Boris announcing in House of Commons now

Juana

I wish people would stop criticising Boris and the government .We are in an unprecedented situation as are many other countries who are also blaming their governments. If certain people had adhered to the rules instead of selfishly doing what they wanted we would not be in the situation we are in now. People queuing outside Costco in Manchester at the weekend were clearly oblivious of safety measures, no social distancing , hardly anyone in face coverings, if this is happening elsewhere no wonder cases are surging.

Juana Well said. It's selfish morons like these who are literally killing innocent people most of whom are obeying the rules. Boris and this government are doing the best they can to safeguard the population and they need support not the non stop criticism from the bitter Labour party.

Northumberland seems to be an incredibly well run sort of place.

I think Northumberland County Council have done a good job of explaining to every household what we can/should and can't/shouldn't do even if we don't like it! Today's card through the door sets it all out very clearly.

The main problem has been imo that the government has given contracts out for PPE, testing (and without going to tender) etc to all of their mates. And my biggest bugbear at the moment is Johnson’s insistence on calling test and trace NHS test and trace when it isn’t NHS and he makes any implication of it failing (which it is ) as a criticism of the NHS.

In my little corner of the country I was very confused by last night's tier system. We are 438 per 100,000 and in tier 1.
So everyone carries on as usual.

Good post, 12JO.

It is a pity that if people criticise the way that the Government is handling the virus some people take it as a party political comment instead of considering the comments on their merits.

Is there someone who thinks the Government has done a really good job that couldn't be improved upon? If so, provide some evidence for your view instead of a party political comment please.

Sorry the second pic is sideways on!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202010/medium-891988-16025965952641294973809.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202010/medium-518828-1602596620892-303150565.jpg

We received this through the letterbox this morning. We are in Northumberland (tier 2 Amber)and

Here are just a few of my masks!

NannanI’m confused too. Also some people seem to be of the opinion that if something is allowed they’ll do it. Even though I probably could visit my children and children but I’m not doing so. Rather than try to work out what I can and can’t do I just do nothing!

maddyone and trisher Just to say, I live in the actual North! Manchester and Liverpool are really North Midlands. ? My very much northern friend was appalled by the lack of masks in Liverpool. Here in Northumberland we are very conscientious.

maddyone

12Jo
Good post.

I wasn't aware that Italy was coping any better than here in Britain. This is a world wide pandemic. It isn't restricted to Britain. Countries where there are fewer people, or are more rural, or don't have a strong drinking culture, or where the population all respect their government, or, or, or. Some countries are doing better, but none are safe. Look what happened in New Zealand. They eliminated the virus and despite that it came back.

Yes, it came back but the numbers are tiny compared with what we've come to expect every day. Nobody can kill the virus, but it's how it's managed which matters.

Juana

I wish people would stop criticising Boris and the government .We are in an unprecedented situation as are many other countries who are also blaming their governments. If certain people had adhered to the rules instead of selfishly doing what they wanted we would not be in the situation we are in now. People queuing outside Costco in Manchester at the weekend were clearly oblivious of safety measures, no social distancing , hardly anyone in face coverings, if this is happening elsewhere no wonder cases are surging.

People have every right to criticise. We live in a democracy!

Maybe if Johnson acted like a leader, people would respect hum and not criticise so much.

12Jo
Good post.

I wasn't aware that Italy was coping any better than here in Britain. This is a world wide pandemic. It isn't restricted to Britain. Countries where there are fewer people, or are more rural, or don't have a strong drinking culture, or where the population all respect their government, or, or, or. Some countries are doing better, but none are safe. Look what happened in New Zealand. They eliminated the virus and despite that it came back.

Barmeyoldbat

Growstuff, actually I do know 18 year olds who have gone to uni, two of my GC, one in year 3 and the other just starting. So please don't assume I have no experience or knowledge of students.
I agree that they are getting a bad deal with regards to education but that doesn't change the fact that they need to act in a more responsible manner and keep themselves and others safe from the virus and they are not at uni just to have fun and party.

"They"? I object to you lumping them all together as some kind of homogenous group. My son has just gone back to Newcastle and most certainly won't be out partying. He wasn't affected by the A level debacle, but he's still got a loan of £9250 per annum and almost the same again for maintenance for online lectures. Do you know any other group which is paying that much to live away from home and be confined to a pokey toom?

Please can we stop the playground left v. right drivel & concentrate, as some contributors have, on the question of whether the current restrictions are correct.
In a situation which is constantly changing of course the government has to adapt. Saying you don’t understand any government advice is Not a great advert for a person.

These are not unprecedented times other than our Worldwide reaction to yet another virus.
Nobody seems to remember Hong Kong flu over 2 winters in the late 60s , killing 2 million worldwide, yet everyone, everywhere got on with work & life.
And it passed as this will.

Exactly the same (I am 64 next week)
I have only left my home since March a Hangul of times. In my car from my drive to my 2 daughters and young grandchildren.
I am intelligent. I listen. I am confused.
I have sat back and watched it all going on and my belief is that all was well until Dominic Cummings disrespected the whole country. Until then, even the sceptical were following lockdown. Once he did that (and got away with it) the naysayers had the green light to do as they wanted.
I will sit and wait it out. It has got the better of my anxieties. I am aware I am alive - but every day is groundhog.

Boris the bumbler ! Why is it that a country like Italy has managed to get on top of it and we haven’t?

Johnson constantly goes on about how he hates imposing rules: he did so again on tv last night yet again giving mixed messages. And then we have Hancock supposedly drinking in the commons bar after ten and making Covid related jokes (which haven’t been denied to my knowledge).

Interesting what lizzypopbottle and Juana said about Liverpool.and Manchester. Yesterday trisher was told off on Gransnet for saying people in the North won't follow the rules. It would appear that she has a point.

Growstuff, actually I do know 18 year olds who have gone to uni, two of my GC, one in year 3 and the other just starting. So please don't assume I have no experience or knowledge of students.
I agree that they are getting a bad deal with regards to education but that doesn't change the fact that they need to act in a more responsible manner and keep themselves and others safe from the virus and they are not at uni just to have fun and party.

We can surely criticise the people who ignore the rules and also criticise our appalling incompetent government.

I do wonder how many of the rule breakers also belong to that so-called "silent majority" who voted for Boris because he's "a good laugh" and consider themselves to be "freedom-loving Britons".

So it worked. The government persuading people that it was their fault that Covid isn’t being controlled not their handling of the pandemic. And I’m tired of people referring to Johnson as Boris, as if he’s some sort of cute cuddly kitten. He’s a grown man who’s responsible for our lives and, thus far he’s not handled it very well. Maybe if people are ignoring the rules it’s down to the person who is actually governing this country and that’s Cummings.

Yes growstuff I am. Tendering is up to 90.5 where I am it’s half that.

I wish people would stop criticising Boris and the government .We are in an unprecedented situation as are many other countries who are also blaming their governments. If certain people had adhered to the rules instead of selfishly doing what they wanted we would not be in the situation we are in now. People queuing outside Costco in Manchester at the weekend were clearly oblivious of safety measures, no social distancing , hardly anyone in face coverings, if this is happening elsewhere no wonder cases are surging.