Farage is in the US, presumably to attend a Trump rally. Not clear how he was allowed in, how he justified it as essential travel, nor whether he’ll abide by quarantine regulations on his return to the UK.

https://twitter.com/nigel_farage/sta...141980672?s=21

Clipper Logistics

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/02/d...ovid19-crisis/

The law requires Farage to self-isolate for 14 days on return to England:
He doesn't fall under any exceptions. He can leave home for very few reasons (not including work or race-baiting).
A constable can use 'reasonable force' to return him to his home.

Spain to allow UK tourists without quarantine from Sunday

How'd he get into the States. Thought that there was a UK travel ban

That seems somewhat unwise!

Apparently Farage was allowed in to the US under the 'national interest' clause

The national interest of the UK?

Get him out of the country and don't let him back.

Whew! That's good to hear. I think even 5 million may be too much for the two apps and supporting infrastructure, but it's a much more sane number than 250!

If I was benevolent dictator it would be a lot longer. And that law would have been in place for decades.

But sad when you import foreigners to swell the numbers but still can't half fill a venue.

On Sky News.

When asked why warnings that Apple technology wouldn’t work with UK government app as far back as April

Matt Hancock blamed Apple for failing to co-operate with a 'democratically elected government' on the coronavirus app for its failure.

Terrorism was to blame as well apparently

No better tactic than slagging off in public the people you are relying on to get you out of the hole you dug for yourself.

Reuters
@Reuters
UK PM Johnson to announce new 'one metre plus' social distancing rule: Telegraph https://reut.rs/2V1gWta

I wouldn’t trust that **** to tell me when to put the bins out never mind advise us on how to reintegrate during a pandemic.

Do you think he'll actually abide by that?
Did he actually attend the Trump rally?

Yes, he did. He apparently got a special exemption from the US travel ban.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/ni...p-rally-451858

If you could end the coronavirus pandemic by sacrificing one person, who would you choose and why Boris?

Sadly, he already survived it, so I'm choosing Trump.

It's looking increasingly like Boris Johnson will announce that pubs in England iwll be opening again soon:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53129845

Yes, England is on track because the decision making process isn't driven by the science any longer, it's driven by the economy and public sentiment. :mad:

Out local award-winning micropub, the Queen's Head, opened for off-sales on Friday and managed to sell 3 firkins (over 200 pints) in an hour and a half. The landlord was able to get three more for Saturday and trade was slow, it took nearly 2 hours to sell out. This is far more beer than he'd ordinarily sell (the pub only seats 10) but people are eager to support local businesses :)

The thing is - if we'd locked down hard and early, we could have had similar results to New Zealand - bringing cases down so low that we could have almost completely re-opened after a much shorter lockdown. As it is we're just setting the stage for a) tonnes more people dying, b) another lockdown later in the year, or c) a & b.

That would have required:

• Listening to the scientists
• Learning from foreigners
• Working to create a consensus
• Strong leadership
• Decisive action
• Sticking to a course of action

Any one of these is beyond the compass of the current crop of shirkers, dilettantes, grifters and imbeciles who make up the UK's government. :mad:

The only science Boris is interested in is "You've already had it so you're probably safe".

My local has been doing delivery pizzas at the weekends as they have a log fired pizza oven, to be honest they haven't been anywhere near as good as when I've had them on the premises, possibly they don't have their chef at the moment as most chefs come from abroad and may have gone home before lockdown*, but I've still had them a couple of times as I want to do my bit to help them survive it's a great pub, dog friendly and has a nice garden (which, if it goes under will probably end up with another half dozen houses on it).


*Possibly it's just my perception, I was given a pizza oven a while back and modesty aside I do a really nice one, 24hr dough, fresh basil in the sauce, at least three cheeses.

And attending Cobra meetings...

New outbreaks in Germany.
This is what happens when a country which had a far more effective lockdown and far more clear messaging from government goes back to "normal" good luck Britain.

Maybe he’s planning on having an eye test whole he’s there to cover off the quarantine and travel issues.

Then he won't approve of this: Studies Report Rapid Loss of COVID-19 Antibodies - The results, while preliminary, suggest that survivors of SARS-CoV-2 infection may be susceptible to reinfection within weeks or months. (The Scientist, June 19, 2020)

Maybe cancelling/cutting short his February holiday...

perfectly reasonable, just make sure he has an appropriate car for it. What was that one that kept blowing up?

More news on UK excess deaths:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/worl...ost_type=share

That's nearly 0.1% of the UK population. The current estimate is that around 5% of the UK population has been , or is, infected. This has the capacity to run and run especially if no effective vaccine is found and if immunity is temporary for those who have had it.

While the government is rushing headlong to open up the economy as quickly as they can, business owners are complaining that they haven't had the guidance necessary to make sure they're safe and don't have enough time to set up properly:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/worl...ost_type=share

Which is business as usual for this government, make a grand announcement in haste with little or no thought or guidance and then leave the "trivial" details of actually making it work to other people (who can then be blamed when it inevitably goes horribly wrong). :mad:

Ford Pinto.
:)

You mean the newly repainted Cabinet car?

http://www.internationalskeptics.com...1e75436c6e.jpg

UK PM Boris Johnson tells MPs that restaurants, pubs and hairdressers will reopen in England from 4 July
Mr Johnson says 2m distancing rule is being reduced to 1m plus
Cinemas, museums and other attractions will also reopen, but not "close proximity" venues like indoor gyms

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-53146191

Great idea. There's no way that people sitting in a cinema, 1 metre apart, could be the source of a super-spreader event. :rolleyes:

I'd rather be in the gym, especially if you book a session and the equipment is cleaned assiduously afterwards - though in truth I'd rather not go to the gym either.

I was surprised about Johnson's phrasing when he spoke of putting a 'human shield' around the NHS, human shields are there to be, if necessary, sacrificed to protect something else and it isn't normally considered a good thing, in fact it's the opposite of what the NHS is about. I'm sure it's not what he intended but it made me think of all the people that have died in care homes.

Boris confirming that from the 4th of July everyone can drive blind to Barnard Castle, jump off Durdle Door and do a conga round Wetherspoons

Only if they live in England.

I live in Wales, really need to get to Barnard Castle (in the process of selling my late father's home there) but cannot travel further than a recommended 5 miles from my home for anything other than essential reasons.

That said, I'm glad that the Welsh government is taking things slowly. I'm more eager not to have Coronavirus than I am to have a pint at The Lion.

Theatres can open, but not have any live entertainment.

Outdoor music events are not yet allowed, as that would constitute a mass gathering. Not sure why that is less safe than an enclosed theatre or cinema.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ning-on-4-july

Maybe it's perceived to be more difficult to enforce social distancing outside ? :confused:

... in places where 2m distancing cannot be adhered to.