Less people are dying because it’s mainly older people who are badly affected.

Oh, so that makes it OK, does it? There are still a great many 'older people' left who are endangered by this, and it seems to be forgotten that a) younger people die of it too, and there is a very real danger of it causing permanent damage to people who have apparently recovered from it.

But then, I suppose, with the prospect of mass unemployment in sight it won't hurt to have a few more thousand deaths. Won't have to pay the universal credit... or the pensions of the 'older ones'.

'but matt hancock mentioned that schools in leicester would have to close as children were particularly affected.*
What he means is that many children are testing positive and can then pass it on. Children don't usually get it seriously but they can still get it and they can pass it on. So can contribute to it spreading.